Who can apply for this loan?

These loans are available to private companies and private non-profit entities that are not owned or controlled by public administrations and that carry out activities in the following sectors:

Independent production companies.

Companies and entities that own and operate a cinema exhibition venue in Catalonia.

Independent distribution companies.

Companies and entities organizing audiovisual festivals or showcases.

Companies that own or manage art galleries located in Catalonia.

Companies established as art galleries whose main activity is the public exhibition of artworks for commercial purposes, whether or not they have their own exhibition space.

Performing arts production companies.

Companies that own or manage theatres or permanent circus venues located in Catalonia.

Performing arts distribution companies.

Companies operating in the cultural video game sector.

Companies and entities organizing festivals, conferences, trade fairs and other events in Catalonia, as well as exhibition spaces, whose purpose is to promote and showcase digital cultural content projects that foster innovation in the cultural and creative industries.

Companies producing cultural podcasts in Catalan or Occitan.

Companies operating digital platforms for the distribution of cultural products.

Companies producing artistic and cultural projects using innovative formats such as virtual reality, augmented reality, artificial intelligence, blockchain technology, or other emerging technologies.

Record companies engaged in the production, publishing, promotion and distribution of music and video recordings, regardless of format or medium, whether physical or digital.

Companies and entities that constitute permanent musical ensembles.

Companies and entities engaged in professional music promotion activities, including training, production and comprehensive music projects.

Companies and entities responsible for the artistic booking of concerts that form part of professional live music programmes.

Companies that own or manage music venues located in Catalonia.

Book and sheet music publishing companies and entities.

Companies engaged exclusively or primarily in the retail sale of books to end customers through establishments open to the public in Catalonia.

Publishing companies with registered offices in other territories within the Catalan or Occitan linguistic domains, or in a Member State of the European Union or the European Economic Area, may also apply, provided they maintain a permanent establishment in the aforementioned territories and the project has a significant impact in Catalonia or the Val d’Aran, respectively, with evidence of distribution and commercialization.

Companies engaged exclusively or primarily in the distribution of printed books, with their registered office in Catalonia and registered in the Census of Business Owners, Professionals and Withholding Agents under the economic activity category for wholesale trade of books, newspapers and magazines (619.6).

Companies and entities publishing periodicals in Catalan or Occitan with predominantly cultural content.

Companies or entities engaged in fashion, design, architecture, gastronomy, education, cultural tourism (whether physical or digital), as well as media organizations, are not eligible.

Financial conditions

Loans for investment
Loans for working capital

Between €20,000 and €2M per transaction, and up to €7.5 million per customer.

Up to 20 years, including a grace period of up to 2 years.

12-month EURIBOR plus a spread from 1.2% to 3.45%.

Arrangement fee of at most 0.50%, and for early repayment to be determined according to the project and term.

To be determined based on the project.

Additionally, as a complement to the guarantees provided by the applicant, operations approved under the call of the Institut Català de les Empreses Culturals will benefit from aid in the form of a guarantee covering 49% of the outstanding risk vis-à-vis the ICF.

By contrast, if the financing falls under the InvestEU programme, as a complement to the guarantees provided by the applicant, the European Investment Fund (EIF), with the support of the European Union, assumes vis-à-vis the ICF 70% of the credit risk plus 90 days of ordinary interest.