ADER opens the call to take 17 Riojan companies to Anuga 2027

The Economic Development Agency of La Rioja (ADER) has opened the call to select the companies that will participate as a group at the “Rioja” stand at the Anuga trade fair, which will be held at the Kölnmesse exhibition center in Cologne (Germany) from October 9 to 13, 2027. The resolution, signed by manager Luis Pérez Echeguren in Logroño on November 2, 2026, is published in the Official Gazette of La Rioja no. 214, dated November 5, 2026, with secure verification code BOR-A-20261105-III–4151. The deadline for submitting applications ends on November 13, 2026, at 2:00 p.m.

Germany, third commercial destination

The text justifies the action based on the weight of the German market, which ADER describes as “the third commercial destination” for La Rioja, with exports of 22.6 million euros in 2026. To this, it adds a “strong demand, economic stability, and geographical and cultural proximity.” To reinforce this priority, the organization notes that it has called for one scholarship position at the Commercial Office of the Embassy of Spain in Düsseldorf, with tasks including responding to commercial inquiries, promoting the Riojan offer, market studies, and sector reports.

The agri-food sector is considered strategic for the region, with three prominent sub-sectors: the meat sector, focused on the production of sausages; the canning sector, linked to the production of fruits, vegetables, greens, legumes, mushrooms, and button mushrooms; and the dairy sector, oriented toward cheeses and dairy desserts. Anuga is held biennially and will celebrate its 39th edition in 2027, aimed exclusively at a professional audience, with more than 8,000 exhibitors from 110 countries, more than 145,000 professional visitors from over 190 nationalities, and nearly 300,000 square meters of exhibition space.

12-square-meter module and three halls

ADER, through ICEX, will provide each selected company with a 12-square-meter module within the group stand, featuring basic decoration and uniform assembly that includes furniture, storage space, lighting, electrical connection, and customizable identification graphics. Participation is limited to three areas of the fair:

• FINE FOOD Hall: pasta, rice, and cereals; canned fruit, vegetables, olives, and pickles; prepared meals and soups; sauces and condiments; dehydrated fruits and vegetables and nuts; oils and fats; confectionery and snacks; condiments, ingredients, and additives.
• MEAT Hall: fresh meat, processed meat, sausages and hams, and ingredients for the meat industry.
• DAIRY Hall: dairy products, milk and derivatives, cream and butter, cheeses, dairy desserts, powdered milk, eggs, and dairy substitutes.

Commercial brokerage companies, those who already have another stand at the fair, and those belonging to the same group or linked to another participating company—by sharing a majority shareholder or the majority of the board of directors—are excluded. The allocation also does not include transport costs for goods and samples, nor personnel logistics (flights and accommodation).

Selection criteria and obligations

Selection will be resolved through competitive bidding with a maximum of three criteria and 23 points:

• Volume of sales outside of Spain relative to total operations of the previous financial year: up to 10 points (more than 40%, 10 points; between 30% and 40%, 8; between 20% and 30%, 6; from 10%, 3).
• Participation in previous editions of Anuga: up to 10 points, with 5 points for each participation.
• Company size: up to 3 points (micro and small, 3; medium, 2; large, 1), in accordance with the Commission Recommendation of May 6, 2003.

Ties will be resolved by the order of criteria a), b), and c) and, if they persist, by the date and time of submission. Those selected must guarantee the presence of at least one person in their space throughout the fair hours, make at least two mentions of ADER on X, Facebook, Instagram, or LinkedIn before, during, or at the end of the event, and submit a grant application to the Strategic Foreign Trade Program (PEC) in the 2027 call.

Electronic processing and appeals

Applications must be formalized electronically through the ADER electronic office, and notifications will be carried out through the Government of La Rioja’s NOE platform. The required documentation includes form 390 for the 2025 financial year—or the December 303 for those reporting under the immediate information system—proof of participation in previous editions of Anuga, and justification of company size. Deficiencies may be corrected within ten business days, and the manager will issue the resolution with the final list; an administrative appeal may be filed against it before the president of ADER within one month.

The call arrives with a tight schedule: only eight calendar days separate the publication in the Official Gazette of La Rioja from the closing of the deadline, which requires interested wineries, canneries, and meat and dairy companies to have their tax and supporting documentation already prepared. For a sector that exports and depends on international visibility, the grouped stand is one of the few ways to access a fair reserved for professionals with more than 145,000 specialized visitors.

Source: Official Gazette of La Rioja, no. 214, November 5, 2026, section III (Other provisions and acts), pp. 18806-18811 (official reference: BOR-A-20261105-III–4151).