Since its launch, the programme promoted by the Institut Català de Finances and Girona City Council has supported innovative projects in health, industry, tourism and consulting. The instrument, endowed with €5 million over four years, offers loans of up to €300,000 for young companies in Girona and its metropolitan area under better financial conditions than those available in the private financial market.
The ICF Girona Fons d’Innovació, the loan programme for young innovative companies of the Institut Català de Finances (ICF) and Girona City Council, financed six projects in the health, industry, tourism and consulting sectors for a total of €1.1 million in 2025.
“These are the first results of a programme that represents a great opportunity for all young and innovative companies that want to develop and grow,” said the CEO of the ICF, Vanessa Servera i Planas. “With the ICF Girona Fons d’Innovació, we aim to boost the local economy and provide favourable conditions for Girona’s innovation ecosystem,” she added.
Girona’s Deputy Mayor and Councillor for Economic Promotion and Legal Services, Gemma Geis i Carreras, highlighted that “this fund is a strategic tool to consolidate Girona as a city of innovation and opportunity. Not only do we provide financing on better terms than the private market, but we also create a climate of trust so that entrepreneurial talent can grow from Girona to the world.” Geis stressed that “the first funded projects show that we have a business fabric with technological capacity, an international outlook and real impact in key sectors such as health, industry and smart tourism.”
EC Convert and B4Experience, two of the funded projects
One of the companies financed by the ICF Girona Fons d’Innovació is EC Convert, which specialises in the design and manufacture of machinery for the packaging, labelling and paper sectors. The company develops advanced technological solutions that enable its clients to optimise and improve processes, incorporating sustainability criteria that drive greater efficiency and environmental responsibility.
The loan received by EC Convert has been key to driving its international expansion and meeting strong sector demand. With the support of the ICF and Girona City Council, the company has hired highly qualified professionals, strengthened its commercial strategy and enhanced its innovation capacity.
B4Experience, the commercial brand of Off Trail S.L., has also been financed through the loan programme to boost its international rollout and consolidate the development of its own technological infrastructure in order to continue leading the hyper-personalised travel market.
B4Experience is a startup that is revolutionising the TravelTech & SporTech sector through the use of advanced artificial intelligence and autonomous agent technology. Through its platform, it is developing virtual guides to create and book tailor-made nature and adventure experiences in a fully scalable way. After very rapid growth that has led to a presence in 32 countries and reaching 84% of the previous year’s total turnover by January 2026, the company is currently seeking investors to raise a €500,000 funding round.
EC Convert and B4Experience join the Clyppe project as companies financed during the first year of operation of the ICF Girona Fons d’Innovació. As announced in July, the project to develop and commercialise an innovative full-face respiratory protection mask created by a group of entrepreneurs from Girona was the programme’s first transaction.
Loans of up to €300,000 to boost young innovative companies
The ICF Girona Fons d’Innovació offers financing on favourable terms for young innovative companies in Girona and its metropolitan area operating in sectors such as digital industry, health sciences, biotechnology, commerce and tourism, energy transition and the silver economy, among others.
The programme is endowed with €5 million, 76% of which comes from ICF resources and 24% from the budget of Girona City Council, and will run for four years (2025–2028), with €1.2 million allocated per year.
Loan amounts range from €100,000 to €300,000, with an interest rate of 12-month Euribor plus a 1.5% spread and a maximum term of six years, including the possibility of a one-year grace period. Loans can be applied for through the website of the public promotional bank.