The regional government allocated €5.5 million in 2025 to facilitate entrepreneurship in rural areas. Over 1,200 self-employed individuals benefited from direct aid.
The 25.3% of new self-employed individuals starting out in Castilla-La Mancha do so in areas designated as depopulated, according to data from the regional government. This figure equates to one in four new entrepreneurs, a percentage that the commissioner for the Demographic Challenge, Jesús Alique, directly links to the measures of the Regional Strategy against Depopulation.
Direct Aid to 1,242 Self-Employed in 2025
During 2025, a total of 1,242 self-employed workers from depopulated areas received grants for the establishment and consolidation of their projects. These aids amounted to €3.8 million, as detailed by Alique during his speech at the ‘Berninches Conecta Rural 2026’ event held in Guadalajara.
Additionally, the flat rate and flat plus scheme, which subsidises the self-employed fee during the first and second year of activity, benefited 1,730 individuals in those same areas, with an amount of €1.7 million. This means that 45.4% of self-employed individuals starting out in the region do so under this scheme.
In total, the regional government invested €5.5 million in 2025 to promote entrepreneurship in rural areas, a budget that combines both lines of aid.
Positive Migration Balance in Depopulated Areas
Jesús Alique highlighted that, since the enactment of the Law of Measures against Depopulation, the migration balance in the depopulated areas of Castilla-La Mancha is positive by 20,2036 individuals (exact data from the source). “The data supports us,” affirmed the commissioner, who emphasised that the demographic trend is changing thanks to incentives for employment and entrepreneurship.
In the province of Guadalajara, the population in depopulated areas has grown by 7.45% since 2021, which translates to 4,010 new residents. This increase is similar to that of the province as a whole and higher than that of the capital (6.3%) and the region (3.6%). The migration balance in the four depopulated rural areas of Guadalajara was positive by 6,185 individuals. One in three new residents in the province chooses to settle in rural areas affected by depopulation.
A Meeting to Boost Rural Talent
The municipality of Berninches hosted the ‘Conecta Rural 2026’ day on Saturday, organised by Talent Without Borders, the Berninches Town Hall, and the Association Against Depopulation in Rural Areas. The event brought together associations, consultancies, entrepreneurs, and social entities to discuss the revitalisation of the rural world through workshops, talks, and networking spaces.
For readers interested in starting a business in rural areas, these aids represent a real opportunity to establish themselves with lower initial costs. The grants cover everything from the self-employed fee to the launch of the project, with deadlines that are renewed annually. The next call for aid for 2026 is expected in the coming months, according to sources from the commissioner.
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