The Rural Ticket

By project ORIGINN

Published on 05 February 2025

Spain

About this good practice

The "Rural Ticket" is an initiative aimed at promoting entrepreneurship in rural areas by facilitating the creation of new micro-enterprises in these territories, as well as the transfer of already operational businesses (in any non-agricultural activity). The programme is open to individuals interested in starting a new micro-enterprise or acquiring one through a transfer, as well as to legal entities and non-agricultural cooperatives interested in launching a new business or taking over an existing one. Applicants for this grant commit to maintaining the business activity for a minimum of five years from the moment the funds are received. The Rural Ticket consists of a lump sum determined to cover the minimum expenses and working capital required to start the business or carry out the transfer of activity. Grants will be awarded and paid either before the activity begins or in parallel with its start, and compliance with the commitments will be monitored afterward. The financial amount received, which is not tied to any specific investment, can reach up to €35,000. The subsidy is incompatible with any other grant aimed at business creation, but it is compatible with Leader aid calls related to investment projects.

Expert opinion

The “Rural Ticket” is a Catalan initiative that supports entrepreneurship in rural areas through grants of up to €35,000 for creating or acquiring non-agricultural micro-enterprises. Open to individuals, legal entities, and cooperatives, beneficiaries must commit to maintaining the business for at least five years. The lump-sum grant covers essential startup or transfer costs and is compatible with LEADER aid for investment projects but not with other business creation grants. In 2024, the first call, with a €1.9 million budget, supported 86 projects across rural Catalonia through local action groups. Following its success, a second call was launched in 2025 with a €1.64 million budget. This good practice offers a replicable model for rural revitalisation and may inspire European rural regions facing depopulation, ageing populations, and youth outmigration.

Arnault Morisson

Works at Interreg Europe Policy Learning Platform

Resources needed

The latest budget (2025 call) totalled €1,644,257. The grant consists of a lump sum to be awarded for the creation of a new business or the acquisition of a business through transfer, which can reach up to €35,000.

Evidence of success

The first call was launched at the beginning of 2024, with a budget of €1.9 million, which facilitated the implementation of 86 projects linked to the various Leader local action groups in Catalonia (representing all rural areas of the principality). Following the success of this initiative, a second call was launched (open until February 2025).