Lleida approves the subsidy guidelines for the Historic Center

The Lleida City Council has definitively approved the regulatory bases for subsidies aimed at boosting economic activity in the Historic Center of Lleida, within the framework of the Neighborhood Plan. The agreement, adopted by mayoral decree, is published in the Official Gazette of the Province of Lleida (BOP) no. 172, dated September 8, 2026, with the official reference BOP-2026_0_172_7448.

The process began with the initial approval by Plenary agreement on June 26, 2026, followed by a public exhibition period of twenty business days. Once the deadline passed without any claims or allegations being presented, the bases were definitively approved by mayoral decree DEC-09353, dated August 26, 2026.

An aid to revitalize local commerce

The objective of this line is to encourage the start of new commercial, professional, or service economic activities in the Historic Center, to improve the attractiveness of the streets, create economic opportunities, and generate sustainable employment. The action, which corresponds to code C.ET.53.27 (action 27), is part of the resolution for granting subsidies for urban, environmental, and social improvement of neighborhoods and towns receiving special attention from the 2025 call of the Neighborhoods and Towns Plan of Catalonia 2025-2029, dated March 2, 2026.

Eligible beneficiaries include self-employed workers, commercial companies, cooperatives, private civil societies, and any other entity with a business nature that meets the requirements. In all cases, they must have the status of a micro-enterprise or small enterprise, in accordance with Annex I of EU Regulation no. 651/2014:

• Micro-enterprise: fewer than 10 employees and an annual turnover or balance sheet of less than 2 million euros.
• Small enterprise: fewer than 50 employees and an annual turnover or balance sheet of less than 10 million euros.

Eligible concepts and amount

The granting regime is non-competitive, and applications will be resolved in chronological order of submission until the available credit is exhausted. The amount of the aid may not exceed 70% of the eligible expenditure, subject to the maximum and minimum limits set by each call.

Eligible expenses are grouped into six actions:

• A.1 Adaptation and renovations of the premises at the start of the activity, including energy efficiency and accessibility.
• A.2 Purchases linked to the start of the activity: furniture, computer equipment, and machinery.
• A.3 Current expenses, such as the payment of rental leases or the purchase of the premises.
• A.4 Business viability actions, such as marketing and sales studies.
• A.5 Business digitalization actions.
• A.6 Training and business improvement, including the promotion of the Catalan language and the gender perspective.

Expenses including VAT, income taxes, initial stocks, debit interest, penalties, depreciation, and per diems or travel expenses are excluded.

Deadlines and processing

Applications shall be submitted by electronic means through the electronic office of the Lleida City Council, and the submission deadline will be determined in the corresponding public call. The resolution and notification of the grant must occur within a maximum of three months from the submission of the application; once this period has elapsed without an express resolution, the application shall be understood as rejected by administrative silence.

The justification of the expense shall be made through a justification account with the provision of invoices and proof of payment, and advance payments or payments on account exempt from guarantee may be authorized by the Local Governing Board. Beneficiaries must display the support of the Lleida City Council and its logo in a visible place within the establishment for one year.

An opportunity for neighborhood revitalization

Along these lines, the Lleida City Council wants to turn the Historic Center into a space of opportunity for new projects, strengthening local commerce and avoiding situations of exclusion or segregation. For businesses and entrepreneurs in the area, the guidelines open the door to public financing that can cover up to 70% of the implementation cost, at a time when economic revitalization is consolidating as one of the pillars of the Neighborhood Plan.

Source: Official Gazette of the Province of Lleida, no. 172, September 8, 2026, Local Administration section - City Councils, pp. 1-16 (official reference: BOP-2026_0_172_7448).