Likewise, subsidies were granted, within the 'Business Impulse' program, to 112 companies less than 18 months old.
08/04/2024.- The municipal company Promálaga, belonging to the Innovation, Digitalization and Investment Capture Area of the , helped in 2023 to create 368 SMEs and served a total of 851 entrepreneurial people, within its business creation unit called 'Malaga Starts'. The Area Councilor, Alicia Izquierdo, announced this morning the balance of the municipal company during the past year.
The figure of 368 companies created in 2023 means that 43% of the entrepreneurs served have started a business, registering an increase compared to 2022 when there were 345. Through this service, Promálaga offers consulting and advice on the procedures for establishing companies, tax and commercial advice, training in business management, innovation consulting service and search for financing , mentoring and business acceleration programs, aid and subsidies, etc.
In total, through 'Málaga Emprende', Promálaga served 851 entrepreneurs last year, a figure similar to the previous year. Regarding the profile, The age groups with the greatest representation are those between 25-35 years old with a percentage of 34%.
Likewise, 56% of consultations were made by men, either as an individual self-employed person or as a company administrator, and The sector of activity with the greatest representation was Professional Services, with 46% of the total entrepreneurs interested in creating a company. This is followed by the Commerce (16%), Hospitality (11%) and Tourism (8%) sectors.
Most of the entrepreneurs who requested Promálaga services in 2023 had university studies, accounting for 48% of the total, followed by entrepreneurs with Vocational Training studies (27%). Furthermore, 48% of the entrepreneurs were active workers and 44% were unemployed.
The degree of satisfaction among the entrepreneurs served has been 98% and the recommendation rate for entrepreneurship support services has been 87%.
It should be noted that municipal management continues to focus on promoting economic activity and entrepreneurship. Since 1997, The business creation unit of the Malaga City Council offers tools to support the creation and consolidation of companies. In this way, it contributes to the strengthening of the Malaga business fabric by promoting already established companies or supporting the creation of new ones, with special attention to small and medium-sized companies. Through this unit, business advisory services have been offered prior to the start of activity and the aid available from this entity has been processed.
320 FREE COUNSELING PROGRAMS
Within 'Málaga Emprende', advice is also offered during the first year of business activity; specifically, free advisory services, tax, labor and accounting management. During the year 2023, a total of 320 free advice programs have been granted (41 correspond to the program for companies and 279 to the self-employed), a figure similar to 2022.
The sector of activity from which the most requests for free advice come is Professional Services with 48%. It is followed by the Commerce sector with 15% and, in third place, the Hospitality sector with 11%. Next, the Tourism sector with 8%, and Construction and ICT/R&D with 6%.
35 FILES OF CONSTITUTION OF COMMERCIAL COMPANIES
Promálaga has continued to offer the free service of incorporation of commercial companies, which consists of processing and managing the legal steps for the incorporation of a commercial company. During the year 2023, 35 files for the incorporation of commercial companies have been processed, which represents a significant increase compared to 2022 with 15 more companies.
The companies that have applied for the program are headed by 83% men and 17% women as administrators. Regarding the sectors of activity, the most represented is the ICT/R&D sector (30%), followed by Commerce (22%) and Professional Services (17%).
MUNICIPAL NETWORK OF INCUBATORS
The Municipal Network of Incubators (RMI), managed through Promálaga, In 2023, it had a total of 193 hosted companies, which means an average annual occupancy rate greater than 86,5%, a figure similar to 2022.
During the past year there have been 13 incubators in operation providing services to the established companies. The RMI offers a constructed area of about 20.860 square meters with the capacity to house a total of 223 companies.
Structured according to the activity and services that each one offers, there are technological and innovative incubators (Promálaga R&D, Coworking and Excellence), incubators neighborhood (Teatinos, Saint Exupery, Soliva and Cruz de Humilladero), incubators creative and cultural (Virreina and La Píndola) and incubators center (Alamos, La Brecha, Economistas and Citylab). This RMI design allows entrepreneurs to group around the same sector of activity, which generates synergies between the incubated companies.
The incubators with the largest number of spaces are Promálaga I+D, which has 76, and Promálaga Coworking, with 26 (in addition to 40 coworking positions). They are followed by Soliva with 16 and Excelencia, Saint Exupery and Teatinos, all with 15 offices. Closing the list are Virreina and Economistas (with 11 each), Cruz de Humilladero and Citylab (both with 9), La Brecha (8) and, finally, La Píndola and Álamos (6).
Furthermore, this municipal network continues to expand and, in fact, Promálaga has recently been granted the Free public concession on the old Casa del Socorro located in La Trinidad (Central district) for the creation of a high-performance center for creative-cultural entrepreneurs.
BUSINESS IMPULSE GRANT
Promálaga launches annually, with a budget of 400.000 euros, the call for 'Business Impulse' subsidies, which includes various lines of investment: web page design and corporate image, works to adapt premises and technical installations, tools and machinery, computer equipment, trademark registration, furniture and equipment, etc. Is about subsidies to companies less than 18 months old that are eligible for a subsidy of up to 50% of productive investments with a subsidy limit of up to 10.000 euros.
In 2023, a total of 112 grants were awarded (107 in 2022): 75 to self-employed workers and another 37 to companies (companies). Of the 112, 65 were companies created by men and 47 companies created by women. The majority of applicant companies (52%) are dedicated to Professional Services and are in the age range of 25-35 years (45%) or 35-45 years (40%).
TOOLS FOR ENTREPRENEURS
Among the tools that Promálaga makes available to entrepreneurs is the 'Business Plan', which helps create a business project in about 15 or 20 minutes. During 2023, 1.092 business plans through this tool.
In its strategy to improve citizen accessibility to e-administration, Promálaga is the official registrar of FNMT class 2CA certificates. This certificate is the most accepted by the public administration and allows entrepreneurs to carry out a wide portfolio of procedures with the different public administrations electronically. In the period of 2023, 204 digital certificates were issued to natural persons.
The free tool has also been maintained for online performance of marketing audits aimed at businessmen and entrepreneurs, and a total of 2023 were made in 260.
Finally, the innovation consulting service aims to provide personalized advice to companies and entrepreneurs to access public financing. In 2023, more than 400 direct services were provided to 94 entrepreneurs and companies interested in public financing of their innovation projects, always carrying out subsequent monitoring.
'PROMÁLAGA MENTORING' AND 'TEENBIZZ' PROGRAMS
Another of the actions that have been developed has been the continuity of the 'Promálaga Mentoring' program. During 2023, Promálaga held two new editions of six months each with 20 companies from the Municipal Incubator Network who have received advice in areas of specialization such as marketing, legal and legal, business model, financing, economic-financial, innovation and sales and organization.
On the other hand, the entrepreneurial spirit was promoted through the educational program 'Teenbizz', together with the Education Area, in which 27 centers in Malaga and 746 students from 5th-6th grade of primary school and 1st-2nd grade of ESO (25 centers and 571 students in 2022). It is a program that provides workshops in which values such as creativity, teamwork and imagination are promoted with the construction of a prototype of a 'happiness machine' and 'smart cities'.
