The Provincial Council approves 200,000 euros for rural women in associations of municipalities

The Provincial Council of Cáceres has approved the regulatory rules and the call for grants under a direct award scheme intended for the associations of municipalities (mancomunidades) of the province to boost the visibility, participation, and empowerment of women in rural, economic, and social development during 2026. The resolution was adopted on September 30, 2026, by the First Vice-Presidency of Territory, Equality, and Culture and is published in the Official Gazette of the Province of Cáceres on October 5, 2026, Section I – Local Administration, with official reference BOP-2026-4623. The total amount of the call amounts to 200,000 euros.

Direct award and distribution among 16 associations of municipalities

The call is processed under a direct award scheme through a prior open call, pursuant to article 22.2.c) of the General Grants Law 38/2003, of November 17, article 21 of the General Grants Ordinance of the Council, and Base 41 of the 2026 Budget Execution rules. The regulation justifies this route on the grounds that all associations of municipalities in the province are beneficiaries and there is no competition between them, in addition to reasons of administrative agility and public and social interest.

The grant is structured as current transfers and is distributed in equal parts: 12,500 euros for each of the 16 entities listed in the annex, totaling the 200,000 euros allocated in budget application 2026.04.2311.46300, titled “SUBV CD. MANCOMUNIDADES-IGUALDAD”. The grants are prepayable and do not require the provision of a guarantee by the associations of municipalities.

The applicant entities included in the annex are:

• Mancomunidad Trasierra-Tierras de Granadilla
• Mancomunidad Intermunicipal de la Vera
• Mancomunidad Integral Sierra de Gata
• Mancomunidad Integral de Municipios Sierra San Pedro
• Mancomunidad Integral de Municipios Valle Alagón
• Mancomunidad Integral Villuercas-Ibores-Jara
• Mancomunidad Riberos del Tajo
• Mancomunidad Municipios Tajo Salor
• Mancomunidad Comarca de las Hurdes
• Mancomunidad Rivera de Fresnedosa
• Mancomunidad Integral de Municipios Sierra de Montánchez
• Mancomunidad Valle del Ambroz
• Mancomunidad Integral de Municipios Campo Arañuelo
• Mancomunidad Zona Centro
• Mancomunidad Integral de Municipios Valle Jerte
• Mancomunidad de Municipios Comarca de Trujillo

Five strategies to make women in rural areas visible

Funded projects must respond to one or more of the strategies set out in the guidelines: recovering the collective memory of the province with a gender perspective; making visible and valuing the contribution of women in the construction of the provincial territory; dismantling stereotypes about rural women; highlighting the role of female associativism and encouraging generational renewal; and promoting women’s leadership and their parity in decision-making bodies.

The guidelines require that programs incorporate territorial agents, equality offices, the educational community, the female associative movement, and different generations, using an intersectional approach and participatory methodologies. Activities that are solely for leisure or ludic-recreational purposes and lack a clear gender focus are excluded.

Deadlines, expenses, and justification

The deadline for submitting applications is 20 business days from the opening of the electronic office, which will occur the day after the publication of the summary in the provincial bulletin. Processing is entirely electronic through the Provincial Council’s office, with a correction period of 10 business days.

• Execution of activities: from December 1, 2026, to November 30, 2027.
• Justification: from December 1, 2027, to February 28, 2028.
• Eligible expenses: personnel, travel, leases, materials, supplies, and other services.
• Board, catering, meals, or accommodation: maximum of 10% of the granted amount.
• Subcontracting with third parties: up to 100% of the subsidized activity.

Investment expenses, the acquisition or replacement of inventoriable assets, repairs and maintenance, and prizes for protocolary attentions are not eligible for subsidies. Total failure to meet the objectives or lack of justification will entail the reimbursement of 100% of the aid and the loss of the possibility of obtaining subsidies from the Provincial Council for a period of up to five years.

Relevance

The call mobilizes 200,000 euros of provincial funds toward the rural areas of Cáceres with an explicit equality objective, doing so through the mancomunidades (associations of municipalities), the administrations closest to small towns. The approved calendar extends execution until November 2027 and justification until February 2028, so that projects for the visibility and empowerment of rural women can be deployed across two budget years.

Source: Official Bulletin of the Province of Cáceres, October 5, 2026, Section I – Local Administration, pp. 1-14 (official reference: BOP-2026-4623).