The Island Council grants 650,000 euros in BGreen grants to tourist establishments

The Governing Council of the Menorca Biosphere Reserve Agency, in an extraordinary session on August 31, 2026, approved the granting of the BGreen Menorca grants for the promotion of sustainable actions aimed at tourist establishments, corresponding to the 2026 call. The agreement, which distributes a total of 650,000 euros across five lines of action, is published in the Official Gazette of the Balearic Islands (BOIB) no. 112, of September 8, 2026, with reference 8976 and file 0920-2026-000001.

The call regulating these grants was approved by agreement of the same Governing Council on February 2, 2026, and was published in BOIB no. 23, of February 19, 2026. Within the established deadline, 202 applications were submitted through 99 entry records at the Insular Council of Menorca, for a total requested amount of 2,866,817.90 euros. Of these, two were excluded for being submitted after the deadline, 20 were submitted correctly, and 180 were requested to provide further documentation.

Five lines of sustainable action

The grants are distributed across five thematic lines, each initially endowed with 130,000 euros. Since lines 1, 2, and 3 did not exhaust their allocation, the surplus of 90,700.75 euros was distributed proportionally between lines 4 and 5, which ended up with 175,350.38 and 175,350.37 euros respectively. The final distribution by line is:

• Line 1 – Exterior lighting: 76,092.39 euros
• Line 2 – Sustainable waste management: 103,914.28 euros
• Line 3 – Sustainable green areas and biomass management: 119,292.58 euros
• Line 4 – Water efficiency: 175,350.38 euros
• Line 5 – Energy efficiency: 175,350.37 euros

The maximum subsidizable amount is 75% of the total cost of each action, with a limit of 15,000 euros per action. Projects had to achieve a minimum score of 4 points out of 10 to be eligible for the grant, under a competitive bidding process.

Evaluation and beneficiaries

The Evaluation Commission met on July 22 and August 19, 2026, to examine the files and propose the distribution of the funds. The evaluation is based on four blocks: project strength (up to 4 points), viability (up to 3 points), sustainability (up to 2 points), and biosphere reserve brand (up to 1 point). In the event of a tie, priority is given to the proposal with the highest score in viability and, if the tie persists, to the one submitted first.

Among the beneficiaries are prominent operators in the Menorcan hotel sector, such as SET HOTELS, SL (Seth hotels), GRUPO ISLA MEDITERRANEO, SL (Aquasave villas), M. M. PROPERTY RENTALS, SL (Villa Finesse), ENCANTOS DE MENORCA, SA, MONGOFRE WORLD HERITAGE, SL, and MENORCA GO, SL. The subsidized actions include intelligent multi-fraction weighing systems, osmosis and water recycling installations, replacement of lighting with LED, planting of native species, and energy efficiency improvements.

Extension of deadlines and processing

The agreement also extends the execution and justification deadlines for all beneficiaries, given that the final resolution was not approved until August 31, 2026. Thus, the maximum date for the completion and material execution of the actions is set for October 30, 2026, and the submission of the justification, via a simplified justification account before the Insular Council of Menorca, for November 15, 2026. The expenditure is charged to item 6 17200 7790005 of the Agency’s budget, and the agreement is communicated to the National Grants Database.

The agreement, signed in Maó on September 4, 2026, by the secretary of the Governing Council, Octavi Pons Castejón, by delegation of the president, does not exhaust the administrative route and may be appealed to the Executive Council within a period of one month.

Impact on the sector

The resolution consolidates Menorca’s commitment, declared a Biosphere Reserve, to a more sustainable tourism by financing real investments in water and energy efficiency, waste management, and renaturalization of spaces in tourist establishments. For the island’s hotels, apartments, and agrotourism businesses, these grants represent direct support to reduce operating costs and strengthen their positioning in a market increasingly sensitive to sustainability.

Fuente: Official Gazette of the Balearic Islands (BOIB), no. 112, September 8, 2026, Section III, p. 48897 (official reference: 8976, file 0920-2026-000001).