The Principality must grant 80 million European funds in the remainder of the year

2023-06-06 04:15:00

The Government of Asturias must tender contracts and tender projects for a joint value of 79.2 million euros from European funds. And it must do so in the remainder of the year. This is stated in a document prepared by the Principality that breaks down by sectors the different initiatives promoted by the Next Generation aid from the European Union and planned for the remainder of 2023. Most of the funds (64.4 million) will be allocated to projects in four areas: energy, digitization, tourism and social services. However, there are also items for employment, R+D+i, commerce, sports, justice, the environment and health.

It is effectively a forecast, even more so given the situation of political transition after the regional and local elections on May 28 and, at the national level, the next general ones on July 23. In theory, the mobilization of the Next Generation program has its own dynamics and its calendar of objectives is above political changes, but the hectic Spanish panorama could alter or slow down the planned initiatives, since, although the money comes from Brussels, the The execution of the projects corresponds to the central government and the autonomous communities. The investments promoted by the Recovery, Transformation and Resilience Plan, which is the framework program adopted in Spain, must be executed before August 31, 2026.

The calendar that the Principality manages for the rest of the year is divided into two categories: calls and tenders. The former refer to the processes that companies and individuals participate in to receive public subsidies in certain areas, while the latter occur when a public administration puts out a project or work to tender. Of the 79.2 million pending execution, 44.8 are for calls and 34.4 for tenders.

Various aids. Regarding the former, half (23.8 million) correspond to initiatives in the energy sector, which must be channeled through the Ministry of Industry, Employment and Economic Promotion. This section includes, for example, two items of 5.1 and 2.7 million from the Moves III Plan to help companies, individuals and public administrations to buy electric cars and their charging systems. Aid is also contemplated for the installation of energy self-consumption (such as solar panels) in public and private buildings. Precisely these subsidies have suffered an administrative jam in Asturias in recent months due to the “flurry” of applicants, according to the councilor Enrique Fernández, assured in parliamentary headquarters, although little by little they are being released.

Another sector with large amounts of aid is social services, where calls for a value of 8.5 million are expected to reinforce private centers – with or without profit – for the elderly, with disabilities or in a situation of dependency.

The Administration’s computer programs and equipment will have aid of 13.5 million

In the field of digitization, the concession of 3.38 million to Asturian city councils is planned for the fourth quarter to improve “the digital skills of citizens and the reduction of the digital gender gap.” The “priority” recipients will be the elderly, women, children and young people, especially those who live in rural areas and who are at risk of social exclusion. Likewise, there will be half a million euros in digital vouchers for vulnerable people to purchase a broadband connection package.

Within the digital sector, precisely on Sunday the Principality launched the call for 1.9 million to improve communications infrastructures (radio broadcasting, digital television and broadband) in buildings built before the year 2000.

As regards research, development and innovation (R+D+i), the University of Oviedo and the Asturian delegation of the Higher Council for Scientific Research (CSIC) will receive 2 million -predictably in the third quarter- for investigate solutions that contribute to “stopping the biodiversity crisis” and analyze the impact of human beings on nature.

For its part, the retail trade sector will have one million euros in aid to SMEs and trade associations for their digital transformation.

public contracts. In addition to these calls, the Principality has six months to tender public contracts for a combined value of 34.4 million euros.

In this modality, the bulk of the budget (13.5 million) will be used to improve Administration computer programs and equipment. Next, tourism stands out, with various items to reinforce sections of routes such as the Camino de Santiago, the Ruta del Oso or the Senda Costera de Llanes. This section also includes the 5.9 million planned for the expansion of the Museum of Fine Arts of Asturias, a project by the architect Patxi Mangado that was recently approved by the Asturias Cultural Heritage Council and which must be ready before October 31, 2025.

The Asturian courts (suffering, although to a lesser extent, from the endemic traffic jams that affect the entire Spanish Justice) will have tenders. Thus, there will be a contract of 3.9 million euros to completely rehabilitate the Cangas del Narcea court. The purpose is that the works can begin in the first quarter of 2024.

And among other items to speed up the operation of Justice, one million euros is budgeted for a personnel management system, 500,000 euros for a computer program for the automation of judicial procedures, 316,000 for a “software” for managing citizen relations and professionals and 119,000 for a dictation program.

Although with modest amounts, the sport will also be supported by European funds. For example, 400,000 euros will be used for the energy rehabilitation of the El Cristo sports complex (Oviedo), and the same amount for the Trasona Sports Modernization Center. 125,780 euros will also be allocated for sports equipment for people with disabilities.