I have a company or I’m self-employed
See all the resources for the self-employed and Barcelona’s companies that are available to you: subsidies and other measures, legal-guidance resources and tax and business advice, online courses and training programmes and other economic-promotion resources in the city.
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Subsidies, grants and funding
Barcelona City Council is allocating a large amount of resources to drive city recovery and promotion policies, in the form of grants, subsidies and funding. The City Council is reaffirming its commitment to promoting the economy, fostering employment and shaping the city’s future, by having more programmes, services and budgetary allocations.
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Incentives for recruiting unemployed individuals with particular difficulties in accessing the labour market. This year’s edition subsidises the hiring of young unemployed people and research staff. Subsidy amounts vary according to the group and the type of contract, with a particular emphasis on encouraging the incorporation of women in different profiles. A total of two million euros has been earmarked for the programme.
Period: April 2024
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Grants for self-employed professionals to lighten the burden of the expenditure they have to bear during their first year of activity. Subsidies will be calculated on the basis of substantiated expenditure.
Period: April 2024
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Through its development agency Barcelona Activa, the City Council is set to invest 15 million euros in national and international private venture capital funds, the goal being to drive start-ups in established strategic sectors and the Barcelona Green Deal economic agenda.
Period: In 2024
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The 2024 general call for subsidy applications has a budget of €1,710,000 in grants for projects that promote local commerce and economic promotion in neighbourhoods. Regional or sectorial commercial associations and non-profit commercial entities in the city can apply for the subsidy. A consumer line is included in this call, aimed at consumer organisations in Catalonia.
Period: from 8 to 25 January 2024
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Call for grants for revitalization of the local economy. They are financed projects that promote employment in neighborhoods, entrepreneurship and the social economy and solidarity, among others. Highlights the method of revitalizing empty premises on the ground floor.
Period: June 2024
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To boost the presence of establishments in the digital environment, Barcelona is allocating half a million euros towards funding projects that invest in digital marketing, websites, online shops and digital signage, among other things.
Period: May 2024
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Funding for improvements to elements of commercial and catering establishments with an impact on the public space.
Period: May - June 2024
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The aim of the call, funded with €510,000, is to provide financial support to cover the ordinary operational costs of their facilities as well as the extraordinary expenses arising from commercial stimulation measures.
Period: In 2024
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The Mercabarna hiring grants programme is intended to promote the hiring of unemployed individuals such as university and vocational education and training (VET) graduates so they can receive permanent contracts once they have completed their studies.
Period: In 2024, until the grants are used up
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Find all the resources available in the city such as grants, training, advice, technological tools, and more for boosting digital skills and strengthening digitalisation in all areas more accessible to the public.
Period: Permanent
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The measure is aimed at non-profit associations, federations, confederations, and business associations linked to the visitor economy for the region of Destination Barcelona as a whole. It is part of the Sustainable Tourism Plan in destinations funded by the Next Generation EU funds to accelerate strategic innovation projects aimed at driving the transformation and digitalisation of the city of Barcelona.
Period: In 2024
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Barcelona City Council, in collaboration with the La Caixa Foundation, spearheads a twice-yearly grant programme for research and innovation projects aimed at addressing the challenges facing the city of Barcelona. This initiative aims to promote collaboration among research centres, third-sector organisations and the city’s economic fabric to develop research in areas such as community health, city digitalisation, ageing, quality of life and the climate emergency.
Period: In 2024
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BCN Health Booster is a three-year acceleration programme aimed at startups in the life sciences sector. The participating companies must be startups and spin-offs that have been operation for less than five years, based in Catalonia and requiring access the use of a laboratory. The initiative is promoted by the Barcelona Science Park and Barcelona City Council, with the collaboration of Barcelona Activa and Biocat.
Period: In 2024
Advice
Barcelona City Council is at your side, helping you to look for information, selecting the resources best adapted to your needs and supporting when it comes to processing grants or drawing up personalised plans for your business with the help of experts. Our advice services will help you to start, consolidate or continue developing projects.
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If you’re someone whose time with the enterprise you run has now ended, or an entrepreneur aiming to bring continuity to an already existing enterprise, Barcelona Activa offers an advisory service to connect you and facilitate business continuity.
Period: In 2024
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Support service for international talent wanting to come and live in the city or who have recently settled here. It provides information on procedures and processes such as work and residence permits, access to housing, healthcare and education, the steps to creating a business, investing or working in Barcelona, and other practical matters for living in the city. Face-to-face assistance is given at the Barcelona Inter- national Welcome Desk offices (MediaTIC building) or by video conference. You need to book an appointment.
