The Government has approved grants of 600,000 euros to promote culture

The Department of Culture and Language Policy of the Basque Government has approved grants of 600,000 euros for the 2026 event for the promotion, marketing, and internationalization of performing arts, music, literature, and plastic arts. The regulatory bases for the grants and the call were approved by the Order of July 28, 2026, published in the Official Gazette of the Basque Country (BOPV) number 161, on August 25, 2026, with official reference 2026/3692.

The Order was signed by Ibone Bengoetxea Otaolea, First Vice President and Minister of Culture and Language Policy, and will be managed by the Directorate for the Promotion of Culture and Creative Industries. The call is included in the Department’s Strategic Plan for Subsidies for the 2025-2028 period and the Annual Subsidy Plan for 2026, both approved by the Order of February 17, 2026.

Distribution and modalities of the grants

The total budget is 600,000 euros, distributed across four modalities, each with its own chapter and conditions:

• Performing arts (Chapter II): 350,000 euros, for professional theater, dance, and circus companies, up to a maximum of 15,000 euros and up to 75% of the budget.
• Music (Chapter III): 168,000 euros, for formations operating on the live circuit; unit projects may receive a maximum of 5,000 euros and company projects a maximum of 15,000 euros.
• Literature (Chapter IV): 30,000 euros, for creators and publishers, to participate in foreign book and literature fairs.
• Plastic arts (Chapter V): 52,000 euros, for galleries that promote the work of Basque artists at international art fairs.

Applicant requirements and deadlines

Applicants must be registered or have their social headquarters in the Autonomous Community of the Basque Country, be registered under the appropriate Economic Activities Tax (IAE) heading, and be up to date with tax and Social Security obligations. The call does not accept companies in crisis, entities controlled by public administrations, or those that do not comply with equality regulations.

Applications must be submitted within one month, starting from the day following the publication of the call in the BOPV, exclusively via electronic means through the euskadi.eus portal. Each person or entity may submit only one application, which may be made in Basque or Spanish. The resolution will be notified within six months, and 50% of the grant will be paid immediately upon the resolution; the remaining 50% will be paid from January 1, 2027, onwards, after the activity has been justified.

Evaluation and impact

Grants for performing arts, music, and literature will be awarded through a competitive procedure, each with its own evaluation committee; meanwhile, those for plastic arts will be awarded through a non-competitive procedure. The president of the committees will be the Director for Culture Promotion and Creative Culture and Industries, and each modality has its own spokesperson: Josu Iriondo Arrieta (performing arts), Joseba Etxeberria Saenz (music), Carlos Melzer Ruiz (literature), and Ilazki Azaldegi Martinez (plastic arts).

The objective of this call is to strengthen the internationalization and commercial capacity of the Basque cultural sector, providing tools for creators, producers, and marketers to open new markets. The grants are for activities between September 1, 2026, and August 31, 2027, and are expected to have a direct impact on the dissemination of Basque creation.

Fuente: Boletín Oficial del País Vasco, n.º 161, August 25, 2026, Otras Disposiciones (official reference: 2026/3692).