We have published three new calls for grants belonging to the Empleaverde and Pleamar Programs. The aim of these grants is to boost the green and blue economy by creating jobs and businesses and to promote more sustainable fishing and aquaculture activities.

The objective of the Empleaverde Programme, co-financed by the European Social Fund (ESF), is to promote the sustainability of economic activities in all sectors. It is an opportunity to contribute to overcoming the challenges of the crisis caused by COVID-19 and promote a just transition towards a low-carbon and circular economy, integrating biodiversity into business management and processes and making more efficient use of natural resources.

The two published calls have 9.8 million euros to promote sustainable economic growth and social progress. In this way, 9.4 million will be allocated to projects that implement training, advice and social innovation actions aimed at unemployed people and support their labor insertion. The deadline for submitting applications will remain open until September 30, 2021.

The other call is aimed at projects that launch training, advice, meetings and training stays aimed at entrepreneurs, both workers and unemployed, who want to create a company. It has an endowment of 400,000 euros and the deadline for submitting applications will end on July 30.

The aim is to promote projects aligned with policies on biodiversity conservation, forests, marine and river ecosystems, the fight against climate change, pollution prevention, and the transition towards a more ecological production and social model, as well as policies to address the demographic challenge and territorial depopulation.

During the period 2014-2020, the Empleaverde Programme has co-financed 170 projects, collaborated with more than 150 organisations and supported 29,371 people, creating more than 100 companies and lines of business in economic sectors linked to the environment.

SUSTAINABLE FISHING ACTIVITIES

For its part, the Pleamar Programme, co-financed by the European Maritime and Fisheries Fund (EMFF), has published a call for 9.8 million euros to support innovative projects that contribute, within the framework of the ecological transition, to strengthening the sustainability of fishing and aquaculture activities through environmental innovation and the promotion of networking. 

It will also support projects that contribute to improving the management of fishing activities and strengthening the protection and conservation of Natura 2000 Network areas and other Protected Areas, as well as initiatives that reduce environmental pollution with the collaboration of fishermen.

The last of the six axes that make up the programme focuses on environmental awareness, with the aim of supporting projects that allow society to convey the importance of having a healthy marine environment and sustainable fishing and aquaculture activities.

The deadline for submitting applications will end on July 14.

The four calls of the Pleamar Programme published and resolved to date, have made it possible to support a total of 181 projects with an endowment of close to 16 million euros.