Period: In 2024
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Website aimed at international talent interested in coming to live and work in Barcelona. It includes practical information about the daily aspects of life in the city, a selection of the most important procedures to follow for setting up residence, and a calendar of periodic activities to get to know the city, settle in, and establish contacts.
Period: In 2024
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Business one-stop-shop for enabling economic activity in the district. Located in the MediaTIC building, the office offers information for carrying out a business activity in the 22@ district. Preliminary use-plan reports, activity-starting and ending statements, licence transfers and applications for occupying public roads and squares can be processed there.
Period: In 2024
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Online self-diagnosis and training tools for social and solidarity economy (SSE) organisations. A series of resources are at their disposal to help with promoting their digitalisation. DigitESSt is a tool which enables SSE organisations to diagnose the state of their digitalisation. DigiTeca, for its part, is an open and free online training environment for improving the digitalisation of organisations. The training programme consists of eight modules: technology; organisation; feminism; networking; sustainable food; funding; sustainability; marking and communication.
Period: In 2024
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Support programme for up-and-coming designers and fashion brands. Its aim is to support process and method optimisation, incorporating methodologies for improving their professionalisation, and in the areas of marketing, communication and digitalisation. It offers training sessions, personalised support and service funding.
Period: February 2024
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The observatory is regarded as an ordered knowledge platform, with data for monitoring the progress of ground-floor premises and activities as well as identifying opportunities. It also contains the main and supplementary indicators of interest to the various groups (internal, commercial sector and entrepreneurs) and which inspire the development of initiatives for improving the sustainability of active premises and occupation of vacant premises. The functions of this observatory are to quantify and openly share the available knowledge on ground-floor activities and premises, monitor the progress and changes that occur and inspire new strategies.
Period: In 2024
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Urban economic promotion areas (APEU) are created to promote and modernise urban areas with an action plan adapted to general-interest purposes. The goal is to improve the quality of the urban environment, consolidate the compact, unified and environmentally efficient city model, as well as increase business competitiveness. Barcelona City Council has launched training and support sessions for shopping hubs and players involved from the economic sector. It also offers technical and legal advice to organisations interested in continuing to work on developing their APEU project.
Period: In 2024
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Events that provide a space for direct contact between enterprises with job offers and job candidates, with participatory dynamics and brief interviews. They are tailor-made for enterprises and also specifically for business sectors.
Period: In 2024
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Guidance service aimed at self-employed workers, social and solidarity economy enterprises, businesses and associations on issues relating to incorporations, funding, talent management, transfers, internationalisation and digital transformation.
Period: In 2024
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Programme that distinguishes tourist operators committed to responsible management under certain requirements based on the United Nations’ sustainable development goals (SDGs). Enterprises and organisations receive training and advice on making an improvement plan and obtaining Biosphere Sustainable Lifestyle certification, enabling them to improve their positioning.
Period: Registration open up to 30 April 2024
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Service that accompanies small and medium-sized enterprises and self-employed workers in digitalisation processes.
Period: In 2024
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This service promotes applications of the subcontracting clause with social and solidarity economy (SSE) enterprises and the social reserve that Barcelona City Council promotes, reaching €10 million a year and aimed at SSE enterprises (more specifically, special work centres and insertion enterprises).
Period: In 2024
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The Municipal Consumer Information Office (OMIC) provides an information and advice service for commercial establishments, self-employed professionals and micro-companies. The OMIC advises enterprises as consumers of basic or ongoing services: utilities, telephone services, insurance and financial products.
Period: In 2024
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The Municipal Consumer Information Office (OMIC) provides shopping hubs, district trade councils and enterprises with information sessions to explain consumer rights, municipal assistance channels relating to consumption, how inquiries and claims can be made, and mediation and arbitration processes for resolving consumer issues and any related queries that may arise.
Period: In 2024
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This is a municipal facility specialising in responsible consumption and committed to people and the environment. With that goal in mind, it takes part in city events that promote responsible consumption and sustainable food, offers talks, activities and exhibitions, and puts a Responsible Consumption Information Point at the disposal of the general public.
Period: In 2024 (except August)
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A programme for supporting the creation of innovative, responsible and sustainable enterprises that meet the new needs of the tourist sector in Barcelona city and province. Participating projects receive training in the fields of entrepreneurship and tourism, under a personalised accompaniment plan. The programme is promoted by Barcelona Activa - Barcelona City Council, Barcelona Provincial Council, the Catalan Association of Specialist Travel Agencies (ACAVE) and the Barcelona Hotels Guild.
Period: In 2024
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This tool facilitates contact between companies facing innovation challenges and emerging businesses (start-ups) or SMEs that can offer solutions. In this way, Barcelona Activa fosters and promotes open innovation among companies in the city to increase their impact and visibility.
