New edition of Holapueblo receives record number of registrations from municipalities at risk of depopulation

A total of 105 municipalities from a dozen autonomous communities have already registered for the sixth edition of Holapueblo. This platform against depopulation, promoted by Redeia, IKEA, and AlmaNatura, connects villages of fewer than 5,000 inhabitants looking to attract new residents with individuals and families wishing to live and start a business in rural areas. This figure represents a record number of villages since the project began in 2019, which could increase further by the time the call closes in June.

The registered towns are located in Andalucía, Aragón, Asturias, Cantabria, Castilla-La Mancha, Cataluña, Castilla y León, Comunidad Valenciana, Extremadura, Galicia, Navarra, and La Rioja. Of these, 13 municipalities are joining the project for the first time, while the rest are returning after their satisfactory participation in previous editions.
 

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A project that boosts rural areas

Rural abandonment is one of today's great challenges: 84% of the national territory is inhabited by a mere 15.5% of the population, according to data from the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food. In addition to the demographic challenge, rural environments are not immune to other issues affecting the national level, such as the difficulty of accessing housing and the high initial cost of opening a new business. 

The Holapueblo model combines human support, economic sustainability, and community to create ideal conditions that make the opportunities offered by rural areas viable, aiming to foster projects that are sustainable over time. Throughout the previous five editions, Holapueblo has assisted 208 families and 211 municipalities, successfully helping over 215 people to settle in rural areas, 85% of whom continue to live there. Since its launch, 58 businesses have been created, 44 of which are still active.

Out of all those registered in this edition, Holapueblo will help boost 30 entrepreneurial projects: those with the best prospects for developing in rural areas. The new residents will benefit from Holapueblo's monitoring and support, ranging from the search for a village to the definition of entrepreneurial projects and mentoring for the revitalisation of local businesses.

As a new feature, new residents will have emotional support sessions to help them better adapt to village life. In this way, Holapueblo contributes to the economic reactivation of the villages, generating new communities, and fostering lasting roots for the families who decide to start a new life in this environment.

How to register

Municipalities and entrepreneurs wishing to sign up for the sixth edition of Holapueblo can do so until June this year, exclusively via the form provided at this link.

Municipal councils (or the supramunicipal entity representing one or more municipalities) may register via a representative. To facilitate the development of the entrepreneurial project and the settlement of the new residents, Holapueblo is looking for municipalities committed to attracting population, that support entrepreneurial opportunities in the area, and that have accessible basic services and a good internet connection.

Individuals and families interested in starting a business and settling in a rural area will need to start a self-employed business that generates new opportunities or responds to a need in the area where they settle. To do so, they must have their own financial resources to handle the lifestyle change and the launch of the business.

How our beneficiaries experience it

●    Celia Martínez, Local Development Agent (ADL) in Alpuente (Valencia)
Promoting solid projects to generate real impact in the area

“For us, it is key that the people who arrive in the municipality do so with solid projects and the intention to stay. In this regard, Holapueblo facilitates connections with entrepreneurial profiles who are not only looking for a lifestyle change, but who also help to meet real needs in the area. Furthermore, we highly value the possibility of networking with other municipalities with similar characteristics, as well as the support of AlmaNatura, which provides a professional and structured vision of the whole process.”

●    Javier González, Holapueblo representative in Lumbrales (Salamanca)
A key pathway to connecting municipalities and people with life projects in rural areas

“From municipalities like ours, there is a clear willingness to welcome new residents, but it is often difficult to make ourselves known to those thinking about taking that step. In this regard, Holapueblo acts as a fundamental bridge, connecting prepared individuals, with well-defined projects, to municipalities like ours that are open and committed to their arrival. Moreover, our experience has been extremely positive. It has allowed us to raise the profile of Lumbrales and rely on the support of AlmaNatura, a professional team that ensures a good rapport between the entrepreneurs and the municipalities.”

●    Yolanda Cuevas, Councillor of Covarrubias Municipal Council (Burgos)
An opportunity to activate the municipality and generate enthusiasm around new initiatives in the rural environment

“We learned about Holapueblo through different local entities, especially the local action group, as well as through the experience of other municipalities that had already participated in the project, which led us to consider joining.
This year we have been able to take part in the initiative, and the experience has been very positive. We would particularly highlight its capacity to involve the municipality and generate enthusiasm around initiatives linked to rural development, as is the case with the Reactivadores Project. In our case, it has been experienced as a shared opportunity, with a very good reception from the public and active participation from the surrounding area.”

●    Julio Roldán, Mayor of Logrosán Municipal Council (Cáceres)
A firm commitment to attracting new families to rural areas in a structured way

“We believe that initiatives like Holapueblo are one of the most effective ways to make progress on the challenge of repopulation, making it easier for families interested in rural life to integrate swiftly and with support. For this to work, the real involvement of the municipal corporation is essential. In our case, we have backed the project from the beginning, and we remain committed to that goal. The collaboration with AlmaNatura has been close and constant from the start, aligned with the common purpose of attracting new families to Logrosán. Although this has not yet materialised in arrivals, we are confident that our joint efforts will yield results.”