Employers, self-employed individuals

ECONOMIC REACTIVATION MEASURES

See all the resources for the self-employed and Barcelona’s companies that are available to you: subsidies and other measures, legal-guidance resources and tax and business advice, online courses and training programmes and other economic-promotion resources in the city.

Financial aid

Barcelona City Council has mobilised resources intended for the businesses, shops and self-employed individuals that currently need them in the form of grants, subsidies or funding so they can maintain their economic activity, protect jobs and, at the same time, promote their transformation to adapt to the Barcelona of the future.

  • The Business Funding Service has been strengthened, so it can support self-employed persons, businesses and associations that need financial resources to deal with cash-flow problems or mid- and long-term funding. This service provides support during the application procedure for the grants and specific lines of funding for COVID-19.

  • An extra 400,000 euros (bringing the total credit line to 4 million euros) is being added to the public-cooperative credit fund with Coop57 and Fiare Banca Ètica. This measure is aimed at Barcelona’s social and solidarity economy enterprises and organisations with liquidity needs, enabling them to respond to new needs that may arise from the effects of the COVID-19 crisis, and providing credit to projects which, for all their economic feasibility and socio-community interest, could have a greater risk of late payment.

  • The Metropolitan Taxi Institute and the Barcelona Metropolitan Area, acting in collaboration with Barcelona City Council, are launching an Emergency Plan for the tax sector, to ensure safety in this means of transport, help it to combat the drop in business caused by the health emergency and recover the sector's sustainability and economic viability as much as possible.

    The plan include a total of ten immediate or medium-term initiatives, including the following:

    • Creation of a new app for the taxi service, so it can adapt to the new type of demand developing as a result of the current situation.
    • Adapting supply to demand: a taxi-service percentage will be established at the various stages of the lockdown exit strategy, for the purposes of adapting supply— and therefore, the sector’s return to activity — in accordance with the increase in demand for mobility from city residents.
    • Hygiene and disinfection measures: standardised vehicle hygiene and disinfection protocols and protective systems to ensure safety for taxi drivers and their customers, where it will be mandatory for both parties to wear masks.
    • Remote assistance services for taxi drivers: To protect against crowding and the accumulation of contagions in facilities during this period, the IMET will be adapting all its taxi-driver assistance services, giving priority to those carried out remotely, from issuing licences to registering for exams for taxi-driver permits.
    • New urban mobility and adapting taxi ranks to demand: a study will be prepared on new types of mobility in metropolitan cities, to adapt the taxi-rank network to the main points of demand.
    • Facilities for renewing vehicles: the plan provides for reaching an agreement with road-transport stakeholders, to ensure the service's steady modernisation and the decarbonisation of vehicles.
    • One-year moratorium for changing vehicles: a proposal will be made to the Metropolitan Taxi Council to approve a one-year moratorium regarding the obligation to change vehicles that turn ten years old in 2020 and 2021.

    Advice for taxi drivers on available financial aid

    The IMET will be opening a specific one-stop-shop service (both remote and in person) for receiving personalised information on Spanish, regional and local financial aid and how to obtain it. 

  • Barcelona City Council’s development agency Barcelona Activa, working in collaboration with the Catalan Institute of Finances and the Catalan Mutual Guarantee Society, has launched a programme with 1,000 micro-loans of €12,500 each, to support micro-SMEs and self-employed people affected by COVID-19. The micro-loans must be repaid within a period of five years, the first year being a period of grace, and with a variable interest rate (EURIBOR 12 months +1.85%). 

     

  • This initiative, the purpose of which is to help businesses to resume their activity, provides incentives for recruiting unemployed persons who have special difficulties accessing the labour market. This year's call for subsidy applications continues, with €5,000 for every unemployed person resident in the city hired, and €6,000 for young people, those over the age of 45 and women. The employment contracts must be for full-time work, for at least 6 months and from businesses with their work centre in the metropolitan area, with special attention paid to people under the age of 30 and over the age of 45.

    Subsidy application period: first half of 2022

     

  • In order to promote employment and business activity, Mercabarna has launched a €5,700 grant for food or flower companies that hire young people who have just graduated from state schools or unemployed professionals trained at Mercabarna.

