Campus Rural 2026: how your rural business can host university interns

Key data

Businesses and self-employed workers located in Galician rural municipalities now have a formal channel to bring in university students for internships at reduced cost. The agreement published on 3 April 2026 between the Dirección General de Políticas contra la Despoblación and the Universidad de A Coruña activates the Campus Rural programme, an initiative designed to combat depopulation through the temporary placement of university students in rural settings.

This is not an obligation or a new administrative burden. It is a concrete opportunity for rural businesses that need talent and do not have easy access to it.

What does this regulation establish?

The agreement regulates three main aspects of the collaboration between the central administration and the Universidad de A Coruña:

• Collaboration conditions: Defines how the relationship between the university, the administration and the host entities in the rural environment will be structured.
• Funding: Establishes the programme's funding model, which is borne by the central administration and the university, reducing the cost for entities hosting students.
• Coordination: Sets out the coordination mechanisms between the Dirección General de Políticas contra la Despoblación and the Universidad de A Coruña for the management of the programme.

University students carry out their academic internships at local entities, businesses and organisations in the rural environment. They are not employees: they participate within the framework of their studies, which implies a different regime from that of an ordinary employment contract.

The programme is part of the national strategy against depopulation, using university knowledge as a tool for the economic and social revitalisation of rural municipalities.

Economic and operational impact

For participating rural businesses and entities, the economic impact is positive: they gain access to university talent at reduced cost. The regulation does not specify a concrete amount to be borne by the host entity, as the main funding falls on the central administration and the university.

From an operational standpoint, hosting an intern involves:

• Designating an internal tutor or supervisor to oversee the student's tasks.
• Adapting available tasks to the academic profile of the assigned student.
• Coordinating with the Universidad de A Coruña under the terms established in the agreement.

For rural municipalities, the programme represents a tool for economic and social revitalisation: the temporary presence of university students brings dynamism, new perspectives and up-to-date knowledge to environments that typically struggle to attract and retain talent.

Who is affected?

• Rural SMEs and self-employed workers: Businesses located in Galician rural municipalities at risk of depopulation that wish to host student interns.
• Local entities: Town councils and municipal bodies in rural areas participating as host entities.
• Rural environment organisations: Associations, cooperatives and other entities in the Galician rural environment.
• University students at the Universidad de A Coruña: Students carrying out their academic internships within the framework of the programme.
• Galician rural municipalities: Especially those at risk of depopulation, which benefit from the economic and social revitalisation brought by the programme.

Practical example

A small agri-food business located in a Galician rural municipality at risk of depopulation wants to improve its digital presence and explore new sales channels, but does not have the budget to hire a marketing professional.

Through the Campus Rural programme, it can host a university student from the Universidad de A Coruña who carries out their academic internship at the business. The student brings up-to-date knowledge in their area of specialisation, the business gains that talent at reduced cost (the main funding is borne by the administration and the university), and the municipality benefits from the temporary presence of a university student who brings dynamism to the local environment.

The process is structured through the coordination mechanisms established in the agreement between the Dirección General de Políticas contra la Despoblación and the Universidad de A Coruña, published on 3 April 2026.

What should businesses do now?

1. Check whether your business is in an eligible rural area: Verify whether your municipality is included in the scope of the Campus Rural programme for the Universidad de A Coruña.
2. Contact the Universidad de A Coruña: Get in touch with the internship service or the unit responsible for the Campus Rural programme at the university to find out the procedure for joining as a host entity.
3. Identify which university profiles you need: Define what tasks or projects a student could carry out at your business, tailored to the degree programmes offered by the Universidad de A Coruña.
4. Designate an internal tutor: Prepare a member of your team to supervise and support the student throughout their internship period.
5. Review the full agreement: Consult the complete text published in the BOE (BOE-A-2026-7625) to learn the specific conditions of participation.

Official source

Disclaimer: This article is for informational purposes only and does not constitute legal advice. For specific decisions, please consult a qualified professional. Source: https://www.boe.es/diario_boe/txt.php?id=BOE-A-2026-7625