Campus Rural 2026: opportunity for businesses in depopulated areas

Key data

If you have a business, farm or entity in a rural municipality, the Campus Rural Program may be a way to bring in university talent without going through a conventional hiring process. The agreement signed between the Government and the Universidad de Valladolid, published on 2 April 2026, activates the legal and operational framework to make this possible during the current academic year.

The initiative creates no obligations for private businesses. Its relevance lies in the opportunity it opens up: access to university-trained interns in territories where the qualified labour market is scarce.

What does this regulation establish?

The Resolución de 23 de marzo de 2026 of the Dirección General de Políticas contra la Despoblación publishes the agreement signed with the Universidad de Valladolid under the Campus Rural Program. This program is a Government initiative aimed at combating rural depopulation by mobilising university human capital.

The agreement regulates three main aspects:

• Collaboration framework: defines how the Government and the Universidad de Valladolid coordinate to manage internships in rural areas.
• Funding: establishes the funding model for internships between both institutions. The published data does not detail specific amounts.
• Internship management: sets out the procedures for university students to carry out their academic internships in rural municipalities, with the participation of host entities.

The stated objective is twofold: to offer students real professional experience and to provide qualified human capital to territories at risk of depopulation, where the shortage of professionals is a structural problem.

Economic and operational impact

For businesses and entities in rural areas, the economic impact of this agreement is potentially positive and with no mandatory direct cost. Academic interns do not generate an ordinary employment relationship, which reduces the administrative and economic burden on the host entity.

The specific operational implications are:

• The possibility of bringing in university students with specific training (depending on the degrees available at the Universidad de Valladolid) for tasks that would otherwise go unfilled.
• Access to qualified profiles in territories where the local labour market does not naturally produce them.
• Potential retention effect: students who complete internships in a territory are more likely to consider that environment for their subsequent professional development.

The regulation does not establish subsidy amounts or direct grants for host businesses. The funding of the agreement is structured between the Government and the University, not between the Government and participating private entities.

Who is affected?

• Businesses located in rural municipalities, especially in areas at risk of depopulation, that can host student interns.
• Local councils and rural local administrations wishing to bring in students for municipal projects or services.
• Third-sector entities and non-profit organisations with a presence in rural areas.
• University students at the Universidad de Valladolid seeking to complete their compulsory or voluntary academic internships in rural settings.
• Rural municipalities at risk of depopulation that benefit from the temporary presence of young, qualified people.

Practical example

An agri-food company based in a rural municipality in Castilla y León, struggling to find quality or management technicians in the local market, can register as a host entity for the Campus Rural Program.

Through the agreement between the Government and the Universidad de Valladolid, the company could host a student of Agricultural Engineering, Business Administration or another related degree to complete their academic internship over a set period. The student gains practical training, the company covers an operational need at no hiring cost, and the municipality gains the presence of a qualified young person during that period.

This model is particularly useful for businesses that cannot sustain permanent employment but can structure specific tasks (analysis, projects, digitalisation, management) suited to a student profile.

What should businesses do now?

1. Assess whether your business or entity is located in a rural municipality eligible to participate in the program, especially if it is in an area classified as at risk of depopulation.
2. Identify what tasks or projects you could assign to an intern, bearing in mind that academic internships have a duration and learning objectives defined by the university.
3. Contact the Universidad de Valladolid to find out intake deadlines, available degrees and the procedure for registering as a host entity for the Campus Rural Program.
4. Consult the Dirección General de Políticas contra la Despoblación if your entity is a local council or public administration and you want to know the specific conditions for institutional participation.
5. Review the current external academic internship regulations to ensure that the internship agreement with the student meets the applicable legal requirements (insurance, tutoring, internship agreement).

Official source

View full regulation at 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-2026-7536