The Sociedad para el Desarrollo Regional de Cantabria S.A., SODERCAN, part of the Ministry of Industry, Tourism, Innovation, Transport and Commerce, has launched a new line of subsidies totalling 400,000 euros to support the audio-visual and communications sector.

This new program of competitive subsidies is designed to boost investment, digitalisation and the incorporation of new technologies and innovation in the audio-visual and communications sector of Cantabria. The goal is to reinforce this sector as a pillar of economic and cultural development in Cantabria, in line with the rapid digital and technological transformations taking place in the sector.

SODERCAN understands that supporting the audio-visual and communications sector in Cantabria is an effective mechanism to promote economic growth and development in the region, harnessing the vibrate cultural, social, environmental and technological realities of Cantabria to encourage entrepreneurial activity and growth.

The subsidies are aimed at companies and entrepreneurs dedicated to the production and post-production in cinematography, video, television, as well as radio broadcasting.

The projects qualifying for subsidies must be classified within one of the following categories of the IAE (Tax on Business Activities):

• 961.1 Film production (including video)
• 961.2 Dubbing, synchronisation and editing of film and cinematography (including video) where not performed by the producing company itself.
• 964.1 Radio broadcasting services
• 964.2 Television services
• 964.3 Services for linking and transmission of television signals

In order to ensure the results of the subsidised projects benefit Cantabria, companies benefiting from the subsidies must execute their project and pay subsidies costs within the Autonomous Community of Cantabria. Furthermore, the beneficiary is obliged to maintain their activity within Cantabria for a minimum of three years from the finalisation of the subsidised project.

SUBSIDISED INVESTMENTS

The subsidies are applicable to the costs and investments in refurbishments, technical facilities and equipment, capital goods, furnishings and IT equipment; software licences, IT applications and software development platforms; technical services, consulting and specialised engineering or equivalent destined exclusively for the subsidised project, as well as website design services and SaaS costs and services.

Under no circumstances will subsidies be provided for financial costs, transportation, props, second-hand goods, property investments or outdoor construction projects, as well as taxes, charges or liens.

The execution period of the project and, thus, the coverage period for subsidised costs, must be between January 1 2023 and a period of 6 months from the notification of the concession of the subsidy. The maximum subsidy available through the program for the project will be up to 50% of eligible costs, up to a maximum of 40,000 euros per project.

The call was published today in the Boletín Oficial de Cantabria (BOC) and will be open for two months counting from tomorrow. Applications should be submitted electronically through the SODERCAN Assistance Search Engine.

The evaluation criteria for the granting of subsidies will consider the size of the company in terms of the number of employees, the age of the company, and aptness of the subsidy in terms of business development and technological innovation.

This new line of subsidies from SODERCAN is in addition to other specific programs of the public entity to incentivise innovation in other strategic sectors of Cantabria, such as automotive components or the ICT sector, and to support the circular economy in industry.