  • For the purposes of continuing with the promotion and strengthening of the city’s commercial network, the Department of Commerce, Catering and Consumer Affairs at Barcelona City Council periodically calls for applications for subsidies and grants intended for local commerce and catering establishments.

     

  • For the 2022 subsidy call, we’ve budgeted a total of €1,650,000 in grants for projects that foment local commerce
    and the economic promotion of the
    neighbourhoods. Regional or sectoral commercial associations and not-forprofit commercial entities in the city can
    apply for the subsidy. A consumer line is included in this call, aimed at consumer organisations in Catalonia.

    Subsidy applications: from 7 to 27 January 2022

  • Call for grant applications for projects that promote urban innovation in an open, plural and multidisciplinary manner to find real solutions to the city’s most immediate challenges.

    Time frame: The call is expected to be launched around the end of March or beginning of April 2022.

  • Call for grant applications for reviving the local economy. Up to 80% of the project can be financed. There will be six modalities: invigoration of vacant ground floor commercial properties, employment, socioeconomic innovation and SSE in strategic sectors, responsible and sustainable tourism, sustainable good and responsible consumption, urban last-mile merchandise distribution centres and creative industries.

    Time frame: April 2022.

  • To improve the presence of establishments in the digital environment, we have earmarked one million euros for the financing of projects that invest in digital marketing, websites, online stores and digital signage, among others.

    Time frame: April-May 2022.

  • This call is geared towards the owners of restaurant establishments and eateries that had obtained a Covid-19 terrace licence and who obtain a licence to install a terrace on the pavement during 2022, in order to facilitate the change of pavement fixtures to a set-up approved by the Barcelona City Council.

    Restaurateurs who wish to maintain these terraces on the pavement must have an accessible, approved and safe platform fixture.

    Time frame: April-May 2022

  • The Barcelona City Council, through Barcelona Activa, is launching an open call for venture capital funds to be invested in emerging companies in the city. In addition to the 10 million euros of initial investment, another 10 million euros will be provided for deep tech projects. The city’s contribution is multiplied fivefold through these funds, accelerating the trajectories of innovative start-ups in the city in emerging sectors, with a special emphasis on projects led by women.

    Time frame: April 2022.

  • The public and private sectors have come together to back this project, which aims to boost the energy transition. Its purpose is to install solar panels on the rooftop of any building in Barcelona, for free. To do so, the City Council is attracting investors and private capital for the development of clean-electricity-producing facilities (especially solar panels) whose ultimate goal is to provide energy for home consumption and shared consumption, in all kinds of buildings in the city.  The owners or homeowners associations of any kind of building in the city can request to participate in the programme. The companies linked to MESBarcelona will then contact them to see if installing solar panels is viable for that building.

    Time frame: Throughout 2022.

  • The Barcelona Municipal Institute of Markets (IMMB) maintains its investment drive with market remodelling and improvement work in progress, through an expected investment of 100 million euros during this municipal term of office. Renovation projects under way: L’Abaceria and Sant Andreu markets. Start of the project for the remodelling work on the Mercat d’Horta and Mercat de Montserrat. The aim is to put the focus on plans for improving and maintaining Barcelona’s markets, with an annual budget of 4 million euros.

    Time frame: Throughout 2022 and 2023.

  • In 2022, a new Awards for Urban Challenges call will be launched. An urban challenge is a way of resolving complex needs and problems in the city that require innovative solutions. This is an invitation to creativity that avoids specifically prescribing or requesting solutions. The challenge defines the desired impact without restricting how it is tackled.

    Time frame: Throughout 2022.

  • Support service for international talent who want to come and live in the city or who have recently settled here. It provides information on procedures and administrative things like residency and work permits, access to housing, healthcare and education, the steps to create a business, invest or work in Barcelona, and other practical matters for living in the city. Support is provided in person at one of the Barcelona International Welcome Desk offices (MediaTIC building) or by video conference. Appointment required.

    Time frame: Throughout 2022.

ADVICE

We will help you with your project

Barcelona City Council is at your side to help you look for information, selecting the resources best suited to your needs and helping you with the paperwork for financial help or drawing up personalised plans for your business with the help of experts. Our advice services will help you start new projects, consolidate them and ensure they keep evolving.

