The ICAA launches the first line of aid financed entirely with Next Generation funds

The Ministry of Culture and Sport, through the Institute of Cinematography and Audiovisual Arts (ICAA), has announced the new line of grants for laboratories and incubators for the creation and development of audiovisual projects, financed via funds Next Generation.

The total budget of the call, aimed at initiatives to be held in Spain in 2022 and 2023, amounts to €9 million. It is the first line launched by the ICAA financed entirely with Next Generation funds from the European Union as part of the Recovery, Transformation and Resilience Plan.

This new line of aid has been designed to promote initiatives aimed at Increase the professionalization of the creation and development phases of audiovisual projects, without limits in terms of formats, through the Innovation in narrativesthe Acquisition of entrepreneurial skills, awareness of the importance of working in the Marketing, Promotion, and Audience Building from the previous phases of production and Structuring networks within the audiovisual sector.

In addition, these grants seek to promote the "fullest" use of the opportunities of the Digitalization processes, the International co-production, accelerate the Incorporation of more women and young people to the activity of the sector to bridge the gender and generational gap, and to integrate a Sustainable Development Model in audiovisual activity.

Renewal of the audiovisual industry

At the same time, the execution of these investments seeks to develop objectives aimed at the Professionalization and renewal of the audiovisual industry, encouraging the use of innovative tools and resources in matters such as funding and audience development throughout the different stages of the creative process, thus contributing to the Digital transformation of the sector to favour, from the point of view, more sustainable and efficient production models. In this sense, as established in the call resolution, "laboratories and incubators are understood to be those programmes, forums, pitching platforms and residencies where professionals and companies that have previously passed a selection process participate and that include training, networking and mentoring activities to improve the competence and competitiveness of professionals and companies in the creative processes and development of audiovisual projects".

The typology of audiovisual projects encompasses short films, feature films, series, immersive narratives and virtual reality, as well as others audiovisual and digital content, fundamentally narrative, except for video games. The beneficiaries may be the Autonomous Communities and the bodies and entities dependent on them, the public entities that are considered Local Corporations and the bodies and entities dependent on them, and legal persons with legal residence or establishment in Spain at the time of the effective receipt of the aid.

The grants will be granted through the competitive concurrence procedure established in the article 22.1 of Law 38/2003, of 17 November, General Subsidies and on a multi-annual basis. Applications can be submitted from 14/02/2022 to 08/03/2022 and through the Electronic headquarters of the Ministry of Culture and Sport. The complete rules can be consulted here.

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