Following the lifting of the European embargo, the bid to manage Ciudad de la Luz in the current phase of the Alicante project is nearing its conclusion. The process has seen four employees from the Digital Transformation Project Community replaced in order to meet the tender’s staffing requirements, expanding the pool to eleven positions while only four remain assigned to the winning bidder. Final evaluations are expected next week, with the entire procurement window to close by year’s end or early 2024. Several international players have entered the race to run the film complex, including MBS Group, the world’s largest platform; American outfits Nu Boyana and Boftea Studios; British outfit Stage Fity; and Spanish contenders Secuoya and Mediapro.
From Avatar to Iron Man, big players eye the Ciudad de la Luz project
After the final notes are submitted and the claim period runs its course, the award decision is expected to be announced by year’s end or early 2024, sealing who will run Ciudad de la Luz. The controversy surrounding the tender intensified after the dismissal of four staff members from the Innovation Department within the company handling the bid. The employer clarified that those four roles overlapped with four of the eleven jobs that the winning bidder would need to cover for the management of the complex as outlined in the tender’s specifications. Four dismissed professionals were replaced in the process, with one filling the quota set aside for disabled workers.
“We will deploy bots to monitor illegal holiday rentals around the clock.”
Priorities
The Head of Innovation, Minister Nuria Montes, highlighted the Ciudad de la Luz tender among the department’s priorities for the coming year during a fair presentation. The Valencian Courts noted the preparation of the 2024 budgets and identified six applicants for the audiovisual management competition. Montes suggested the award might go to one of four international firms, but later clarified that she was referring to the global influence of the bidders rather than a final decision, with discussions leaning toward Spanish players Secuoya and Mediapro.
Consell steps in with 21 million euro in support for Thematic Projects and trims AVI budget by 9%
The four dismissed workers expressed disappointment at the timing of their layoffs, which followed Consel’s late October departure. The STPD was sustained by a 21 million euro capital injection to stabilize finances after recent high expenditures. The group has been maneuvering to secure viability by bolstering its capital, a move catalyzed by expenses tied to the new Digital Zone headquarters in the Port of Alicante, the Volvo Ocean Race, rising material costs, and tax obligations. The broader funding adjustments reflect a strategic realignment aimed at preserving essential regional projects and maintaining momentum for the Alicante audiovisual ecosystem.