The Torremolinos Town Hall has put out to tender the concession of the municipal property in Pablo Ruiz Picasso Square to convert it into a university centre affiliated with an Andalusian university. The minimum fee starts at €90,822 annually and €30,000 in scholarships for local students.
The Torremolinos Town Hall published on Wednesday in the Public Sector Contracting Platform the tender for the domain concession of the municipal building in Pablo Ruiz Picasso Square, a property of about 4,000 square metres that has been unused for years and is now intended to be transformed into a university campus.
The open procedure tender will allow any entity that meets the specifications to submit its proposal to establish a centre affiliated with a university in the Andalusian university system. The concession will have an initial duration of 20 years, extendable for another ten, and sets a minimum fee of €90,822.36 annually, which can be improved upwards.
The mayor, Margarita del Cid, has described the publication of the tender as “a decisive step to recover a municipal building that lacked effective use and convert it into a space dedicated to knowledge, training, and future opportunities.”
The initiative originates from a private initiative driven by EUSES Málaga, part of the Metrodora educational group, although the tender does not reserve any preferential rights for this promoter. Interested parties may submit their offers without the origin of the proposal granting any advantage.
Investment by the concessionaire
The building will remain municipal property and will retain its nature as a public domain asset. The Town Hall will not finance the transformation: it will be the concessionaire who fully assumes the investment to adapt and equip the property, as well as its conservation, maintenance, and operation.
The awarded entity will also have to obtain the necessary academic, urban, and sectoral authorisations. The effectiveness of the concession is conditional on the centre obtaining authorisation to affiliate with an Andalusian university and being able to legally commence teaching activities.
The property, which previously had a social use, has completed the procedures to change its functional destination to educational. The Town Hall maintains ownership of the building, located in the heart of the urban centre of the locality.
Points for qualifications, fees, and scholarships
The award criteria allocate up to 40 points for the highest number of proposed university qualifications and another 40 for the highest fee above the minimum. The remaining 20 points will evaluate the annual financial contribution allocated to scholarships, which must be at least €30,000 per year.
These aids will be directed to students registered in Torremolinos, aiming to facilitate access for local youth to the studies offered at the future centre. The mayor emphasised that the scholarship programme “ensures that the project has a direct return for the families of Torremolinos.”
The university project began in late 2025 when the University of Málaga and EUSES Málaga signed a protocol to study the feasibility of an affiliated centre in the municipality. At that time, qualifications with high demand were considered, such as Dentistry, Management of Biopharmaceutical Industries, and Music Production, although the final proposal will depend on what the bidders present.
The future campus is envisioned as a strategic bet to diversify the economic activity of Torremolinos, reduce tourist seasonality, and strengthen its image as a city linked to knowledge and innovation. Interested parties can consult the specifications on the Public Sector Contracting Platform.
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