Holapueblo seeks new municipalities and entrepreneurs willing to revitalise rural areas

Holapueblo, the anti-depopulation platform led by Redeia, IKEA, and AlmaNatura, launched its sixth edition this Wednesday: Starting today, municipalities interested in revitalising rural areas can register using this form:

Specifically, Holapueblo is looking for municipalities with fewer than 5,000 inhabitants that have accessible basic services, a good internet connection, and a community committed to local revitalisation. Given that housing is an essential factor for families to put down roots, special consideration will be given to councils that are working on the creation or expansion of housing stock – private and/or public – and that show a genuine interest in attracting new residents and supporting local entrepreneurship opportunities.

AlmaNatura seeks synergies between the needs of the registered entrepreneurs and the opportunities offered by the participating municipalities. In this way, it acts as a liaison between the parties and supports them throughout the process. Holapueblo thus contributes to the economic revitalisation of villages, the creation of new communities, and fostering long-term settlement for families who decide to start a new life in rural areas.

Participating municipalities will be eligible for one of two “Revitalisation Projects” led by IKEA to revitalise a municipal space and give it a new use through an interior design project, which includes furniture valued at €7,500.

Furthermore, the municipalities will become part of the Holapueblo community, where good practices based on the experience of other villages are shared, along with challenges and goals to increase their visibility and capacity to attract new residents.

Seeking 30 families

The initiative offers families interested in settling in a village a comprehensive approach to help them understand the local opportunities and challenges while receiving personalised advice. With this support, they develop a viable and solid business plan for their entrepreneurial project that generates real self-employment opportunities and revitalises local life. In its sixth edition, Holapueblo will support 30 new families. Those interested can register using this form:
         
“Promoting initiatives like 'Holapueblo', which foster new businesses and help retain population in rural environments, is essential for generating a positive impact in our closest social environment. It is yet another example of our firm commitment to people and local communities. We do this through our Comprehensive Impact Strategy, with which we have launched 240 initiatives with a positive social and environmental impact,” highlighted Redeia's Sustainability Director, Laura Quintana.

“At IKEA, we believe that the depopulation challenge facing many towns can be tackled positively, with an entrepreneurial spirit and a forward-looking vision. With this same vision, we support this initiative and develop space renovation projects so that they truly create a distinctive and revitalising value in the towns where they are carried out. In total, we have already revitalised six municipal spaces, turning them into places for coexistence, remote working, and entrepreneurship,” explains Eva Mengs, Sustainability Director of IKEA in Spain.

Proven impact: a network that grows and transforms communities

Holapueblo revitalises villages, lives, and hope: Since 2019, it has contributed to facilitating 215 life-changing relocations in 211 municipalities across 12 autonomous communities (Andalucía, Aragón, Asturias, Cantabria, Castilla-La Mancha, Cataluña, Castilla y León, Navarra, Comunidad Valenciana, Extremadura, Galicia, and La Rioja) and has helped create 58 businesses, 76% of which remain active.

Across the five editions, 85% of these families remain in rural areas. This figure confirms the robustness of the model and the significance of its prior support. Impact measurement shows that roots are built through meaningful connections and the alignment between families' needs and real municipal opportunities.
“When a family arrives, the village beats differently.  It is not just the demographics that change; the collective energy of a community changes,” highlights Juanjo Manzano, CEO and Director of Alliances at AlmaNatura. “That impact is only sustained when municipalities and neighbouring communities open up to support the arrival of new residents, because putting down roots – and with it, repopulation – is always a shared process.”