The Community contributes 80,000 euros to Cartoon Springboard 2026 in Madrid

The Community of Madrid will provide a maximum amount of 80,000 euros for the celebration of Cartoon Springboard 2026, the European meeting dedicated to emerging animation creators that will take place in Madrid from November 4 to 6, 2026. This is established by the collaboration agreement of October 2, 2026, between the Ministry of Culture, Tourism and Sport and the European Animation Film Association-Cartoon, published in the B.O.C.M. No. 262, of October 31, 2026 (reference BOCM-20261031-18, pages 104 to 109). The agreement bears the file number 03/16.294/26.

An agreement to attract talent and market

The agreement is signed under the protection of Law 40/2015, of October 1, on the Legal Regime of the Public Sector, and Decree 48/2019, of June 10, which regulates the conventional activity of the Community of Madrid. In the explanatory section, the regional Executive justifies the collaboration by pointing out that animation is one of the fastest-growing audiovisual sectors and that, of the 250 Spanish companies directly dedicated to the development and distribution of animation content, nearly 25% are located in the region. It adds that Cartoon Springboard is “the only one of these characteristics,” which motivates the public support.

The text is signed by the Director General of Culture and Creative Industries, Manuel Lagos Gismero, by virtue of the delegation of Order 550/2026, of March 30, and the Director General of Cartoon, Annick Audrey Maes. The non-profit association, based in Brussels, was created in 1988 with the support of the European Union’s Creative-Europe-MEDIA program; the Springboard was born within the framework of the Cartoon Masters, launched in 1990.

What the event covers and at what prices

Cartoon Springboard is aimed at young talents seeking financing and market contacts: the program puts them in touch with broadcasters, distributors, producers, script adapters, and application and game developers, and facilitates access to specialized markets such as Cartoon Forum, Cartoon Movie, MIFA, MIP Junior, or Kidscreen Summit. The organization is entirely the responsibility of Cartoon, which assumes all expenses and responsibilities of the event.

Among its commitments are:

• Provide free accreditation to 2 selected projects, with two people per project.
• Apply preferential rates for local participants: 302.50 euros for young talents with or without a project, 175 euros for local young talents, and 300 euros for local producers from Madrid, taxes included.
• Reserve 10 full accreditations for the Community of Madrid, including the welcome dinner.
• Include advertising for Madrid’s animation industry on its official website and application and incorporate the regional logo on all materials.
• Promote the event through its agreements with Variety (John Hopewell), Ecran Total, and C21, among other media.
• Manage the possibility of honoring a Madrid-based studio with a cocktail party on the free afternoon, with expenses borne by the studio.

Financing, justification, and control

The contribution is allocated to sub-concept 28000 (Promotion of Performing Arts and Music) of program 334A (Cultural Promotion and Dissemination) and will be paid in a single payment after the event, upon presentation of invoices. Cartoon must submit the supporting documentation before December 9, 2026; the final amount will depend on the expenses actually credited, with a ceiling of 80,000 euros.

The annex of the agreement details the justifiable concepts: personnel remuneration (87,750 euros), travel and per diems (74,100 euros), venue and equipment (23,500 euros), communication, promotion, and dissemination (15,500 euros), cancellation insurance (2,000 euros), and indirect costs (6,150 euros). Monitoring is the responsibility of a joint equal-opportunity commission of four members—two from each party—chaired by the head of the General Directorate of Culture and Creative Industries. The agreement is in effect until December 31, 2026, with no possibility of extension.

The support arrives two days before the start of the competition and consolidates Madrid as the venue for a pitching forum for emerging studios: for the sector, the agreement not only guarantees the holding of the event but also opens a direct access route to international buyers and reduced prices for local animation professionals.

Source: BOCM, no. 262, October 31, 2026, section I.D Announcements, pp. 104-109 (official reference: BOCM-20261031-18).