The plenary session of the Alicante Provincial Council unanimously approved in an extraordinary meeting a call for grants aimed at municipalities to reactivate the economy and promote employment. This year the funding pool rises again, by 10.6%, reaching a total of 2,285,000 euros.
The improvements to markets, support for agriculture, rural sustainability, fair events, and the creation and maintenance of urban gardens will be financed by the Economic Development department of the Alicante Provincial Council. The responsible councillor, Carlos Pastor, explained that nearly half of his department’s budget is dedicated to this grant program.
In this edition, priority continues to be given to municipalities facing depopulation — those listed in the AVANT Valencia Depopulation Agenda — with subsidies that can reach 100% for towns with fewer than 5,000 residents. The call is open to municipalities, autonomous bodies, and minor local entities.
Municipalities of smaller population
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The Alicante Provincial Council once again demonstrates its commitment to smaller municipalities, ensuring the full coverage of eligible actions. The deputy noted that, based on the requests from towns, this program was approved in advance to give councils more time to apply for the grants and to justify them within the deadline. He pointed out that last year more than 600 applications were received, benefiting 134 municipalities and three minor local entities.
The Council will assist towns with up to 60,000 inhabitants — compared to 50,000 in 2023 — by allocating 700,000 euros for hosting fairs and other commercial events. Funding will cover stand rental, advertising and promotion of the fair, sound, promotion of local products, Christmas illumination, and rental of digital platforms for virtual fairs, with grants ranging up to 7,000 euros, and up to 8,000 euros for AVANT-listed towns.
The plan for market modernization will allocate 225,000 euros. The population cap remains 60,000, with subsidies not exceeding 8,000 euros, and 9,000 euros for towns at risk of depopulation. The funds will support construction, comprehensive renovations, modernization of markets, removal of architectural barriers, improvement of energy resources, and clean industrial processes in these spaces. They will also cover equipment acquisition or actions enabling resilient, high-quality technologies, such as free wifi networks, digital panels, and e-commerce capabilities.
In economic promotion, the line increases from 320,000 euros in 2023 to 400,000 euros this year. It targets municipalities and autonomous bodies and funds the organization of contests and prizes for business projects, conferences, workshops, and training to foster employment and entrepreneurship. It also supports the creation of business, services, and professional directories, and materials for business guidance or job-seeking assistance. Grants go up to 5,000 euros per request and up to 6,000 euros for AVANT municipalities.
The Provincial Council will invest 450,000 euros this year, up from 430,000 euros, in lines dedicated to promoting agriculture and sustaining rural areas. Open to towns with up to 10,000 residents, the subsidies cover ordinary spending — generally up to 3,000 euros and 4,000 euros for those facing depopulation — for activities such as ecological farming workshops, digitalization of the agricultural sector, agricultural product marketing, land management or clearing, and maintenance of irrigation ditches and small rural structures. They also support municipal land banks, grazing operations for land clearing, and related agricultural works.
Fomento de la agricultura
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The council will also subsidize investment actions aimed at promoting farming and rural life. Projects include terracing works, restoration of ditches, planting trees to replenish municipal plots affected by Xylella fastidiosa, construction of livestock watering points, agricultural burners, or buying agricultural waste containers. In this area, subsidies rise to 4,000 euros per entity, with a maximum of 5,000 euros for smaller municipalities.
Finally, subsidies for municipal urban gardens will be 140,000 euros for current expenditure and 370,000 euros for investment, with the latter showing the largest growth at 48% compared to 2023. These funds apply to all municipalities and cover connections to electricity and water, drip irrigation, construction of deposits and ponds, fencing, or training on agriculture. The total grant will amount to 3,000 and 4,000 euros (AVANT) in current expenditure, and 8,000 and 9,000 euros (AVANT) in investment — a thousand euros more than in the previous edition.