  • If you want to work on a new business project, access Barcelona Activa's Entrepreneurial Services.

  • Barcelona Activa would like to support you, to get your project growing. Which is why we offer you an advisory service, aimed at self-employed people and social and solidarity economy enterprises and organisations, on issues relating to incorporations, funding, talent management, transfers, internationalisation and digital transformations of your projects, among other issues.

  • The intention of this guide was to create a document for analysing the problems specific to each type of cultural event or activity, in order to draw out a set of criteria enabling them to go ahead but adapted to the basic prevention and protection measures against the possible spread of COVID-19 infections.

  • Barcelona City Council is offering an online advice service for enterprises linked to the visitor economy to find out what the most appropriate health and safety protocols or measures are for each type of business. We will use this guidance to help ensure those visiting Barcelona that it is a safe city.

  • This is a service Barcelona City Council's Institute of Sports puts at the disposal of the city’s sports sector, to provide free support for managing its activities and projects. It offers a support and advice programme for managing the various procedures that sports sector entities carry out with the public authorities, such as subsidies, grants and participation in administrative invitations to tender. It also has a training programme at its disposal in employment, legal, accounting, communication and environmental-management issues.

  • The Barcelona International Welcome website offers a welcome service for foreign nationals moving to the city, in particular international talent wishing to establish themselves in the city and embark on an economic or professional activity. It offers information and resources to help them settle in and establish themselves here, such as practical information on everyday aspects (housing, healthcare), procedures that have to be carried out when moving to the city (foreign-national registration, city-residence registration, healthcare card), documents and other useful resources.

  • A comprehensive advisory and support service for employment inclusion, aimed at companies with a future vision and commitments to employment inclusion. 

    The service is made up of a team of professional experts in the area of employment inclusion from the Barcelona Network for Employment Inclusion (XIB).

    The service offers the following:

    • Information on the social and corporate benefits of employment inclusion.
    • Support for individuals and companies with recruitment processes and in the workplace.
    • Information and advice on accessibility in the work environment.
    • Training initiatives for ensuring inclusion.

    You can contact the Inclou Futur service. 

    Further information

  • We provide personalised support for small enterprises, start-ups, self-employed individuals, shops and organisations from the social and solidarity economy so they can establish a strategic business plan that enables them to speed up the economic recovery in the post-COVID-19 context.

  • In order to save time and journeys, if you need personal attention you must request a meeting, and staff at the office will phone you on the chosen day at the time agreed. The service deals with queries regarding the freezing of bank accounts, seizure of vehicles, fines, tax collection and taxes, rates and public charges. You will only be allowed to request a meeting for procedures not available online.

  • The 010 free public helpline resolves procedures directly, facilitates information or explains how to carry out procedures online. If, despite that, it has not been possible to answer your question over the phone or online, a specialised service channel is provided to deal with the information or processing requested. If you are phoning from outside the Barcelona metropolitan area, you need to call 931 537 010. The call will be charged at the ordinary rate.

  • This Service deals with enquiries about bank contracts, commissions, bank cards, mortgage loans, default registers, consumer lending and other types of consumer relations with loans and financial services institutions. Claims or queries can be submitted via the Municipal Consumer Information Office (OMIC) website or the municipal offices at Ronda de Sant Pau, 43, by prior appointment.

     

  • A comprehensive advisory and support service, specialising in SSE organisations, for socio-entrepreneurial strengthening. Coordinated with the ecosystem’s services, operators and players, it identifies opportunities and detects difficulties, besides offering tools and expert support in specific areas.

  • The Technology Park is offering this service to provide strategic and flexible support for companies and entrepreneurs at every stage of the prototyping process.

    Ask for the service if you need support or guidance on:

    • Strategy, support and tools for business prototyping plans
    • Using the Technology Park’s digital manufacturing tools

    Further information

  • Expert support and assistance service offering young people aged between 16 and 35 work guidance and tools to help with their job hunting and employability.

  • Technical-support service specialising in implementing improvements in the presence of enterprises in the Internet, and in communication and online marketing strategies, sales channels and the digitisation of enterprises’ management processes. The service starts with an initial diagnosis; it then studies the drafting of a digitisation plan and includes support for its implementation and monitoring.

