The Ministry for the Ecological Transition and the Demographic Challenge (MITECO), through the Biodiversity Foundation, has opened the deadline for two calls for subsidies to support the hiring of unemployed people and training and advisory projects in the green and blue economy. With these calls, MITECO seeks to contribute to a green recovery. The aim of these grants is to address the current major challenges such as the crisis generated by COVID-19, the loss of biodiversity, climate change and depopulation, which require solutions based on a fair and sustainable economy.
To support the hiring of unemployed people in the green and blue economy, the Emple Call has been launched, endowed with 5 million euros. These grants can be applied for by private entities, with or without profit based in Spain, and self-employed people who hire or have hired unemployed people on a full-time basis, for a minimum period of 6 months, between May 2019 and March 2021. The person hired, or the entity that makes the contract, must be linked to the green and/or blue economy.
The amount of subsidies for the hiring of unemployed people ranges between 1,900 and 3,440 euros per contract made. The amount depends on whether the person hired belongs to one of the priority groups (women, young people up to 35 years of age, over 45 years of age, immigrants, people with disabilities or residents of protected areas and rural areas) and the percentage of co-financing from the European Social Fund, corresponding to the region where the workplace that makes the hiring is located (Extremadura, Andalusia, the Canary Islands, Castilla-La Mancha, Melilla, Murcia, Asturias, Ceuta and Galicia receive 80%, and the rest of the communities 50%).
The application period is open from February 20, 2021 to September 2021.
CALL FOR TRAINING AND ADVICE
On the other hand, through the Improvement Call, endowed with 5.7 million euros, it is intended to support training and advice projects on issues related to the green and blue economy.
The amount of these projects can range between 100,000 and 300,000 euros. Priority groups will be taken into account (women, young people up to 35 years of age, over 45, immigrants, people with disabilities and residents of protected areas and/or rural areas) and the regions with the most funds available for these grants are Extremadura, Andalusia, Castilla La Mancha, Murcia, the Canary Islands and Melilla.
The application period for submitting projects is open until December 15, 2020.
DRIVING A GREEN RECOVERY
The Empleaverde Programme of the Ministry for the Ecological Transition and the Demographic Challenge is an initiative of the Biodiversity Foundation created in 2007 to promote and improve employment, entrepreneurship and the environment. It is co-financed by the European Social Fund (ESF) under the Operational Program Employment, Training and Education 2014-2020.
This programme is particularly relevant in a green recovery framework to address the challenges associated with the crisis generated by COVID-19, as well as those already existing such as biodiversity loss, climate change and depopulation. All of them require solutions based on a fair and sustainable economy.
The Programme is aligned with the European Union’s own strategy, which identifies packages of measures for economic recovery, as well as the different strategies at the national level. The implementation of these strategies will involve the identification of new employment niches related to the environment.
In addition to the traditional niches of green employment (which include organic agriculture and livestock, wastewater treatment and purification, waste management and treatment, renewable energy production, management of protected natural areas and forest areas, environmental services to companies and entities, and environmental education and information), new opportunities will be added, such as those offered by information and communication technologies. sustainable tourism, specific activities related to climate change mitigation or adaptation, or investment in the protection and restoration of nature.
All this, within the framework of the European Union’s Europe 2020 Strategy for growth and jobs, which recognises the importance of the transition to a green and resource-efficient economy to achieve smart, sustainable and inclusive growth.
The empleaverde Programme aims to create employment, improve employability and support the creation of companies in the green and blue economy, with special emphasis on an economy linked to nature conservation and low carbon and circular.
