ICEX España Exportación e Inversiones will open the call for the ‘ICEX-Brexit’ program, aimed at supporting all Spanish companies and self-employed workers who are being affected by the withdrawal of the United Kingdom from the European Union (EU).
The maximum support per beneficiary will be 200,000 euros and the subsidies will be financed from the ICEX budget, and from the funds of the Brexit Adaptation Reserve or BAR funds.
Specifically, exporting companies may receive aid for 75% of certain expenses incurred in the period from January 1, 2020 to July 31, 2023, to deal with this new situation.
Likewise, companies legally constituted in Spain or self-employed workers registered in the Special Regime for Self-Employed Workers, exporters or with investments in the United Kingdom who have been affected by Brexit, will obtain the status of beneficiaries, either due to a reduction in their exports or for having had to face expenses derived directly from the exit of that country from the European Union.
Some of the eligible expenses, which are detailed in the call, are the new costs derived from VAT registration; advice on the new labeling, packaging and certification requirements; trademark registration; specialized worker visas; as well as deeds, administrative permits and licenses.
Promotion expenses linked to the development of the internationalization plan in the British market are also contemplated, such as market research, dissemination and promotion material – catalogues, brochures, web pages, among others –, contracting of specialized services for product design or redesign or advertising, and expenses for legal defense of the brand and approval.
The objective of this program, as stated by the Ministry of Industry, Commerce and Tourism in a statement, “is to support Spanish companies to adapt to the new situation, compensating for unforeseen expenses and the extra effort of positioning, consolidation and implementation that they have had to assume as a consequence of this process».