  • We’ll come over to your shop and give you totally free advice advise, not just on how to establish a new business strategy but also on how to put your business back on its feet, adopt new marketing models and develop new formulas for incentivising demand, always respecting your work pace.

     

  • This is an initiative that consists of personalised digitisation plans, online training (p. X) and a call for grant applications (p. X). Thanks to the support of a specialist technical team, you will be able to plan your business’s entry into the digital world, continue enhancing your digital skills and find out how to apply them to your shop or restaurant.

  • This is a programme launched by Barcelona City Council, Barcelona Activa and the Open University of Catalonia (UOC) for the digital acceleration of projects, organisations and enterprises that are working — or wish to work — under environmental-impact, social and good-governance measures. Integrated into the Barcelona UOC Chair in Digital Economy, it works on digitisation as a resource for community creating (platforming) and socio-economic transformation.

     

  • These are events that provide a direct contact space between enterprises with job offers and candidates with participatory dynamics and brief interviews. They are tailor made for enterprises and specifically for business sectors. 
    Term: as of June 2021.

  • If you’re an entrepreneur or you have now finished your professional journey with the enterprise you run, Barcelona Activa is launching an advisory service to connect you and encourage continuity in existing enterprises.

  • Aimed at strengthening the sustainable textile sector and making it more competitive from a social, environmental and business point of view, this plan offers a specialist advisory service for projects and organisations to broaden training in this field and foster inter-cooperation and the social market.

  • A personalised support service for individuals in the process of job-hunting or professional improvement. This is an assistance service that offers initial information for guidance and job-hunting; it then refers the person concerned to the most appropriate service according to their needs.

    There will be a specific service for people under the age of 30 to supplement all the other programmes and services in place.

  • Specialist advice aimed at companies, self-employed individuals, start-ups, cooperatives, entities or associations linked to the city’s sports sector, to provide them with information on the grants and resources put at their disposal by the City Council and other authorities and institutions to mitigate the possible impact of COVID-19 on the feasibility of their business or sports projects.

    The service will be provided by Barcelona Activa’s Business Care Office (OAE), through the Call Centre set up for this purpose:

    •  Tel: (+34) 900 533 175 (from 9 am to 6 pm, Monday to Friday)

  • Barcelona’s Municipal Consumer Information Office (OMIC) has launched a service for assisting citizens, the self-employed and small businesses affected by electricity power cuts caused by grid failures. In addition, the OMIC offers guidance and advice and processes inquiries, complaints, claims and reports in the consumer area of telephone and internet-access services, financial services, insurance policies, utility supplies (water, electricity and gas) and product purchases or repair, among other things.

  • Business one-stop-shop for enabling economic activity in the district. Located in the MediaTIC building, the office offers information for carrying out a business activity in the 22@ district. Preliminary use-plan reports, activity-starting and ending statements, licence transfers and applications for occupying public roads and squares can be processed there.

    Time frame: Throughout 2022.

  • New office for information on and the coordination of the dynamic strategy ‘Shutters up’ for ground-floor commercial properties. Here, measures and development actions will be defined, planned and coordinated, and awareness will be raised throughout the city. The office will have information on ground-floor commercial properties and will act as a representative as regards external agents.

    Time frame: First quarter of 2022.

  • New pool for the rental of private ground-floor commercial properties, which will be made available for economic projects run by individuals, companies and entities. The pool will be available online and will be launched in collaboration with operators in the real estate industry. This pool will offer incentives to the owners of commercial properties and potential lessees.

    Time frame: Starting in April 2022.

  • The fashion entrepreneur support programme Barcelona Fashion Forward – ‘We support your fashion brand’ aims to drive and back designers and emerging fashion brands, and its objective is to provide support in optimising processes and techniques, incorporating methods to improve their professional evolution and operations in areas such as sales, communication and digitalisation. This is achieved through training, personalised support and the financing of services.

    The programme will be managed by experts with solid experience in business management and entrepreneurship, as well as in the fashion industry.

    Time frame: January 2022.

  • Programme to support the emergence of companies in the creative and cultural industries sector. It focuses on supporting new initiatives in order to transform them into viable companies that can prosper in one of the city’s strategic economic sectors.

    Time frame: Until 12 February 2022.

