Alicante allocates 4.5 million euros to alleviate effects of COVID-19
The funding will reinforce the provincial council’s commitment to municipalities and helping the region’s productive sectors.
Monday 1st February 2021 | Xàbia AL DÍA
The Alicante Provincial Council will be allocating about 4.5 million euros this year to promote the economic and business drive in the province and help alleviate the effects generated by the COVID-19 pandemic. The Economic Development and Productive Sectors area will manage this important funding, which has increased by more than 10% compared to 2020 and which will be distributed through different initiatives and subsidy packages.
In particular, the Council Aid Program for the Hosting of Trade Fairs and Events stands out, which is worth some 700,000 euros, the highest single amount of funding, and the Council Aid Program for Economic Promotion Matters, which is worth 300,000 euros .
Provincial representative responsible for the department, Sebastian Cañanas said: “We have increased the funding in this area by nearly half a million euros with the aim of reinforcing our commitment to the municipalities and helping our productive sectors. We are aware of the difficult situation we are going through and of the effort that we must make from the public administrations to reactivate our economy ”.
Throughout this year, the Provincial Council will maintain other funding agreements such as a grant for the development of urban gardens, worth 225,000 euros, another aimed at the modernization of municipal markets, which amounts to 175,000 euros, and another focused on the promotion of agriculture and the support of the rural environment, worth 150,000 euros.
Collaboration with the Regulatory Councils for Denomination of Origin (DO) and Protected Geographical Indications (IGP) will be another of the priorities throughout 2021. For this, the Provincial Council will invest more than 115,000 euros in the push, promotion and dissemination of products such as the Wines of Alicante, the Mountain Cherries, the Vinalopó Bagged Grapes, the Nísperos from Callosa d’en Sarrià, the Mollar Granada from Elche, the Jijona and Alicante nougats, and the Traditional Spirits of Alicante ( Anís Paloma, el Aperitivo café de Alcoy, el Cantueso and el Herbero).
In addition, the provincial council will continue to support the productive sectors of the territory through various subsidies that include 26,500 euros for the promotion of the rug and carpet industry, 25,000 euros for the improvement of the competitiveness of the metal sector, and 15,000 euros for the promotion of the agricultural products.
Especially relevant will also be the work that is carried out together with the Chambers of Commerce, Industry and Navigation of the province -Alicante, Orihuela and Alcoy – to which different aid will be injected to carry out projects such as a Network Support Plan of Business Incubators, a Digitalization and Innovation Program, and a new edition of the contest ‘Alicante Gastronómica. IV Meeting of Mediterranean Lifestyle ’.
In order to promote the development and dynamism of the Alicante territory, this year the contributions to the Consortium for the Economic Development of Vega Baja (CONVEGA) and to the Consortium for the Economic Recovery and Activity of the Marina Alta (CREAMA), which will receive 130,000 and 120,000 euros respectively.
The organization of information campaigns, the publication of books, studies and technical works, the offer of aid to non-profit organizations for the promotion of productive sectors, and collaboration with entities and associations such as APSA, who will be awarded 35,000 euros for the development of a training and employment plan for people with disabilities, and the EMPLEA Foundation, which will receive 18,000 euros for the implementation of a labour inclusion project aimed at groups at risk of social inclusion, are other actions that the area will take place throughout this 2021.
COVID-19 Aid
On the other hand, and as was done in 2020, the Provincial Council will once again offer funding to help self-employed people, SMEs, micro-SMEs and professionals to minimize the effects of the crisis economic derived from COVID-19, which increases from six to nine million euros. The contributions will be paid with the remainder and will be managed through the municipalities.
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