• The awards take into account new or existing entrepreneurial projects that have not been active for more than one year.
• They must be business activities in Aragonese towns with less than 3,000 inhabitants

The number of people interested in pursuing entrepreneurial projects in rural areas is growing. In fact, the rural entrepreneurial activity index (TEA) reached 4.9% in 2019, a 26% increase compared to previous years, according to the GEM Spain 2019-2021 report "Entrepreneurial Activity in Rural Areas." Furthermore, approximately half of the rural population believes they have the potential to become entrepreneurs.

To overcome the economic barriers that often prevent the materialization of business projects, the Caja Rural de Aragón Foundation and the telephone operator Embou have jointly promoted the third edition of the “Rural Emprende” Awards .

Objective and requirements

The aim of the awards is to recognise:

1. New initiatives
2. Job creation
3. Settlement of population in rural areas
4. Territorial structuring through equal opportunities

Furthermore, although the business idea can be part of any sector or business activity , there are a series of requirements to be able to present it:

• Business projects must be located in municipalities with fewer than 3,000 inhabitants as of January 1, 2023.
• They must be located in the rural environment of Aragon .
• They must be new project initiatives or improvements to existing businesses, provided that no more than one year has passed since the start of the business activity.
• The prize must be fully invested in the business project.

The beneficiaries will therefore be obliged to:

• Include a business plan that has a minimum of two years' time horizon.
• You must carry a signed document that guarantees the effective implementation of the initiative.
• The geographical scope of activity or the main headquarters must be located in the aforementioned Aragonese municipality with fewer than 3,000 inhabitants.

Awards

The awards total 12,000 euros, which will be distributed as follows:

1. First prize: 6,000 euros, one year of free internet services and an Artificial Intelligence consultancy provided by Embou; and another year of financial support from Caja Rural de Aragón.
2. Second Prize: 4,000 euros cash prize
3. Third Prize: 2,000 euros in cash.

Applications for the "Rural Emprende" awards are now open until 3:00 PM on May 31 , 2024. The judging and decision-making process will take place in June, and the winning projects will be notified directly on July 5.

The jury, made up of a four-member committee from Embou, the Caja Rural de Aragón Foundation (two) and an independent expert in entrepreneurship, will make a final decision, awarding the projects a score from 1 to 10.