The Council of Ministers has approved on the proposal of the Minister of Culture and Sport, Miquel Iceta, the Royal Decree that regulates the Young Cultural Bonus for 2023. An aid of 400 euros aimed at the 500,000 young people who turn 18 years old during 2023 and who will be able to allocate to the acquisition and enjoyment of products, services and cultural activities.
For the second consecutive year, the Government is promoting a public initiative that aims to promote universal and diversified access to culture for young people, generate and strengthen habits of consumption of cultural products, create new publics, stimulate demand and strengthen and consolidate the revitalization of the cultural sector in Spain. In short, to promote the loyalty of cultural habits in young people so that, as adults, they maintain the culture as part of their daily lives.
In the preparation of the text, the Ministry of Culture and Sport has followed the experience of other countries such as France or Italy, which also set the age of its beneficiaries at 18 years, considering that the age of majority involves, in addition to assuming certain duties and rights, the possibility of inaugurating an autonomy in terms of its decisions in many areas, also in the cultural field. The fact that entering adulthood is accompanied by an economic impulse for the enjoyment and discovery of cultural activities can be a decisive help and incentive to consolidate adult citizens who incorporate culture as one more habit in their development and in their adult life.
Products or services that can be purchased with the Bonus
The decree establishes that the expenditure is distributed and diversified between three different sectors, with maximum amounts for each one. The bonus is expected to subsidise live arts, cultural heritage and audiovisual arts up to a maximum of 200 euros per beneficiary. It will be distributed among tickets and subscriptions for performing arts, live music, cinema, museums, libraries, exhibitions, scenic, literary, musical or audiovisual festivals and bullfighting shows.
In addition, it is included to subsidize cultural products on physical media up to a maximum of 100 euros: books; magazines, press, or other periodic publications; video games, musical scores, discs, CD, DVD or Blu-ray.
For their part, each beneficiary may allocate up to 100 euros to digital or online consumption: subscriptions and rentals to music, reading or listening platforms, or audiovisuals, purchase of audiobooks, purchase of digital books (known as e-books), subscription to download multimedia files (known as podcasts), subscriptions to online video games, digital subscriptions to press, magazines or other periodic publications. Such subscriptions will be limited to a maximum of four months.
The acquisition of handicrafts, plastic and graphic works; stationery products; curricular textbooks, whether printed or digital; courses, workshops and seminars; computer and electronic equipment, software, hardware and consumables; artistic material; musical instruments; sports shows; fashion and gastronomy will not be eligible. Likewise, the acquisition of products that have been qualified as X or pornographic in accordance with the content regulation system applicable to each product will not be eligible.
The eligible activities and expenses must be carried out within a maximum period of one year from the date of granting the Young Cultural Voucher to each beneficiary person.
Company Membership
The Young Cultural Voucher will be used exclusively in establishments or institutions affiliated to the program, which provide services in Spain and which, professionally and habitually, carry out activities of sale or making available cultural products, activities and services. Participating entities can be consulted at any time on the program’s website, or through the application for mobile devices, and the accession period for new entities remains open.
The Royal Decree establishes that the management of the program will be carried out through the specific technological platform for the management of the Young Cultural Bonus. Those interested in acquiring the status of entity attached to the Young Cultural Bond must apply for membership in the terms and deadlines established in the corresponding convocation. Those entities registered will be able to continue in the program without having to make a new request.
Program operation
The management of the program will be carried out through a specific technological platform, in which the applications will be presented, which will be processed in order of presentation.
Once the aid is granted to the beneficiary, the total amount granted will be paid, in a single payment, in nominal virtual prepaid card format, which will be identified with numbers and the identity of the beneficiary. They will be in force during the 12 months following their concession. Exceptionally, physical cards may be issued, in case the beneficiary does not have a compatible mobile device to contain the aforementioned virtual card, when requested.
The future rule also provides that the Young Cultural Voucher is compatible with any other subsidy, aid, income or resource from other public administrations