Cantabria distributes 75,000 euros to digitalize 40 rural municipalities

The Official Gazette of Cantabria number 174, dated September 9, 2026, publishes the Resolution of August 21, 2026, by which subsidies are granted to municipalities of the Autonomous Community of Cantabria affected by the risk of depopulation, intended to finance their expenses in electronic administration services for 2026. The resolution, signed by the counselor Mª Isabel Urrutia de los Mozos, distributes a total of 74,981.65 euros among 40 city councils in the region.

The call is based on Order PRE/23/2026, of March 6, and on the regulatory bases of Order PRE/28/2025, of May 13. The total credit allocated to the line amounted to 75,000 euros, of which 74,981.65 euros have been granted, releasing a remainder of 18.35 euros charged to the budget application 2026.02.12.496M.466.

Distribution criterion by population

The award was carried out according to the objective criterion of Article 5 of the call order, which assesses the total population of the municipality according to the official figures of the municipal register as of January 1, 2025, declared by Royal Decree 1117/2025, of December 3, and contrasted with the data from the Cantabrian Institute of Statistics (ICANE) for the Depopulation Advisory Council, regulated by Decree 6/2025, of February 13. The score is assigned by population intervals:

• Up to 200 inhabitants: 100 points.
• Up to 500 inhabitants: 95 points.
• Up to 1,000 inhabitants: 80 points.
• Up to 1,500 inhabitants: 75 points.
• Up to 2,000 inhabitants: 70 points.

The total points distributed were 3,430, with a point value of 21.87 euros in the first distribution and 0.51 euros in the second, which distributed the surplus of 1,472.63 euros. The smallest municipalities, such as Tresviso (52 inhabitants), Pesquera (72), Tudanca (155), or San Miguel de Aguayo (165), obtained the maximum score.

Beneficiaries and amounts

The 40 beneficiary city councils receive amounts ranging from 1,514.51 euros for Herrerías to 2,238.00 euros for San Miguel de Aguayo, Tresviso, and Tudanca. Among the beneficiaries are Anievas, Arenas de Iguña, Arredondo, Bárcena de Pie de Concha, Cabezón de Liébana, Cabuérniga, Camaleño, Campoo de Yuso, Cieza, Escalante, Hermandad de Campoo de Suso, Lamason, Miera, Molledo, Peñarrubia, Pesaguero, Polaciones, Rasines, Rionansa, Rozas de Valdearroyo, Ruesga, San Pedro del Romeral, San Roque de Riomiera, Santiurde de Reinosa, Selaya, Soba, Los Tojos, Valdeolea, Valdeprado del Río, Valderredible, Valle de Villaverde, Vega de Liébana, Vega de Pas, Villacarriedo, and Villafufre.

Advance payment and justification

In accordance with article 13.1 of the call for applications, payment will be made in advance, in a single installment and for 100% of the grant, without requiring any guarantee, once the award resolution has been issued. However, payment cannot be made until the beneficiary entity is up to date with its tax obligations to the State Tax Administration Agency, the Administration of the Autonomous Community of Cantabria, and the Social Security. The supporting documentation must be submitted before March 31, 2027, and beneficiaries are obliged to publicize the public nature of the funding using the institutional image of the Government of Cantabria.

The resolution, which exhausts the administrative route, may be appealed for reversal before the ministry within one month or through a contentious-administrative appeal before the Contentious-Administrative Chamber of the High Court of Justice of Cantabria within two months. With this line of funding, the Cantabrian Executive reinforces the digitalization of small rural municipalities, a key step in retaining the population and bringing public services closer to the residents of the most depopulated areas of the region.

Source: Official Gazette of Cantabria, No. 174, September 9, 2026, section 6. Grants and Aid, pp. 44689-44697 (official reference: CVE-2026-7026).