Campus Rural 2026: opportunities for companies and rural municipalities in the Canary Islands

Key data

Entities and companies located in rural municipalities now have an official channel to temporarily incorporate qualified university students without assuming the costs of conventional hiring. The Campus Rural program, articulated through the agreement between the General Directorate of Policies Against Depopulation and the University of La Laguna, transforms university academic internships into a tool for economic revitalization of rural areas.

The resolution publishing this agreement was signed on May 6, 2026 and published in the BOE on May 14, 2026 with reference BOE-A-2026-10493.

What does this regulation establish?

The agreement formalizes collaboration between the Government and the University of La Laguna to execute the Campus Rural Program. This program has a specific objective: to facilitate university students carrying out their academic internships in rural municipalities, thus contributing to the fight against depopulation.

The key elements regulated by the agreement are:

• Collaboration framework: Defines the responsibilities of each party — General Directorate of Policies Against Depopulation and University of La Laguna — in the management and execution of the program.
• Financing: The agreement establishes the program's financing model, although specific amounts are not detailed in the publication resolution.
• Responsibilities: Delimits the obligations of the university as managing entity and the public body as program promoter.
• Depopulation objective: The program is explicitly framed within rural depopulation fighting policy, linking young university students with the rural environment.

For students, the program represents a differentiated training experience and a possible link with the rural territory that can result in attachment. For receiving entities, it represents access to qualified talent on a temporary and structured basis.

Economic and operational impact

The impact for participating rural entities is primarily one of opportunity, not mandatory cost. Incorporating a student in internships through Campus Rural allows:

• Access to qualified university talent without the costs associated with conventional employment hiring.
• Develop projects or tasks requiring specialized technical knowledge, difficult to find in rural environments with reduced labor markets.
• Contribute to territorial revitalization, which can have a positive impact on the municipality's perception and attraction of new residents.

From an operational perspective, receiving entities must assume student mentoring and guarantee the necessary conditions for internship development, in accordance with the framework established in the agreement.

No specific economic amounts associated with this agreement have been published in the reference resolution.

Who does it affect?

• Companies located in rural municipalities: Can act as receiving entities for students in internships.
• Local entities and rural municipalities: Can incorporate students to support local development projects.
• Associations and organizations in rural areas: Third sector entities or rural cooperatives that can benefit from university support.
• Students from the University of La Laguna: Can carry out their mandatory or voluntary academic internships in rural environments through this program.
• Rural municipalities in the Canary Islands: The geographic scope of the agreement is limited to the territory linked to the University of La Laguna.

Practical example

A rural municipality in Tenerife that needs support to digitalize its administrative services or develop a rural tourism plan can request the incorporation of a University of La Laguna student through the Campus Rural program.

The student carries out their academic internship in the municipality during the established period, providing updated technical knowledge. The municipality benefits from that work without assuming the cost of hiring, while the student obtains training experience in a differentiated environment and establishes a link with the territory that can result in their permanence in the area.

This same scheme applies to an agricultural company, a local products cooperative, or a rural development association that needs support in areas such as digital marketing, environmental management, agricultural engineering, or any other discipline taught at the University of La Laguna.

What should companies do now?

1. Evaluate whether your organization meets the criteria as a rural receiving entity: Verify that your company or entity is located in a municipality considered rural and that you can offer appropriate conditions to host a student in internship.
2. Contact the University of La Laguna: The agreement channels management through the university. The contact point for entities interested in participating as receivers is the ULL itself, through its external internship services.
3. Identify what university profiles you need: Define what tasks or projects a student could develop in your organization and what degrees would be most appropriate, to facilitate the assignment process.
4. Prepare the reception infrastructure: Designate an internal mentor, define the student's work plan, and ensure you have the necessary means for their temporary incorporation.
5. Follow the program's evolution: Given that the entry into force date is not specified, stay alert to communications from the University of La Laguna and the General Directorate of Policies Against Depopulation to learn about application deadlines and final requirements.