A new call has been issued by the Department of Innovation, Industry, Trade and Tourism. It offers direct support for the improvement and modernization of industrial areas in the Valencian Community for the 2024 financial year with a budget of 32 million euros.
The subsidies published in the Official Gazette of the Generalitat Valenciana define three action lines. The first line allocates one million euros to regions at risk of population decline, the second line provides eleven million euros for city council projects to manage and modernize industrial zones as of December 31, 2023, and the third line directs twenty million euros to the remaining municipalities within the autonomous community.
Nuria Montes, Minister of Innovation, Industry, Trade and Tourism, stated that this aid is meant to enhance services and infrastructure in business parks, boost their competitiveness, modernize their image, and ultimately position them as a strong front door for launching new ventures and attracting investments.
Montes emphasized that the Generalitat intends to address population decline, especially in rural areas of the Valencian Community, through a dedicated line aimed at improving the industrial areas of municipalities facing depopulation.
She also noted that industrial areas will be addressed through the EGM line. The department continues to value the analytical framework in the Industrial Areas Law, which strengthens the competitiveness of business parks, enhances the value of established companies, and enables investment in infrastructure and essential services.
It is also noted that the Department collects requests from different municipal councils to refine procedures and timing for assistance and to include them in the next call. The aim is to better capture projects in areas with large industrial zones.
Help 2024
The 2024 aid offers subsidies covering up to 100 percent of investment projects for the improvement, modernization, and provision of infrastructure and services in industrial sites, industrial areas, and technological zones. The program is available to all municipalities within the Valencian Community.
Alcoy completes renovation works of industrial sites
As described in the call, the aid targets annual projects or actions that can be carried out in the fiscal year 2024. Projects may have started before applying for aid, but work conducted between January 1 and December 31, 2024 will be eligible for support.
Projects must take place in an industrial area included in the Industrial Land Map. This is a Valencian Ivace Community project conducted to promote sustainable development and to preserve, protect, and improve the environment.
The application period ends on February 12, 2024.
Appropriate actions
Among eligible projects, construction works focus on the restoration of services and infrastructures on the land such as electrical power, gas, fiber optics, telecommunications, and water. These upgrades enable greater supply to companies and facilitate major infrastructure developments within the industrial zone, including railway stops, bridges, and access roads to the business park.
Other eligible actions include acquiring contiguous land for use in the industrial site or surrounding land, expanding roads, green spaces, car parks, and access services. A multipurpose center, postal services, bank offices, sports facilities, early childhood centers, hotels, and healthcare and restaurant services are also eligible.
The program also covers provision or improvement of electricity, water, and gas supplies, and the generation of renewable energy across the entire property. It includes creating a system to correctly identify LER codes, creating a web tool with information about the industrial zone, and establishing a regional census of companies.
Signage improvements, widening streets and green spaces, and implementing bio healthy routes are included. Road enhancements such as new car parks, wider pavements, new access points, pedestrian walkways, and the expansion of roads with dedicated lorry parking are all eligible.
Proficiency bus stop shelters within the industrial zone or within 300 meters and the creation or improvement of zones or points for electric vehicle charging are eligible activities. The plan also covers expanding or creating treatment plants, civil works enabling fiber optics, surveillance via CCTV, cycling lanes, improved public lighting, fire networks, and separate wastewater sanitation.