The Valencia Institute for Business Competitiveness (Ivace), operating under the Ministry of Sustainable Economy, Productive Sectors, Trade and Labor, announced a fresh round of direct aid aimed at upgrading and modernizing industrial zones across the Valencian Community with a 40 million euro budget for 2023. The subsidy call, published in the DOGV on Friday, January 13, 2023, outlines three action lines: 2 million euros dedicated to towns at risk of depopulation, 28 million euros for the other municipalities in the Valencian Community, and a new 10 million euro special line targeting industrial sites that, by plenary agreement as of December 31, 2022, form a Management and Modernization Establishment (EGM). Under this scheme, business parks that operate as EGMs may access grants up to one million euros, compared with the previous cap of 200,000 euros. [citation attribution: Ivace]
The 2023 aid package offers a subsidy covering up to 100% of investment projects aimed at improving, modernizing, and providing infrastructure and services in industrial estates, zones, and technological hubs, with eligibility extending to all municipalities within the Valencian Community. [citation attribution: Ivace]
Rafa Climent, Minister of Sustainable Economy, Productive Sectors, Trade and Labor, underscored the significance of these direct aids in continuing to elevate the quality and competitiveness of industrial areas. He emphasized that the 2023 investment represents the largest ever undertaken and reinforces the commitment to ensure business parks remain the economic engine of municipalities and districts, positioning them at the center of the Generalitat’s industrial policy. [citation attribution: Ivace]
Climent reminded that this approach will further address depopulation in rural parts of the region through a line dedicated to improving industrial areas in municipalities at risk of depopulation. He also highlighted the new EGM range, noting that this legal framework boosts the competitiveness of business parks, enhances the value of established companies, and enables infrastructure and basic services improvements, while also attracting investment. [citation attribution: Ivace]
According to the call, aid is intended for projects that are executable in 2023 or actions that occur within the year. Projects may have begun before the grant application was submitted, but work subsidized must take place between January 1 and December 31, 2023. The projects must be located in an industrial zone listed on Ivace Valencia Community’s Industrial Land Map and implemented within the framework of sustainable development and the protection, preservation, and improvement of the environment. [citation attribution: Ivace]
Eligible actions
Among the eligible initiatives, civil works stand out for partial or full delivery of services and infrastructure, including electricity, gas, fiber optics, telecommunications, and water. These upgrades enable larger facilities to be built within the industrial area, such as expanded supply capacity and new railroad stops, bridges, or access roads to the business park. [citation attribution: Ivace]
Funding can cover land acquisition adjacent to the industrial zone for road expansion, green spaces, parking, and entrances, along with the installation of gas stations, multipurpose centers, postal services, bank offices, sports facilities, children’s education centers, hotels, health and restaurant services on the site or nearby land. Improvements to electricity, water, and gas supply, along with renewable energy generation for the entire industrial zone, are also eligible. The plan includes implementing systems to correctly identify European Waste List (LER) codes for generated waste, creating a web tool with industrial zone information or company counts within the polygon. [citation attribution: Ivace]
Additionally, street and green space improvements, and the creation of bio-safe road networks with expanded parking and better pedestrian access are among the supported actions. Adequate bus stop canopies within the industrial zone or within a 300-meter radius, plus the creation or improvement of EV charging areas for vehicles, e-bikes, and e-scooters, are also eligible. Other eligible items include the expansion or creation of wastewater treatment facilities, civil works for fiber optics installation, CCTV surveillance, bike lanes, improved public lighting, firefighting networks, and separate wastewater treatment. [citation attribution: Ivace]
Presentation steps
Applications were due by February 9, 2023. The processing of applications and the procedure in general was electronic, requiring the applicant organization to provide the legal entity representative certificate at all stages of the process. This was issued through the Certification Authority of the Community of Valencia or any body recognized in the trusted list of Spain-based certification service providers, as published on the ministry’s electronic headquarters. [citation attribution: Ivace]