The Diputació de Girona approves grants for public reading facilities

The Diputació de Girona has definitively approved the specific regulations governing the grants for renovation, improvement, and maintenance works for Public Reading facilities for the year 2026. The agreement, which received no objections, is published in the Official Gazette of the Province of Girona (BOPG) no. 184, of September 24, 2026, with the official reference BOP-2026_0_184_8262. The grants range between 2,000 and 25,000 euros per city council and are aimed at all municipalities with libraries or information and reading points.

The Plenary of the Diputació initially approved the regulations on July 21, 2026, and submitted them for public consultation for 20 business days, with an announcement in BOPG no. 150, of August 6, 2026, and, by reference, in the Official Gazette of the Generalitat de Catalunya no. 9733, of August 19, 2026. With no objections presented, the agreement is elevated to definitive status in accordance with article 178 of the revised text of the Municipal and Local Regime Law of Catalonia, approved by Legislative Decree 2/2003, of April 28. The full text, consisting of 12 pages, was signed by the president of the corporation, Miquel Noguer i Planas, on September 22, 2026.

Competitive bidding and recipients

The granting will be carried out through competitive bidding and a public call, which must be approved by the Governing Board of the Diputació. The grants are purpose-specific, do not create any rights for subsequent years, and cannot be claimed as a precedent.

The following may apply:

• City councils with libraries integrated into the Public Reading System of Catalonia.
• City councils adhered to the Information and Reading Points Network (XPIL).

Applicants must meet the general requirements of article 13 of Law 38/2003, of November 17, general on subsidies. Each entity may submit a single application per call, electronically through the Diputació’s grants portal.

Amounts and financing scales

The amount of each grant has a maximum of 25,000 euros and a minimum of 2,000 euros. The percentage of financing based on the submitted budget depends on the number of inhabitants of the municipality:

• Up to 1,000 inhabitants: 95%.
• From 1,001 to 2,999: 90%.
• From 3,000 to 4,999: 85%.
• From 5,000 to 9,999: 80%.
• From 10,000 to 14,999: 70%.
• From 15,000 to 19,999: 65%.
• From 20,000 to 29,999: 60%.
• More than 30,000 inhabitants: 50%.

Technical fees for project drafting and site management may also be subsidized, provided they are justified by a portion of the executed works and do not exceed 20% of the total amount. Computer equipment expenses and deductible, compensable, or reclaimable VAT are not financed.

Evaluation criteria and admissible expenses

Applications are scored according to four parameters:

• Reason for the action, up to 25 points; the maximum score corresponds to making the facility accessible and inclusive.
• Age of the library or reading point at the current location, up to 10 points.
• Grants from the same line received the previous year, up to 20 points.
• Severity of pathologies and urgency to guarantee the service, up to 15 points.

Eligible for subsidies are improvements in accessibility and inclusivity, safety of people and the collection, comfort, image of the building and facilities, increase in the consumption of renewable energies, and structural actions to adapt spaces to new uses.

Processing, resolution and payment

The instruction corresponds to the Libraries service of the Provincial Council. The Evaluation Commission will be chaired by the president of the Commission for Culture, New Technologies, Sports and Education, or by the deputy to whom they delegate, and will have as members the head of the Libraries service and three technicians in the field; political groups may appoint one representative with a voice but without a vote.

The Governing Board resolves within a maximum period of six months from the end of the application period; once this period has elapsed, requests are understood to be dismissed by administrative silence. Payment is made with an advance of 70% of the granted amount and the remaining 30% once the justification account is presented, which must be delivered within 30 days following the end of the execution period. The beneficiary has one month to accept the aid and must maintain the investment for the granted purpose for two years.

The rules govern from the day after their publication in the BOPG and repeal those approved by edict 2543 (BOPG no. 58, of March 25, 2025). Against the agreement, which exhausts the administrative route, a contentious-administrative appeal may be filed before the High Court of Justice of Catalonia within a period of two months.

With this line, the Provincial Council of Girona provides financial coverage for the improvement of public reading facilities throughout the entire district, with special attention to small municipalities, which can receive up to 95% of the cost of the works. Interested city councils must follow the call approved by the Governing Board to know the deadlines and the available credit.

Fuente: Official Gazette of the Province of Girona, no. 184, September 24, 2026, Local Administration - City Councils, pp. 1-12 (official reference: BOP-2026_0_184_8262).