Cantabria expands podiatry aid to rural associations

The Ministry of Social Inclusion, Youth, Families and Equality of the Government of Cantabria has published Order ISO/12/2026, of 12 August 2026, amending Order ISO/14/2025, of 18 June, which establishes the regulatory bases for the granting of subsidies intended for rural associations for podiatric care programmes aimed at older people. The document was registered in the Official Gazette of Cantabria (BOC) number 158, corresponding to Tuesday 18 August 2026, and enters into force on the day following its publication, that is, 19 August 2026.

The regulation arises from the finding that, during the first call opened under Order ISO/14/2025 for the 2025-2026 period, not all rural municipalities have entities formally constituted as older people’s associations. This circumstance limits the effective implementation of the programme and access by older people to podiatry services in certain areas of the territory. Furthermore, it has been verified that other non-profit entities —such as women’s, cultural or neighbourhood associations— regularly carry out activities aimed at this group and constitute, in many municipalities, the main channel for the social participation of older people.

Criterion of the Governing Council of Cantabria

The Minister Begoña Gómez del Río signed the order in Santander on 12 August 2026, in exercise of the powers conferred by articles 35.f) and 50.1.d) of Law of Cantabria 5/2018, of 22 November, on the Legal Regime of the Government, the Administration and the Institutional Public Sector of the Autonomous Community of Cantabria, and in accordance with article 16 of Law of Cantabria 10/2006, of 17 July. The declared objective is to guarantee equal opportunities in access to podiatry services, to favour greater territorial implementation of the programme and to respond to the existing associative reality in the rural municipalities of the autonomous community.

New beneficiaries of the aid

Order ISO/12/2026 amends the title, article 1 and article 3 of the previous regulation. The new title of the regulation becomes: «Order ISO/14/2025, of 18 June, establishing the regulatory bases for the granting of subsidies intended for non-profit associations and federations in rural areas for podiatric care programmes aimed at older people». Article 3, which regulates the requirements for obtaining the status of beneficiary entity, is worded as follows:

Non-profit associations or federations of Cantabria that carry out their activity in rural areas and whose actions regularly target older people, understood as those who have reached 60 years of age, may obtain beneficiary status.
The following may be beneficiaries: federations, homes, clubs and associations of older people; women’s associations; cultural associations; neighbourhood associations; and any other non-profit associative entities that carry out activities aimed, wholly or partially, at older people or whose activity contributes to their well-being, social participation, active ageing or improvement of their quality of life.
Entities must have their registered office, tax address and headquarters in municipalities of Cantabria with a population of fewer than 10,000 inhabitants, be constituted as an association or federation and be registered in the Registry of the General Secretariat of the competent Ministry of the Government of Cantabria.
The services covered by the subsidy must be provided, or be intended to be provided, really and effectively in the Autonomous Community of Cantabria.
They may not have been awarded another subsidy for the same purpose by public administrations or public or private entities, whether national, from the European Union or from other international organisations.

Certification and entry into force

The condition that older people are regular recipients of the entity’s activities shall be certified by means of the entity’s bylaws, activity reports, programmes developed or any other means of proof admissible in law. The requirements regarding address and registration shall be verified directly by the Administration, while the requirement of not having another subsidy for the same purpose shall be certified by means of a responsible declaration.

Order ISO/12/2026 entered into force on 19 August 2026, the day after its publication in the Official Gazette of Cantabria. This measure significantly broadens the range of rural entities that can access public funding for podiatric care programmes, responding to a demand detected during the first call for applications and strengthening coverage of an essential service for the well-being of older people in depopulated areas.

Source: Official Gazette of Cantabria, number 158, 18 August 2026, section 6, p. 37936 (official reference: CVE-2026-6542).