Combatting depopulation in rural Spain: open call for projects
The Spanish Ministry for Ecological Transition and the Demographic Challenge seeks to fund innovative projects promoting the territorial transformation of rural areas experiencing depopulation. The projects should boost integrated and inclusive social, economic, and environmental development, culture and natural heritage, sustainable tourism, and security in rural areas.
Image by Joaquín Corbalán on canva
The call – open until 15 July 2025 – will award between EUR 2.5m and EUR 8m to projects implemented in areas with fewer than 10 000 inhabitants in Andalusia, Castilla-La Mancha, Extremadura, and Castilla y León. The projects should address topics such as: service delivery; digitalisation strategies; sustainable mobility; urban-rural linkages; housing; social innovation; housing; support for entrepreneurship; and more.
The call falls within the framework of the Spanish National Strategy to Address the Demographic Challenge and is co-financed by the European Regional Development Fund, under the Spanish Multiregional Programme 2021-2027.