The Government distributes 4.5 million in social inclusion grants in Doñana

Royal Decree 711/2026, of September 2, regulates the direct granting of subsidies to finance local social inclusion initiatives in the area of influence of the Doñana Natural Space during the 2026 budget year. The regulation, approved by the Council of Ministers on September 1 at the proposal of the Minister of Inclusion, Social Security and Migration, Elma Saiz Delgado, is published in the Official State Gazette (Boletín Oficial del Estado) number 218, of September 3, 2026, in section I (official reference BOE-A-2026-18513).

The allocation amounts to 4,500,000 euros, financed through budget application 32.04.232E.460 of the Ministry of Inclusion, Social Security and Migration. The grants are awarded under a direct grant regime, on an extraordinary basis and for reasons of public, social, and economic interest, under articles 22.2.c) and 28 of Law 38/2003, the General Subsidies Law, considering that the specificity of the territory’s needs hinders a public call for applications.

A territory under environmental and social pressure

The regulation is part of Line 13.3 of the Framework of actions for the sustainable territorial development of the area of influence of the Doñana Natural Space, presented in November 2023 and endowed with 350 million euros. The area, which totals 2,904 km² and 210,338 inhabitants across fourteen municipalities in three provinces, suffers unsustainable pressure from intensive agriculture based on aquifer extractions and population growth during the tourist season, with serious effects on groundwater and surface waters.

Official data reflect a marked socioeconomic vulnerability: the average net income per person ranges between 9,111 and 12,803 euros, always below the national average (15,036 euros); registered unemployment in June 2026 reaches 11,153 people, with a percentage of those under 25 higher than the state average; and only 19% of the population over 14 has higher education, compared to 33.6% nationally.

Fourteen beneficiary city councils

The grants are destined for the city councils of the area of influence, which will select the projects and execute them through agreements that must be formalized before November 30, 2026. The distribution, agreed upon by majority on May 11, 2026, based on population, severe poverty rate, and foreign-born population, is as follows:

• Sanlúcar de Barrameda: €600,000
• Almonte and Moguer: €400,000 each
• Rociana del Condado and Pilas: €340,000 each
• Bollullos Par del Condado, Lucena del Puerto, Palos de la Frontera, Aznalcázar, La Puebla del Río, Villamanrique de la Condesa and Isla Mayor: €280,000 each
• Bonares and Hinojos: €230,000 each

Inclusion projects with social triage

The funds will finance pilot projects that promote the social and labor inclusion of vulnerable groups, including children and youth, the elderly and people with disabilities, migrants and foreign seasonal agricultural workers, women victims of gender-based violence, victims of trafficking, homeless people, ethnic minorities, trans people, and incarcerated or formerly incarcerated individuals. The projects must incorporate a social triage mechanism—an interdisciplinary team that diagnoses the context of vulnerability and prioritizes individualized care—and may include vocational training, work-life balance support, linguistic reinforcement, prevention of school absenteeism, and psychosocial support.

The execution period extends until September 30, 2028, with an advance payment in a single disbursement. The regulation, which continues the path opened by Royal Decree 819/2025, of September 16, seeks to ensure that the environmental recovery of Doñana is accompanied by policies that prevent the risk of poverty and exclusion of its population, guaranteeing that the ecological transition of the territory is also socially just.

Source: Official State Gazette, no. 218, September 3, 2026, Sec. I, page 118568 (official reference: BOE-A-2026-18513).