- This time round, the program promoted by GNL Quintero and ENEL Generación Chile will support projects of social organizations, local talent and SMEs in the areas of gastronomy and tourism, contributing to economic reactivation of local municipalities.
A total of 10 social organizations, 12 SMEs from the gastronomy and tourism sectors and 8 talented individuals in the field of sports and the arts, have been awarded with 2020 Quintero Competitive Funds, financing which GNL Quintero and ENEL Generación Chile have been promoting for more than a decade.
Amongst the stand-out community initiatives are: the healthcare self-service kiosks that have sped up the number of patients being attended to at the Adriana Cousiño Hospital; the acquisition of emergency supplies for the Red Cross; and the Quintero Fire Department.
Several projects were designed to help SMEs in the areas of gastronomy and tourism that have been most affected this year by the Covid-19 pandemic. These included the building of outdoor terraces, the implementation of hygiene and safety measures, and investment in advertising.
Six athletes were recognized for their performances in the category of individual talent. These were: skaters Antonella Araya and Camila Medrano, bodyboarders Anais Velis and Renato Arellano, soccer player Bastián Pinnola and tennis player Martina Villarroel. In the arts, pianist Benjamín Bustos and audiovisualist Vicente Mena were selected for funding.
"This year, we wanted to make an additional effort to support gastronomy and tourism SMEs, because we know how difficult this time has been for them and we are keen to lend a hand in the reactivation of their sector, keeping in mind that the high-season is just starting," said Alfonso Salinas, sustainability manager of GNL Quintero.
Enel Chile's sustainability manager Antonella Pellegrini said, “during these complex times that we are facing because of the ongoing pandemic, these initiatives play all the more fundamental a role in our local economies. It is also important to reward entrepreneurship and talented artists and sports men and women in order to face the challenging months ahead with a degree of optimism.”
This latest Quintero Competitive Fund provides 40 million pesos. Over its twelve-year existence, Quintero Competitive Funds have supported 482 community initiatives and invested more than 570 million pesos in municipal social development.