UPV Rural Campus 2026: opportunity for companies in depopulated areas

Key data

Companies and entities located in rural areas with depopulation problems have a new way to incorporate university talent without assuming the selection process: the Rural Campus program, which in 2026 extends to students of the University of the Basque Country (UPV) through the agreement published in the BOE on June 2, 2026 (reference BOE-A-2026-11836).

This agreement renews and expands the collaboration initiated in May 2025 between the Ministry for Ecological Transition and Demographic Challenge and the UPV, incorporating the experience accumulated in previous editions of the program.

What does this regulation establish?

The agreement formalizes the incorporation of the UPV into the Rural Campus program, a national program that allows university students to carry out internships—both curricular and extracurricular—in rural areas with depopulation problems.

The distribution of responsibilities between the parties is as follows:

The entities that can act as host organizations for student internships are:

• Public administrations with headquarters or activity in depopulated rural areas
• Non-profit entities with headquarters or activity in depopulated rural areas
• Companies with headquarters or activity in depopulated rural areas

Participation is conditioned by two key factors: budget availability in each year and compliance with a maximum number of months of internships established per call.

Economic and operational impact

For host entities, the operational impact is mainly positive: they gain access to university students without assuming the cost or administrative burden of the selection process, which falls entirely on the UPV.

The most relevant operational aspects for a company or interested entity are:

• No recruitment cost: the call for applications and student selection is managed by the UPV.
• Curricular and extracurricular internships: both modalities are available, which expands the profile of students who can participate.
• Month limit per year: there is a maximum number of months of internships per call, subject to budget availability. The exact figure is set in the Program Guide prepared by the Ministry and CRUE each year.
• Guaranteed monitoring: the UPV monitors the internships, reducing the supervision burden for the host entity.
• Agreement renewal: this agreement updates the one signed in May 2025, incorporating the experience from previous editions of the program, which brings greater maturity and experience to the program.

From a business strategy perspective, participating in Rural Campus can be a lever to attract talent to territories where conventional recruitment is more difficult and costly.

Who does it affect?

• Private companies with headquarters or activity in rural municipalities with depopulation problems that want to incorporate student interns.
• Local and regional public administrations located in depopulated rural areas.
• Non-profit entities (associations, foundations, cooperatives) with presence in depopulated rural areas.
• UPV university students who want to carry out curricular or extracurricular internships in rural areas.
• HR managers and executives of organizations in rural areas seeking talent acquisition formulas.

Practical example

An agribusiness company with headquarters in a depopulated rural municipality in the Basque Country wants to incorporate a student of agricultural engineering or business administration to support its production or management area for several months.

Instead of publishing a job offer, managing applications and interviews, this company can register as a host entity in the Rural Campus program through the UPV. The university publishes the call, selects the appropriate student and monitors the internship throughout. The company simply needs to define the tasks and host the student.

The number of months available for this company will be limited by the maximum quota set in the Program Guide of the corresponding call and by the budget availability of the Ministry for that year.

What should companies do now?

1. Verify if your municipality is considered a depopulated rural area: this is the prerequisite to be able to participate as a host entity. Check the map of rural areas from the Ministry for Ecological Transition and Demographic Challenge.
2. Contact the UPV: since the university manages the entire program in its scope, the first point of contact for host entities is the UPV itself, not the Ministry.
3. Consult the Program Guide: the Ministry and CRUE prepare this guide annually, which sets the maximum number of months of internships available and the specific conditions for participation in each call.
4. Define the student profile you need: both curricular and extracurricular internships are available. Having a clear profile and tasks speeds up the selection process carried out by the UPV.
5. Plan in advance: participation is subject to budget availability, so it is advisable not to wait until the last moment to express interest as a host entity.

Official source

View complete regulation in 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-2026-11836