  • The Observatory was conceived as an orderly knowledge platform, collecting and providing data for monitoring the evolution of ground-floor commercial properties and activities. It can also help identify opportunities, provide principal and secondary indicators that may be of interest to different groups (internally, commercial sector and entrepreneurs), and inspire the development of initiatives that improve the sustainability of active commercial properties and getting empty ones occupied.

    The functions of this observatory are to quantify and openly share the available knowledge on ground-floor commercial properties and activities, monitor the evolution and changes thereof, and provide inspiration for new strategies.

    Time frame: Throughout 2022.

  • These are events that provide a direct contact space between enterprises with job offers and job candidates, with participatory dynamics and brief interviews. They are tailor-made for enterprises and also specifically for business sectors.

    Time frame: Throughout 2022.

  • These two are benchmark events for entrepreneurial initiative and job seeking, and they are held together to foster talent and boost businesses. The entrepreneurial and business ecosystem in the city and the entities and professionals will once again come together in 2022.

    Time frame: September 2022.

  • Safe Travels is a seal backed by the World Travel & Tourism Council (WTTC) that recognises safe travel protocols and preventative measures against Covid-19 on a global scale. Thanks to an agreement with the Tourism Consortium of Barcelona, companies associated with the tourism economy that comply with the requirements can apply for the seal to improve their service, give their clients peace of mind and bolster their position.

    Time frame: Throughout 2022.

  • The Urban Economic Promotion Areas (APEU) were created to promote and modernise urban areas to improve the quality of the urban environment and consolidate the compact, complex, cohesive and environmentally respectful city model. This in turn increases companies’ competitiveness, favouring job creation.

    In the first phase, information and training will be offered to commercial hubs and players in the economic sector of the city of Barcelona. This will raise awareness of the Urban Economic Promotion Areas and give them the knowledge needed to carry out the constitutive process. It will also provide guidance in the planning of an APEU in order to maximise the chances of success and analyse the viability of implementing an APEU in the areas proposed.

    Time frame: March-July 2022.

  • As a result of the collaborative efforts between various institutions, Barcelona now has a platform for statistical information, knowledge and tourism intelligence. It offers studies and up-to-date data on the city and the region that comprises ‘Destination Barcelona’. It can provide figures regarding visitor profiles, their economic impact, labour data for the tourism sector and information related to lodging, infrastructures and transport.

    Time frame: Throughout 2022.

  • This is a service that provides support in the consolidation and growth of small companies, self-employed individuals, and shops and organisations in the social and solidarity economy, considering the specific needs of each. It provides help in diagnosing issues and defining improvement actions in different areas of business management (sales, economic matters, financing, organisation, logistics, etc.) and in beginning strategic analysis processes.

    Time frame: Throughout 2022.

  • This programme distinguishes tourist operators who are committed to responsible management in accordance with certain requirements based on the United Nations’ sustainable development goals (SDGs). The companies and entities receive training and guidance to make an improvement plan and obtain the Biosphere Sustainable Lifestyle certification, allowing them to enhance their positioning. It includes training on Covid-19 protocols and access to the Safe Travels Seal, granted by the World Travel & Tourism Council (WTTC).

    Time frame: January-April 2022.

  • These entrepreneurship programmes include advisory services and networking for the creation of companies and organisations that serve specific groups of entrepreneurs or sectors of activity. There are specific programmes for projects in the creative, food, sport and tourism industries, as well as for projects with a social impact, and others specialised in start-ups, and so on. Specific programmes for young people and women are offered.

    Time frame: Throughout 2022.

  • The Welcome and Orientation Point (PAO) is an information and guidance service for citizens who are interested in getting to know the social and solidarity economy better and learning about socioeconomic innovation. It is also the access point for the services and activities in the SSE realm.

    Time frame: Throughout 2022.

  • Technical support service specialising in implementing improvements in the presence of enterprises on the Internet, and in communication and online marketing strategies, sales channels and the digitisation of enterprises’ management processes. The service starts with an initial diagnosis; it then studies the drafting of a digitisation plan and includes support for its implementation and monitoring.

    Time frame: Throughout 2022.

  • The Municipal Consumer Information Office (OMIC) provides an information and advisory service for commercial establishments, self-employed individuals, micro-companies, consumer associations and citizens in general. OMIC provides guidance for companies as consumers of basic services or continuous business services: utilities, telephone services, insurance and financial products.