Period: In 2024
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BCN Health Booster is a three-year acceleration programme aimed at startups in the life sciences sector. The participating companies must be startups and spin-offs that have been operation for less than five years, based in Catalonia and requiring access the use of a laboratory. The initiative is promoted by the Barcelona Science Park and Barcelona City Council, with the collaboration of Barcelona Activa and Biocat.
Period: In 2024
Training
To be competitive, you need to be up to date. So Barcelona City Council has launched a wide range of specialised training lines, designed to prepare you for the future with more drive than ever. The range of free possibilities means there is something for everyone!
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The Cibernàrium offers training to improve digital tech skills and help meet the challenges that come with digitalisation. Its programme enables enterprises to cover their digital talent needs.
Period: In 2024
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Barcelona Activa offers training grouped by subject category and adapted to the needs of each person.
Period: In 2024
Further information. Online training
Further information. Online training - companies -
A programme for supporting the creation of innovative, responsible and sustainable enterprises that meet the new needs of the tourist sector in Barcelona city and province. Participating projects receive training in the fields of entrepreneurship and tourism, under a personalised accompaniment plan. The programme is promoted by Barcelona Activa - Barcelona City Council, Barcelona Provincial Council, the Catalan Association of Specialist Travel Agencies (ACAVE) and the Barcelona Hotels Guild.
Period: In 2024
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Programmes for entrepreneurship include accompaniment and networking for the creation of enterprises and organisations aimed at certain groups of entrepreneurs (young people, older people and women) or sectors of activity (creative industries, food, sport, tourism or projects with a social impact).
Period: In 2024
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The Municipal Consumer Information Office (OMIC) provides shopping hubs, district trade councils and enterprises with information sessions to explain consumer rights, municipal assistance channels relating to consumption, how inquiries and claims can be made, and mediation and arbitration processes for resolving consumer issues and any related queries that may arise.
Period: In 2024
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This is a municipal facility specialising in responsible consumption and committed to people and the environment. With that goal in mind, it takes part in city events that promote responsible consumption and sustainable food, offers talks, activities and exhibitions, and puts a Responsible Consumption Information Point at the disposal of the general public.
Period: In 2024 (except August)
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Online self-diagnosis and training tools for social and solidarity economy (SSE) organisations. A series of resources are at their disposal to help with promoting their digitalisation. DigitESSt is a tool which enables SSE organisations to diagnose the state of their digitalisation. DigiTeca, for its part, is an open and free online training environment for improving the digitalisation of organisations. The training program - me consists of eight modules: technology; organisation; feminism; networking; sustainable food; funding; sustainability; marking and communication.
Period: In 2024
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Support programme for up-and-coming designers and fashion brands. Its aim is to support process and method optimisation, incorporating methodologies for improving their professionalisation, and in the areas of marketing, communication and digitalisation. It offers training sessions, personalised support and service funding.
Period: February 2023
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Find all the resources available in the city such as grants, training, advice, technological tools, and more for boosting digital skills and strengthening digitalisation in all areas more accessible to the public.
Period: Permanent
Promoting the city
Barcelona is a city that looks to the future and possesses all the attributes for playing a key role in the changes that are coming. The City Council is therefore driving ahead with economic- promotion tools, both local and international, fostering public-private cooperation initiatives and launching campaigns that strengthen the city’s full economic potential.
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This year will mark the 17th edition of the Science Festival, a popular event for scientific outreach that takes place annually in the city. It offers an extensive programme of activities for all audiences (workshops, demonstrations, games, shows, etc.) with the aim of sharing Barcelona’s scientific sector knowledge with the public.
Period: 7, 8 and 9 June 2024
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These two are benchmark events for entrepreneurial initiative and job seeking, and they are held together to foster talent and boost businesses. The city’s entrepreneurial and business ecosystem will be meeting institutions and professionals again in 2024.
Period: 23 and 24 October
Further information: Saló de l’Ocupació
Further information: BIZBarcelona -
This year will see the eleventh edition of Barcelona International Community Day, an F2F event that includes an exhibitors’ fair and an extensive programme of activities (seminars, workshops, roundtables and networking) to welcome the city’s international community, offering useful information and resources for living, working and doing business in Barcelona.
Period: The 2024 edition is planned for Saturday, 28 September
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Website aimed at international talent interested in coming to live and work in Barcelona. It includes practical information about the daily aspects of life in the city, a selection of the most important procedures to follow for setting up residence, and a calendar of periodic activities to get to know the city, settle in, and establish contacts.
