• The Generalitat of Catalonia's 'Rural Ticket' offers up to 35,000 euros for each initiative that creates new projects or acquires companies in the rural sector.
• New companies must be at least five years old and have non-agricultural activities underway.

Entrepreneurship and the creation of new businesses are fundamental factors for rural areas. These environments are energized and revitalized thanks to projects such as the "Rural Ticket," implemented in 2016 by the Asturian Rural Development Network ( READER ), a LEADER project that financed rural entrepreneurship projects, primarily for women. Proof of its success is that 85% of the projects started are still ongoing, according to data from March 2024.

Using this experience as an example, the Department of Climate Action, Food and Rural Agenda of the Generalitat of Catalonia has decided to replicate this experience in its territory, naming it 'Tiquet Rural' .

Recipients and conditions

Until last May, the department opened a call for proposals with two objectives:

1. Create new projects in the rural world.
2. Encourage generational change in companies undergoing a transition.

To this end, the initiative, now fully operational, is following the Asturian lead and will offer up to €35,000 for each project it deems viable. The grants are managed by the 11 Catalan Local Action Groups , which allows for a territorial approach, the Association of Rural and Maritime Initiatives of Catalonia ( ARCA ), and the regional department itself. Thus, the towns in the 2014-2022 LEADER zone are included: 500 municipalities covering 70% of the autonomous region.

In its debut, recipients who met the following requirements were able to access:

• Interest in creating a small business or desire to acquire one in a transfer situation .
• Be a natural person, legal entity or non-agricultural cooperative.
• Commitment to maintain corporate activity for at least five years .
• Not receive any other aid linked to business creation , although you may receive aid from LEADER calls aligned with investment plans.

The nature of all these companies must be non-agricultural , promoting rural development in activities other than the sector desired by the beneficiary.

Rural Agenda of Catalonia

The 'Rural Ticket' is part of the actions defined in the Catalan Rural Agenda , a regional strategy to identify "needs and challenges in rural areas to ensure their living conditions and development."

The agenda, which defines 892 actions, establishes seven major challenges, the monitoring and implementation of which is ensured by an interdepartmental commission. The "Rural Ticket" project is part of the sixth challenge: "Social and Economic Innovation and Revitalization."

In its "List of Priority Actions ," the Generalitat specifies that this project is among the highest-priority actions, as its objective is to help rural areas beyond agricultural activities and attract new residents who are not part of this sector: "Offer subsidies and tax benefits to new businesses and entrepreneurs in the rural world. Open aid to all sectors, not just those linked to the primary sector."