    Time frame: Throughout 2022.

  • The OMIC (Municipal Consumer Information Office) offers commercial hubs, district trade councils and companies informational sessions to make consumer rights public knowledge. In these, they explain the channels used for consumer support in the city, how to make enquiries and file claims, the mediation and arbitration process for issues related to consumption, and answer any questions related to these topics that may arise.

    Time frame: Throughout 2022.

  • This is a municipal facility that specialises in the fostering of responsible consumption and aims to promote a more conscientious consumer culture that is committed to making a positive impact on people and on the environment. It participates in trainings organised by other services dedicated to various groups. It also houses the Responsible Consumption Information Point, offering talks, activities, exhibits and spaces for use within its facility.

    Time frame: Throughout 2022 (except August).

  • This is a programme that supports the creation of innovative and sustainable companies that meet the emerging needs of the tourist sector in the city and province of Barcelona. Participating projects receive training and a personalised support plan.

    The programme is backed by Barcelona Activa, the Barcelona Hotel Guild, Barcelona Provincial Council and the Catalan Association of Specialised Travel Agencies.

    Time frame: Starting from the second quarter of 2022.

TRAINING

Get trained

If we want to be competitive, we need to be up to date! That’s why Barcelona City Council has launched a wide range of specialised training lines, designed to address the future with more drive than ever. These are geared towards companies and entrepreneurs. If you are looking for work or you would like to broaden your professional horizons in the ICT sector, don’t miss this opportunity!

  • Thanks to Barcelona Activa we have launched the Virtual Classroom, a training space where educational teams stream their classes online, so you can have your say, make real-time consultations and interact with fluency.

  • Discover training, through Barcelona Activa, grouped by thematic categories and adapted to your pace and needs.

  • The Barcelona International Welcome website offers a welcome service for foreign nationals moving to the city, in particular international talent wishing to establish themselves in the city and embark on an economic or professional activity. It offers information and resources to help them settle in and establish themselves here, such as practical information on everyday aspects (housing, healthcare), procedures that have to be carried out when moving to the city (foreign-national registration, city-residence registration, healthcare card), documents and other useful resources.

  • In order to narrow the digital gap, Barcelona City Council, through Barcelona Activa, has launched various lines of action in the area of technological training.

    • Shift to online training during the Covid-19 crisis, through the use of Virtual Classrooms, in order to ensure knowledge of the necessary technological skills to deal with the current situation.
    • Prioritising on-site training, when circumstances permit, for those groups who do not have access to Internet.
    • Inclusion of IT literacy in all employment programmes, given its relevance to job seeking.
    • Introduction of free courses, workshops and master classes in ICT training at the Cibernàrium, for beginners, advanced and specialised levels. Find out more here.

     

  • Take advantage of an opportunity to train in the agri-food sector: from selling local organic produce to food-handling hygiene and driving forklift trucks, or how to be a good butcher's or fishmonger’s assistant, among other options. And, if you're unemployed, you’ll enjoy a special rate! Ready?

     

  • As part of the initiative supporting the digital transformation of shops and restaurants, Barcelona Activa has designed a training catalogue to help the commercial fabric and restaurant sector to take the leap into the digital world. With fifty courses available, you have no excuse for being left behind!

  • Barcelona Activa has developed a series of unique projects for working in municipal markets and in local shops. Launched in collaboration with Mercabarna and the Barcelona Municipal Markets Institute, they aim to meet the needs of generational change-overs in municipal-market sectors. Take a look, you may find them useful!

    Term: until 30 June 2021.

  • The Cibernàrium offers training to improve digital technology skills and contribute to tackling the challenges posed by digitalisation. And for people who are just getting started in ICTs, they have basic training available at the Antenes Cibernàrium [Cibernàrium Antennae], located all over the city!

    Time frame: Throughout 2022.

  • The Urban Economic Promotion Areas (APEU) were created to promote and modernise urban areas to improve the quality of the urban environment and consolidate the compact, complex, cohesive and environmentally respectful city model. This in turn increases companies’ competitiveness, favouring job creation.