Period: In 2024
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Barcelona City Council and Barcelona Activa take part in the main trade fairs held in the city, with their own space offering economic information on the city, advice for enterprises and investors, and networking activities, among other things. Spaces are provided at these fairs so that start-ups in the Barcelona Activa orbit and taking part in its accompaniment programmes can be introduced and create new business opportunities.
Period: In 2024
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This is a space for participation, public-private cooperation and joint action between city institutions and organisations working to transform the prevailing food system and make it healthier and more sustainable. Its goal is to give continuity to the pro- cess used for drafting the EASSB2030, promoting cooperation, action and coordination of projects to move towards a healthy, sustainable food model.
Period: In 2024
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Agròpolis is a public community space for dialogue, work and action, between civil society, the economic fabric, universities and the municipal public authority, which have the common goal of collaborating to transform Barcelona’s food system through the values of food sovereignty and agroecology.
Period: In 2024
Regulatory changes and tax rebates
The Barcelona City Council is firmly committed to ensuring that our city is an easy place for economic activity. This is why it has launched regulatory and administrative changes that simplify things for city residents and economic sectors and speed up and simplify procedures and payment periods.
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A 95% rebate on the rate is applied in the following cases:
- Transfer through inheritance of the primary residence: the rebate is conditional on not transferring the residence within the three years following the date of death of the transferring person. It can be requested by spouses, descendants or adoptees, as well as ascendants or adopters and individuals who, by law, receive a treatment similar to a relationship of kinship to continue using the residence due to having lived with the deceased person during the two years prior to their death.
- Transfer through inheritance of premises where the deceased person conducted a habitual, personal and direct professional activity: the rebate is subject to not transferring the premises and to continuing to conduct an economic activity there for five years following the death.
Deadline for paying the capital gains and applying for the rebate: six months from the date of the deceased person’s death (extendable for an additional six months)
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The City Council offers different: for new-build properties and social housing, if this involves a large family and systems are installed for harnessing heat or electricity from the sun’s energy, during the three tax periods following the date of the installation’s legalisation.
Period: each rebate’s specific terms will have to be consulted
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The City Council offers different rebates on the tax for business activities.
Rebates for cooperatives
Cooperatives and cooperative unions, federations and confederations can request an IAE rebate provided they present documentary proof that they are registered in the Cooperatives register and meet the requirements set out in the Tax byelaw and Act 20/1990, of 19 December, on the tax system for cooperatives.The rebate is for 95% of the amount of the tax levied.
Tax rebates for increased staff numbers
Natural or legal persons who pay municipal tax and have increased their staff by 10% or more are eligible for a rebate. The increase must have involved indefinite contracts and taken place during the tax period immediately prior to that in which the subsidy is requested.It must be borne in mind that this increase in staff numbers must have occurred in their work centres in the Barcelona municipality.
Rate reduction for use of renewable energy
Rebates for natural and legal persons installing systems for harnessing heat or electricity from the sun’s energy, for three consecutive years as from the date of application for the installation’s legalisation or registration.
Period: specified for each rebate
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The City Council offers several rebates on the tax on mechanically powered vehicles.
- Rebate on the tax on mechanically powered vehicles for owners of vehicles classed as zero emission or electric vehicles: Rebate on the tax on mechanically powered vehicles of any kind (except trailers) classed as zero emission vehicles according to the vehicle registry of the Directorate General of Traffic.
- Rebate on the tax on mechanically powered vehicles for owners of ECO-classed vehicles that use petrol, with emissions of up to 120 g/km of CO2: Rebate on the tax on mechanically powered vehicles for owners of ECO-classified vehicles of any kind (except trailers) that use petrol, with emissions of up to 120 g/km of CO2, according to the vehicle registry of the Directorate General of Traffic.
- Rebate on the tax on mechanically powered vehicles for owners of vintage vehicles: Rebate on the entire amount of the tax on mechanically powered vehicles for vehicles considered vintage, under the regulations for vintage vehicles.
Period: specified for each rebate
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Barcelona City Council offers several rebates on the construction, installation and works tax. Rebates on the construction, installation and works tax (ICIO) may be requested for work whose purpose is to construct buildings or put up installations declared to be of special municipal interest or usefulness, because of social, cultural, historical and artistic or work-promoting circumstances or because they incorporate systems for harnessing heat or electricity from solar energy.
Period: The period needs to be consulted in the corresponding tax byelaw
Specialised, personal service for providing information to and supporting SSE enterprises and organisations, from how to start a project to how to improve it and obtain funding. Coordinated with the ecosystem’s services, operators and players, this service identifies opportunities and detects difficulties, in addition to offering tools and expert support in specific areas.
Period: In 2024
Further information