Aragón grants 494,015 euros to rural culture to combat depopulation

The Department of Housing, Promotion, Logistics, and Territorial Cohesion of the Government of Aragon has resolved the call for grants for non-profit entities for the implementation, during 2026, of off-season cultural activities, with a global award of 494,015.50 euros charged to the Territorial Cohesion Fund. The decision is formalized in Order VFL/1343/2026, of September 3, published in the Official Gazette of Aragon number 181, of September 17, 2026, in section III of other provisions and agreements (official reference BOA20260917009). The order bears the signature of the counselor Octavio López Rodríguez.

A fund to stabilize the population in rural areas

This line of aid is framed within the Special Territorial Planning Guideline for Demographic Policy and against Depopulation, approved by Decree 165/2017, of October 31, and the Territorial Planning Strategy of Aragon. Its objective is to support the creation and promotion of cultural activities that deseasonalize the offer, primarily benefiting the population that habitually resides in small municipalities and the linked population that preserves the architectural, urban, ethnological, and cultural heritage of settlements in the process of depopulation.

The Territorial Cohesion Fund is regulated in article 45 of Law 17/2023, of December 22, on the Budgets of the Autonomous Community of Aragon for 2024, extended for 2026, and is managed through current and capital transfers to social and territorial agents. The regulatory bases were approved by Order VMV/1795/2021, of November 30.

The call was published via Order FOM/482/2026, of March 13, in the Official Gazette of Aragon number 59, of March 26, 2026, with a total credit of 500,000.00 euros charged to budget application 13070 G/1260/480578/91002, PEP 2018/000140.

Allegations, modifications, and annexes

Following the end of the application period on April 27, 2026, the Evaluation Commission issued a report on June 18, 2026, and the Director General of Depopulation issued the provisional resolution proposal, published in the Official Gazette of Aragon number 124, of July 1, 2026, with five business days for allegations. The balance of the process was as follows:

• 23 allegations submitted in total: 22 within the deadline and 1 outside the deadline.
• 9 project modifications regarding the conditions of the eligible activity.
• Report-proposal from the Evaluation Commission of August 7, 2026.
• Final resolution proposal from the Director General of Depopulation of August 10, 2026.

The order fully or partially grants the admitted applications listed in Annex II, dismisses those in Annex III due to insufficient credit, declares those in Annex IV inadmissible, and publishes withdrawals and waivers in Annex V. The annexes can be consulted via the link published by the Government of Aragon.

Execution, justification, and appeal deadlines

The period for carrying out the subsidized activity runs from January 1 to June 18, 2026, and/or from September 1 to November 6, 2026, both inclusive. The justification before the General Directorate of Depopulation may be submitted from the day following the publication of the order until November 13, 2026, inclusive.

If no express waiver is made within ten business days, the aid shall be understood as tacitly accepted. Remnants released by waivers may be reassigned to dismissed applications in Annex III, ordered by score. An optional appeal for reversal may be filed against the order within one month, or a contentious-administrative appeal may be filed before the High Court of Justice of Aragon within two months.

The resolution closes the cycle of a call that distributes nearly all of the planned credit and confirms the regional Executive’s commitment to sustaining cultural activity in the least populated municipalities, a sector with very pronounced seasonality and difficulties in maintaining stable programming outside the months of highest influx.

Source: Official Gazette of Aragon, number 181, of September 17, 2026, section III (official reference: BOA20260917009).