    In the first phase, information and training will be offered to commercial hubs and players in the economic sector of the city of Barcelona. This will raise awareness of the Urban Economic Promotion Areas and give them the knowledge needed to carry out the constitutive process. It will also provide guidance in the planning of an APEU in order to maximise the chances of success and analyse the viability of implementing an APEU in the areas proposed.

    Time frame: March-July 2022.

  • Barcelona Activa offers free training to help individuals find a new job, improve their professional profile, become entrepreneurs or grow their business. Individuals will also have access to the technological training offered by the Cibernàrium and the specific courses for young people and women. They can choose between different types of training experiences and different formats: in-person, online and via streaming.

    Time frame: Throughout 2022.

LEGISLATIVE CHANGES

Let’s boost the city!

The crisis caused by the Covid-19 pandemic has forced us to adapt and be imaginative. The Barcelona City Council is firmly committed to ensuring that our city is an easy place for economic activity. This is why it has launched regulatory and administrative changes that simplify things for city residents and economic sectors and speed up and simplify procedures and payment periods.

  • The Barcelona City Council offers different rebates on the tax for business activities.

    Rebate for cooperatives

    Reduction of the IAE rate for cooperatives, as well as unions, federations and confederations thereof, in the terms established by Law 20/1990, dated 19 December, governing the tax system for cooperatives. This rebate is requested when registering for the tax and is indefinite in nature.

    –    Rate reduction for increasing the number of staff

    Rebate on the tax on business activities (IAE) for taxpayers who pay city tax and have increased their average number of staff with indefinite contracts during the tax period immediately prior to requesting the rebate, in comparison to the period before that one.

    The application must be sent before 31 May of the tax year for which the rebate is being requested and it will only have effects for that tax year.

    –    Rate reduction for the use of renewable energy

    Rebate for taxpayers who install systems for thermally or electrically harnessing the energy from the sun, for two years on their activities subject to the tax.

    The rebate should be requested by the interested person within the three months following the date the procedure to legalise the installation was registered with the competent authority at the Generalitat of Catalonia. Once granted, the tax rate will apply for the two tax periods following the application date.

    Time frame: is specified for each rebate/reduction.

  • The Barcelona City Council offers different rebates on the road tax.

    –      Reduction on the tax on road vehicles for owners of vehicles classified as zero emissions or electric : Reduction on the tax rate for road vehicles for the owners of vehicles of all types (except trailers) classified as zero emissions according to the Directorate General of Traffic’s vehicle registry.

    –       Reduction on the tax for road vehicles for the owners of vehicles classified as ECO that use gas fuel, with emissions of up to 120 g/km of CO2: Reduction on the tax rate for road vehicles for the owners of vehicles of all types (except trailers) classified as ECO that use gas fuel, with emissions of up to 120 g/km of CO2, according to the Directorate General of Traffic’s vehicle registry.

    -       Reduction on the tax on road vehicles for owners of vintage vehicles: Reduction of the entire amount of the tax on road vehicles for those vehicles considered to be vintage, under the regulations for historical vehicles.

    Time frame: is specified for each rebate/reduction.

    For new vehicles (not yet registered):

    –       When submitting the tax self-assessment.

    –       15 days, counting from the date of the tax self-assessment, in order to accredit that the requirements for the rebate have been met.

    For vehicles that were already registered: the deadline to present the application is 16 July of the current year. For applications submitted after this deadline, the rebate will come into effect for the next tax year.

    For historical vehicles: the application should be only done once, and the deadline is 16 July of the current year. For applications submitted after this deadline, the rebate will come into effect for the next tax year.

  • The Barcelona City Council offers different rebates on the buildings, installations and works tax. The buildings, installations and works tax (ICIO) rebate can be requested for those works that intend to construct buildings or make installations that have been declared of special interest or usefulness for the city. This can be because of social, cultural, historical, artistic circumstances, because they foment jobs, or because they incorporate thermal or electric solar energy systems.

    Time frame: The rebate must be requested when applying for the corresponding licence or presenting the prior communication for the works, buildings or installations. Applying for the rebate on the tax self-assessment form is understood as a request for a tax advantage.

    Rebate requests that are presented after the licence application or communication, or after the works, buildings or installations are finalised, in the case of the legalisation thereof, are considered late.

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