Campus Rural 2026: opportunity for rural municipalities in Las Palmas with university interns

Key data

Rural municipalities at risk of depopulation have had a new tool since May 2026 to attract university talent. The General Directorate of Policies Against Depopulation has signed an agreement with the University of Las Palmas de Gran Canaria that activates the Campus Rural Program, published through the Resolution of April 23, 2026 (BOE-A-2026-9579).

The program is neither a direct subsidy nor an obligation for companies. It is an institutional collaboration mechanism that connects university students with rural local entities that need technical capacity and dynamism to halt their demographic and economic decline.

What does this regulation establish?

The agreement formalizes the framework under which the University of Las Palmas de Gran Canaria and the General Directorate of Policies Against Depopulation collaborate to send university students to conduct their academic internships in rural municipalities.

The key elements of the agreement are as follows:

• Main objective: Enable university students to conduct their academic internships in rural municipalities, bringing knowledge and dynamism to these areas.
• Dual benefit: Students gain real professional experience; rural municipalities receive technical support in innovation, administration, or services projects.
• Target territories: Rural municipalities at risk of depopulation included within the program's scope.
• Regulated framework: The agreement establishes collaboration, financing, and the responsibilities of each institution for implementing the program.
• Signatories: General Directorate of Policies Against Depopulation (Government) and University of Las Palmas de Gran Canaria.

The regulation does not detail specific economic amounts or a closed list of participating municipalities in the text published in the BOE.

Economic and operational impact

For participating rural municipalities, the program represents an opportunity to access university technical capacity without the cost of conventional employment contracts. Interns can assume tasks in areas such as:

• Local innovation projects
• Municipal administrative management
• Design and delivery of services to citizens

For local entities with limited human resources, this can translate into real operational improvement without increasing permanent staff.

From the perspective of the University of Las Palmas de Gran Canaria, the program expands the options for extracurricular or curricular internships for its students toward rural environments, diversifying available destinations beyond urban areas.

No financing figures, number of positions, or budget allocated to the program have been published in the resolution available on the BOE.

Who does it affect?

• Rural municipalities in Gran Canaria at risk of depopulation that wish to join the program as recipient entities for interns.
• University students from the University of Las Palmas de Gran Canaria seeking to conduct their academic internships in rural environments.
• Rural local entities (town councils, municipal associations, local organizations) that can benefit from collaboration with university students on specific projects.
• Local development managers and municipal technicians who manage socioeconomic development projects in their territories.

Private companies are not direct recipients of this regulation. The program is structured through public local entities and the university.

Practical example

A town council in a rural municipality in Gran Canaria with fewer than 2,000 inhabitants and at risk of depopulation decides to join the Campus Rural Program. Through the agreement between the General Directorate of Policies Against Depopulation and the University of Las Palmas de Gran Canaria, the municipality can request the assignment of a university student to collaborate, for example, in designing a digital services plan for its residents or in managing a local agricultural innovation project.

The student conducts their academic internship in the municipality, meeting the requirements of their university degree. The town council obtains qualified technical support for a project that it could not otherwise undertake due to lack of specialized human resources. The framework of responsibilities and financing is regulated by the agreement signed between both institutions.

What should local entities do now?

1. Identify if your municipality meets the profile: Verify if your municipality is classified as rural and at risk of depopulation, as these are the target territories of the Campus Rural Program.
2. Contact the General Directorate of Policies Against Depopulation: Request information about the procedure for joining the program and the requirements to become a recipient entity for interns.
3. Define specific projects where students can be incorporated: Identify areas of your municipality where university collaboration adds real value: innovation, administration, local services.
4. Coordinate with the University of Las Palmas de Gran Canaria: The agreement establishes that the university is the academic interlocutor of the program. Establish contact with its external internship area to learn about available profiles and incorporation timelines.
5. Review the complete text of the agreement: Consult the resolution published in the BOE (BOE-A-2026-9579) to understand the framework of responsibilities and financing that regulates each party's participation.

Official source

Notice: This article is for informational purposes only and does not constitute legal advice. For specific decisions, consult a qualified professional. Source: https://www.boe.es/diario_boe/txt.php?id=BOE-A-2026-9579