New €40M round of grants for bars and restaurants in Catalonia

Bars, restaurants, and cafés in Catalonia, including those run by self-employed workers as well as those in municipal markets as well as shopping malls, will soon be able to apply for €1,000 to €15,000 subsidies to counter the effects of the Covid restrictions that were in place during the sixth wave of the pandemic.

With this new €40 million aid package, the business and labor department hopes to assist establishments that experienced a drop in sales from December 24 to January 27. 

How much each business will receive will depend on how many people they employ: small businesses and self-employed workers with up to 9 workers can request a €1,000-grant, while those with 10 to 40 can ask for €5,000 and those with more will be able to apply for €15,000. 

These grants, however, have not received the backing of unions as they do not require applicants to maintain initial employment levels. 

Applications will soon be open on the government's Canal Empresa website, with aid allocated on a first come first serve basis as has been the case with previous pandemic benefits for workers and businesses. Catalan authorities have allocated a total of €140 million to this sector since Covid first hit.