In March, RURAL RiSE reached an important milestone with the organisation of Capacity Building Lab 3 in Valdefuentes, Spain, confirming the project’s commitment to strengthening skills, cooperation and social economy approaches in rural areas. RURAL RiSE is a 24-month project running from 1 September 2024 to 31 August 2026, bringing together partners from Italy, Spain, Serbia and Belgium to reinforce education, training and skills development for unemployed people in rural areas, especially youth and women.
The Capacity Building Labs are a core part of the project methodology. They are designed to build capacities, connect local authorities and social economy organisations, and prepare the ground for concrete local action.
Looking back: Capacity Building Lab 3 in Spain
The live project meeting held in Valdefuentes on 25 March 2026 brought together representatives of the consortium and marked the moment to review progress after the Spanish Capacity Building Lab and to prepare the next implementation stage. The meeting gathered partners from Materahub, Miglionico, Diesis Network, Valdefuentes, Wazo Coop, Palilula and Young Ambassadors.
The Spanish phase of capacity building has been especially relevant for highlighting how rural development can be connected to social economy, creativity, local governance and community participation. This approach is fully in line with the wider objectives of RURAL RiSE, which aim to promote social economy models in European rural areas, support youth and women through reskilling and upskilling, and foster co-designed strategies between local authorities and social economy organisations.
The experience in Spain also reflects the project’s broader methodology: identifying needs, mapping practices and opportunities, developing tailored capacity building plans, and implementing activities that combine local relevance with European exchange. The project applies this methodology across Italy, Spain and Serbia, before a final capacity building event in Brussels.
A new phase begins: training and Local Action Plans
Following the completion of the capacity building stage in Spain, RURAL RiSE is now moving into a new phase focused on training activities and Local Action Plans. This step is part of WP4, led by Diesis, and aims to support local authorities and stakeholders in understanding the role of social economy as a driver of sustainable rural development and regeneration.
Several concrete activities have already been scheduled by the consortium. The RURAL RiSE training toolkit (D4.1) is to be translated by project partners by 6 April, and the English version is to be uploaded to the project website by 15 April.
The next training sessions will take place in the three partner countries:
- Italy: online training and Local Action Plan session on 20 April
- Spain: online training and Local Action Plan session on 27 April
- Serbia: online training and Local Action Plan session on 29 April
These sessions will involve a minimum of 5 online and 5 in-person participants in each country, targeting local authorities, youth and women, including people who have already taken part in the Capacity Building Labs. Dissemination, participants lists and pictures will be collected as part of the implementation process.
At local level, the municipalities of Miglionico, Palilula and Valdefuentes will prepare their Local Action Plans by 5 June. These plans will include context analysis, policy priorities, actions, tools and stakeholder mapping, with the shared objective of reinforcing education, training and skills development activities for unemployed people in rural areas. All Local Action Plans will then be presented in Brussels on 10 June, and Valdefuentes will contribute to the peer review process by 31 July.
Looking ahead to Brussels
The consortium has also agreed that Capacity Building Lab 4 will take place in Brussels on 10 June, with a minimum of 35 participants. The preparation timeline is already underway: the application form and communication kit must be ready by 6 April, the call will launch from 9 April, applications will remain open until 30 April at 9:00 a.m. CET, and selected participants will complete agreements and travel arrangements in early May.
This final capacity building event in Brussels is part of the original project design and will focus on youth and new rurality, bringing together local learning, transnational exchange and the presentation of Local Action Plans developed across the project.
Why this phase matters
This new phase is particularly important because it transforms shared learning into practical planning. RURAL RiSE is not only about exchanging ideas. It is about creating tools, strategies and collaborations that can support more inclusive, sustainable and resilient rural communities. The project’s dissemination strategy also highlights Local Action Plans and social economy models as key instruments for inclusion, participation and policy impact across European rural areas.
By moving from capacity building to training and action planning, the consortium is taking another step towards the project’s main goal: empowering rural territories through social economy, cooperation and new skills, with a strong focus on women, youth and local communities.
Co-funded by the European Union.
Funded by the European Union. Views and opinions expressed are however those of the author(s) only and do not necessarily reflect those of the European Union or the European Innovation Council and SME Executive Agency (EISMEA). Neither the European Union nor the granting authority can be held responsible for them.
