Rural competitiveness: business support, local assets and social economy approaches – presentations and videos available
- Rural Pact
- Rural Revitalisation Platform
- Entrepreneurship
- Social economy
- Employment
- Bioeconomy & circular economy
- Forestry
- Value chains
- Prosperous rural areas
Strengthening rural competitiveness requires more than addressing the constraints faced by rural businesses. A Rural Pact Good Practice Webinar (17 September 2026) highlighted the importance of mobilising territorial assets and combining access to finance, business support, innovation and cooperation to create value locally.
Image by Jittawit 21 on Canva
- Browse the video recordings and speaker presentations, and look out for the webinar highlights report, expected in the coming weeks!
The webinar explored how rural businesses can innovate and grow despite challenges such as smaller markets, skills shortages, distance from knowledge centres and more limited access to finance and services. Discussions also emphasised the significant assets of rural areas, including natural resources, local knowledge, strong communities and distinctive territorial identities.
EU initiatives supporting rural competitiveness
European Commission representatives presented complementary initiatives supporting rural competitiveness, including the Enterprise Europe Network, Regional Innovation Valleys, the EU Bioeconomy Strategy, cohesion policy and the Social Economy Action Plan. The exchanges highlighted opportunities to connect rural businesses with advice, innovation ecosystems, finance and cross-regional cooperation.
Access to finance and business support
Practical examples demonstrated that access to finance is most effective when combined with tailored business support, networks and local knowledge. A citizen-financed model in Germany mobilises patient capital for businesses across the organic food value chain, while Slovenia’s Katapult combines mentoring with access to shared technological and production infrastructure. Ireland’s Western Development Commission showed how long-term investment can support businesses, social enterprises and community projects across a predominantly rural region.
Creating value from territorial assets and rural identity
A second set of examples explored how territorial assets can generate greater local value when resources, businesses, knowledge and markets are connected. Experiences included innovation in wood-based value chains in Austria, a Romanian model organising local biomass resources into rural energy value chains, and a Greek tourism business that turned its remote location and natural setting into a distinctive visitor experience.
Social economy models for rural competitiveness
Social economy models showed how collective entrepreneurship can help maintain essential services, mobilise funding and retain value in rural communities. Examples included Sweden’s ‘Coompanion’ which supports cooperative businesses and community-led initiatives, and a Spanish cooperative combining crowdfunding, public and private support to revive a former community building as a cultural space. France’s ‘Bouge ton CoQ’ helps residents establish participatory grocery shops that support local producers and provide places for social interaction.
Explore the latest Rural Pact resources on the topics of entrepreneurship and social economy