There are two calls: a general one, with 23 small and medium-sized premises (under 400 m²) and 4 large premises (between 400 m² and1,000 m²), and another for cultural projects, consisting of 9 municipal premises, including 3 spaces inside the Palo Alto complex.

Depending on the type of business and needs of the project that is submitted, applicants can opt for premises with rent between 30% and 50% below market prices, as the case may be, and with 5-, 7, and 10-year leases, which can be extended by 2 years.

The general criteria for assessing the projects are business feasibility and having a positive impact on environments, both in the economic sphere and in the social and cultural realms (in the case of premises for cultural projects). The requirements for the projects will be assessed according to the various types of premises.

The deadline for submitting projects is 20 January 2023, and this first call is expected to be decided on and the premises rented out before the summer of 2023.

Another “Amunt persianes” line of action is the mediation service for establishing economic activity in vacant private premises. This is the new connection service between owners and individuals looking for premises to start up a new economic activity, with the aim of helping to revitalize the city’s activities.

Types of premises and requirements

• Small and medium sized

Projects will receive a positive assessment where they are framed within the strategic economic areas for each region, as provided for in each district’s development plans or road maps. Priority will be given to local, sustainable-food, circular-economy and care-work businesses and services as well as services for individuals, for example.

Projects relating to the social and solidarity economy or to rotations of several business projects and their products or services (through temporary shops or exhibition halls, among other things) will also be positively assessed.

• Large

Positive assessments will be made for some premises with projects that satisfy the Barcelona Green Deal’s strategic areas and, for others that are social and solidarity economy projects and which generate ecosystems, clusters and hubs in this area.

• For cultural projects

It is a prerequisite for them to be creation, production, exhibition or cultural-marketing projects. A positive rating will be given depending on the premises where projects are framed within such areas as cultural commerce, training, creation workshops and cultural management. They may also be cultural businesses, such as bookshops, record shops and art galleries.