Barcelona Activa provides support for more people and businesses
Barcelona Activa assisted 55,728 people in 2023 and provided support for 7,178 businesses, up 2.8% on the previous year, and 1,401 entrepreneurial projects, up 8.7% compared to 2022. Of all those who received support, 58% were women, 47% had university studies and 58% were aged 45 or over, while the under-30s accounted for nearly a third.
A person walking through the foyer at the Cibernàrium, Barcelona Activa
Some 18% of companies receiving support were in the sales sector, compared to 13% in services, 12% in the hotel sector, 10% in industry and 8% in the ICT sector. Some 44% were limited companies and 37% were self-employed. Out of the 1,401 entrepreneurial projects, 62% were driven by women. The agency also helped with the constitution of 536 new companies.
The Barcelona Activa Finance Service helped raise 35.16 million euros, through a total of 110 operations in 2023. This amount came in addition to the 10 million euros committed through six capital risk funds, within the framework of the Accelera funds, where investments from private partners meant a total of a 112 million euros in new investment for start-ups in the Barcelona area.
Barcelona Activa housed 114 companies in its network of business incubators and the Technology Park in 2023, promoting 307 of the current 2,100 start-ups in Catalonia, according to data from ACCIO.
More than 9,265 people under 30 used the agency’s occupational services, more than 14,000 counting the enterprise and business services, nearly 30% of whom were unemployed. Barcelona Activa also helped over a thousand people enter the labour market directly through talent management services, while its IT Academy helped generate more digital talent in the city. Out of the 1,002 people trained at the academy in 2023, 84% have found jobs, 40% of them women.
The Crea Feina Plus programme, which incentivises companies that take on people with long-term contracts, helped 469 unemployed people to gain work contracts. Some 18% of self-employed people received the Activa Autono+ subsidy.
Local economy as a priority
The managing board for Barcelona Activa has approved the accounts for the 59 million euros executed by the agency. Projects for the immediate future include the creation of new hubs for local economic activity. The first of these to open will be the Nau Palo Alto, devoted to the creative industries, and the Nau Besòs, for the circular economy, at the end of 2024. Next year brings the opening of the Nau d’Àvila, centring on urban innovation and smart cities.
