Barcelona activates Phase 1 of the Bonus Consum with 1,825,000 euros

The Governing Commission of the Barcelona City Council, in its session on October 1, 2026, has approved the call for the Bonus Consum Barcelona program corresponding to Phase 1 of 2026, with a budget of 1,825,000.00 euros. The agreement is published in the Official Gazette of the Province of Barcelona on October 2, 2026, with the official reference CVE 202610147958 (pp. 1-11). The program incentivizes consumption at the city’s commercial establishments through 10-euro bonuses and opens membership to businesses and participation to consumers.

The call is deployed based on the Regulatory Bases of the Bonus Consum Barcelona, approved by the Governing Commission on July 2, 2026, and published in the BOPB on July 3, 2026, which were definitively approved as no objections were presented (BOPB of September 28, 2026, CVE 202610144946). The procedure is processed under a non-competitive concurrence regime, and the operational management corresponds to the collaborating financial entity ABANCA Corporación Bancaria, S.A., with NIF A70302039, selected by the City Council in the call published in the BOPB on July 30, 2026.

The objective is to subsidize the purchase of goods in affiliated establishments to encourage demand and revitalize the economic activity of local commerce. The expenditure is charged to budget item 0706 48901 43211 of the 2026 budget.

Deadlines and economic allocation

The deadline for the membership of commercial establishments begins the day after the publication of the call in the BOPB and remains open until December 31, 2026, or until the available resources are exhausted. Users can register from the opening of the consumption phase until the funds are depleted or the program ends.

The maximum allocation for Phase 1 is 1,825,000.00 euros, initially distributed by levels:

• Level 1: up to 890,235 euros.
• Level 2: up to 622,325 euros.
• Level 3: up to 312,440 euros.

This distribution is indicative and may be adjusted by the City Council according to the evolution of the program. Payment to the collaborating entity will be made in two installments: a first of up to 912,500.00 euros, once the distributed bonuses have been justified, and a second up to the accumulated amount of 1,825,000.00 euros.

How the bonuses work

Each bonus has a value of 10 euros and is applied to minimum purchases of 30 euros made in affiliated establishments. Each person can obtain a maximum of three bonuses during Phase 1:

• Level 1: upon registration in the program, a first 10-euro bonus is automatically obtained.
• Level 2: if the first bonus is used within a maximum period of fifteen days from its issuance, a second 10-euro bonus is obtained.
• Level 3: if the first two purchases were made in the neighborhood of residence declared by the user, a third 10-euro bonus is obtained.

Each bonus is valid for ten calendar days from issuance, and those not used are automatically cancelled, as are those remaining pending as of December 31, 2026. Bonuses can only be used in participating establishments, for eligible activities, and within the corresponding validity period.

Requirements for participation

Commercial establishments that simultaneously meet the following requirements may join the program:

• Have a commercial establishment located in Barcelona and have their registered office in Catalonia.
• Have an annual turnover of less than 50 million euros.
• Have a sales area of less than 800 m².
• Have fewer than 250 employees.
• Carry out activities included in the accepted headings in Annex I of the Regulatory Bases and not be included in the excluded activities or establishments.

Businesses must formalize their membership through the platform enabled by the collaborating entity, accessible at Barcelona.cat/bonusconsum, and assume obligations such as reflecting the discount on the receipt or invoice, keeping the supporting documentation for four years, and using the program’s corporate image. Natural persons of legal age residing in the city of Barcelona, accredited by the Population Register (Padró), may participate.

Instruction, control, and appeals

The Directorate of Commerce, Catering, and Food instructs the granting procedure, while the competence to resolve the granting or denial of bonuses corresponds to the Councilor for Commerce, Consumption, and Markets, by delegation of the Mayor’s Office ANY2023-20978, of June 17, 2023. The City Council may carry out checks and inspections and, in case of non-compliance, cancel an establishment’s membership or demand the reimbursement of funds received.

Against the call, which exhausts the administrative route, a request for reversal may be filed within one month or it may be challenged directly before the Contentious-Administrative Section of the Court of First Instance of Barcelona within two months. The agreement is signed by the general secretary, Jordi Cases i Pallarès.

For merchants, the call opens a membership window until the end of the year with a direct incentive on sales; for consumers registered in Barcelona, it represents up to 30 euros in discounts spread over three purchases. The program arrives with 1,825,000 euros of public funds intended to reactivate local commerce and strengthen the competitiveness of the urban commercial fabric.

Source: Official Gazette of the Province of Barcelona, October 2, 2026, Local Administration, pp. 1-11 (official reference: CVE 202610147958).