One of the songs from the final stage of The Beatles was The long and winding road (The long and winding road), on the album Let it be, the last one published, even though it was recorded before Abbey Road. Surely the title and parts of the lyrics come to mind for Alícia Romero's Ministry of Economy: "You left me standing here. A long, long time ago. Don't leave me waiting. Guide me to your door." Not only because of the difficulties she has in approving the first budgets of Salvador Illa's legislature, which also, but because of the obstacles in achieving another objective pursued by the different Catalan governments, which is to make the Institut Català de Finances (ICF) a true public bank to cover areas that private financial entities do not reach, or barely do.

The Catalan Institute of Finance (ICF) has allocated 8 million euros to the new plant of the industrial boiler group Attsu, in Riudellots de la Selva. The company specializes in the design, manufacture, and commercialization of steam boilers, thermal oil, and other pressure vessels.

The Catalan Finance Institute (ICF), the public bank of the Generalitat, has granted to date 846 loans to young people aged 18 to 35 to obtain the down payment for an apartment. The average granted is 36,332 euros and an average housing price of 189,908 euros with an average age of beneficiaries of 29.4 years, according to data presented by the Secretary General of Economy and President of the ICF's governing board, Juli Fernández, and the entity's CEO, Vanessa Servera.

The European Investment Bank (EIB) and the Catalan Finance Institute (ICF) signed a €50 million loan agreement this Friday that will allow for the creation of approximately 7,500 care placements for elderly people and people with disabilities in Catalonia. The EIB loan, which will be channeled through the Catalan government's public development bank, will specifically finance the construction, purchase, and renovation of residences, day centers, and assisted living facilities for the most vulnerable groups. This is the second and final tranche of a total €150 million loan from the EIB, the EU's financial arm, intended to boost investment in social infrastructure. The first tranche, of €100 million, was signed in May 2025. The signing of the agreement for this final €50 million took place in Barcelona at an event attended by the President of the EIB Group, Nadia Calviño; The Minister of Economy and Finance, Alícia Romero, and the Minister of Social Rights and Inclusion, Mònica Martínez Bravo, among others.

New strategy. The Catalan Institute of Finance (ICF) will increase the resources allocated to venture capital investments to €645 million to support "transformative business projects that contribute to Catalonia's economic leadership."

"The ICF does not need to obtain a bank license." The new CEO of the Catalan Institute of Finance, Jordi Òliva, has stated that the institution will not re-attempt to obtain the license that would allow Catalonia to have a public bank. This change comes after the ICF attempted to obtain it last year. by submitting the corresponding application to the European Central Bank and the Bank of Spain.

More than a decade ago The Catalan Government is trying to make the Catalan Institute of Finance (ICF) the state-owned bank of Catalonia. The big blow came in 2022 when the Bank of Spain—then governed by Pablo Hernández de Cos— The bank card requested by the entity was rejected for technical reasons and due to the lack of a favorable report from the European Commission.In May, Esquerra rescued this proposal from the drawer and put it on the table of Salvador Illa's government to approve the third credit supplement, the tool that allows the government to inject new resources into the economy in the absence of budgets. The Socialists accepted and this Tuesday they took the first step toward its implementation to the executive council.

The European Investment Bank (EIB) and the Catalan Institute of Finance (ICF)—the public banks of the European Union and the Catalan government, respectively—have signed an initial loan of €100 million aimed at promoting investments in sustainability and climate change adaptation among small and medium-sized Catalan businesses. This loan is the first tranche of a €200 million program, the two financial institutions reported in a joint statement.

The Catalan Institute of Finance (ICF), the Catalan government's public bank, will increase its workforce by 29 to meet its plan to allocate 600 million euros annually to finance social housing. The new feature is that the institution will be able to serve individuals for the first time. Specifically, young people up to 35 years old who request a 20% down payment on their first home, within the framework of the so-called emancipation fund, endowed with 100 million euros annually. The ICF currently has 108 professionals.