The Provincial Council denies aid to six festivals for spending everything on meals

The Provincial Council of Ourense has denied cultural grants requested by six associations in the province because their projects allocated the entirety or the main part of the budget to meals. The Governing Board of the corporation fully dismissed the allegations presented by these entities in the ordinary session of September 21, 2026, and confirmed the final proposal for denial. The resolution was published in the Official Gazette of the Province of Ourense on September 29, 2026, in section I, with reference R. 2.258 and the signature of the president, Luis Menor Pérez.

The framework of the call

The grants correspond to the competition for the awarding of subsidies to non-profit entities for the organization of cultural and recreational activities for the 2026 fiscal year. The line is part of the Strategic Grant Plan 2024-2027 of the Provincial Council of Ourense and INORDE, in compliance with article 8.1 of Law 38/2003, the general law on subsidies.

The final distribution amounts to 100,000.00 euros, distributed among 138 valued activities, with a total of 2,382.7 points. The resolution also extends the general deadline for the justification of the granted subsidies until November 30, 2026.

Six projects that only paid for meals

The valuation commission grouped the allegations by substantial identity of fact and law and confirmed the denial for the following entities:

• AA.VV. Santa María de Cepedelo (Viana do Bolo), CIF G22574099, for the project “III Festa do caldo”.
• Asociación Cultural AnsemilFest (Celanova), CIF G22507941, for “Festa da primavera”.
• Asociación Cultural “O Lobishome” (Monterrei), CIF G32444309, for the “XI festa da paella”.
• Asociación do Centro Histórico de Verín, CIF G24761801, for the “II Festa do Ovo”.
• Asociación Gandahuevos (Celanova), CIF G22941314, for the “Recuperación da festa tradicional dos Ovos Cocidos na Festividade do San Marcos”.
• Asociación As Ferreñas (A Merca), CIF G70801709, for the “Troula e foliada do San Antón da Merca”.

In all cases, catering appeared as the entirety or the main and almost exclusive part of the project costs, with complementary actions of negligible significance.

The legal arguments

The joint response to the allegations is based on article 57 of Law 39/2015, on common administrative procedure, and on the principles of efficiency and speed of article 103.1 of the Constitution. Point 2 of the bases limits the eligible activities to the study, dissemination, and exaltation of heritage, the promotion of cultural manifestations, and recreational activities of a public and free nature.

The commission invokes article 31.1 of Law 38/2003, which only allows expenses that correspond to the nature of the subsidized activity and are strictly necessary, and article 8.2 of the same regulation regarding efficiency in the allocation of public resources. When the budgetary structure consists of 100% food expenses, it concludes, the main activity becomes the gastronomic act itself and the subsidy becomes indirect financing for food and drinks.

Other allegations and exclusions

The resolution also dismisses the allegations of four other entities for different reasons:

• Asociación Cultural e Veciñal Rigueiro de Cáliz, CIF G13733795, to which the score obtained in the social interest section is explained.
• Asociación de Mulleres Rurais de Monterrei, CIF G32368227, excluded because the “V Serán na Pousa” included scenic and musical performances and a wine tasting, expenses expressly excluded.
• Asociación de Amigos da Banda de Música de Celanova, CIF G32009060, and Asociación de Gaiteiros do Irixo, CIF G32502437, excluded due to incompatibility with the provincial catalog of the Plan Tarazana, the preferred channel to avoid duplication of public funding.

Furthermore, 21 applications are left out of the evaluation for not fitting the object of the call, six for splitting several projects into a single application, five for presenting budgets lower than 1,500 euros, and one for failing to correct deficiencies. Among the exclusions are projects that exceeded the 20% budget limit for food, such as those of Asociación Cultural Pardeconde (Esgos) and Asociación Centro de Animación Rural de Celavente (O Bolo).

Relevance

The decision establishes a stable criterion for future calls: neighborhood festivals that are financed basically by the food of the attendees will not access these grants, while the affected entities may file an appeal for reversal within one month or directly before the contentious-administrative courts within two months.

Source: Official Gazette of the Province of Ourense, September 29, 2026, section I. Provincial Deputation of Ourense (official reference: R. 2.258).