Canary Islands announce the first RETOFest 2026 Awards on the demographic challenge

The Vice-Ministry of Territorial Planning and Demographic Challenge of the Government of the Canary Islands has approved the guidelines that will govern the participation and evaluation of the candidacies for the first RETOFest 2026 Awards, the youth congress on demographic challenge to be held in the municipality of La Orotava on November 19 and 20, 2026. The Resolution of September 28, 2026 is published in the Official Gazette of the Canary Islands no. 200, of October 6, 2026, within section III. Other Resolutions (official reference: boc-a-2026-200-3450). The text is signed by the vice-minister Elena Zárate Altamirano.

Regulatory framework and origin of the competition

The call is supported by Decree 28/2025, of April 7, which approves the Organic Regulation of the Ministry of Territorial Policy, Territorial Cohesion and Waters (BOC no. 72, of 11.4.2025), and is part of the social participation actions of the Canarian Strategy for Demographic Challenge and Territorial Cohesion, approved by the Government of the Canary Islands in the session of November 3, 2025 (BOC no. 224, of 11.11.2025).

The awards were created with three objectives: to encourage reflection among Canarian youth on the demographic challenges of the archipelago, to build a shared vision of the future of the islands from the perspective of young people, and to generate meeting spaces to share concerns and formulate proposals. The organization is the responsibility of the Vice-Ministry, with the collaboration of the ministries of Education, Vocational Training, Physical Activity and Sports and of Universities, Science, Innovation and Culture, the General Directorate of Youth, the European University of the Canary Islands, the City Council of La Orotava, the ULL, the ULPGC, the FECAM, the FECAI, the School Council of the Canary Islands, the Youth Council, student associations, and the Liceo Taoro.

Four categories, five axes and seven formats

Students enrolled in educational centers in the Canary Islands during the 2026-2027 academic year, including ERASMUS students who are outside the islands, may participate in four categories:

• Category 1: Compulsory Secondary Education (ESO).
• Category 2: Baccalaureate.
• Category 3: Vocational Training and Artistic Education.
• Category 4: University Education.

Each center will choose a single category and may present a maximum of one team of up to 4 people, with a coordinating teacher. Students from Enclave Classrooms and those with specific educational support needs (NEAE) may also compete, with the accessibility supports and adjustments coordinated by the organization, without this affecting the evaluation.

The works must fit into five thematic axes—territory and sustainability; innovation, entrepreneurship and talent; Canarian identity and culture; participation and active and responsible citizenship; and connection and mobility—and into one of these formats: video report or short film, audio piece, infographic or interactive PDF presentation, essay, craft video, painting or sculpture, music or choreography, and debate, the latter reserved for the public universities ULL and ULPGC.

Deadlines, juries and prizes

The calendar established in the rules is as follows:

• Registration: from September 25 to October 7, 2026, at 1:00 PM.
• List of selected centers: October 8, 2026.
• Submission of works: until October 28, 2026, at 2:00 PM, without exception.
• Island pre-selection: from October 29 to November 4, 2026.
• Request for event attendance: from November 4 to 9, 2026.
• Regional selection and award ceremony: November 19 and 20, 2026.

A maximum of 100 centers may participate, with a waiting list of 15, and at least one center per category and island will be guaranteed. Centers from municipalities with fewer than 10,000 inhabitants will have a maximum quota of 53% of the places, compared to 47% for those with larger populations. The final phase will bring together up to 23 teams: 21 pre-selected by the island jury (one per island and category) plus two teams from the university debate league.

The island jury will evaluate the understanding of the challenge at 40%, the value of the proposal at 40%, and communication at 20%, with a score from 1 to 5. The first prizes, under the name Premio Canarias Joven, consist of a tablet per team member, valued at over 300 euros, in categories 1, 2, and 3, in addition to the best team and the best speaker of the university league. The second prizes range between approximately 100 and 200 euros.

Impact for centers and students

The Department will assume the cost and logistical management of transfers, per diems, and stays for up to five people per pre-selected center not from Tenerife, as well as inter-island transport and catering during both days for up to a maximum of 400 people. The event will include debate panels, workshops, a flashmob, a collective mural titled “The Canary Islands we dream of,” the reading of a youth manifesto, institutional stands, and a concert by young Canarian artists. The resolution may be appealed administratively before the counselor within one month of its publication.

Source: Official Gazette of the Canary Islands, no. 200, of October 6, 2026, section III. Other Resolutions, page 36161 (official reference: boc-a-2026-200-3450).