Pilot Academy

Rural Activators Pilot Academy: Open Call for Participants

We're empowering the new rural innovators

APPLY NOW

We're currently on the lookout for 10 upcoming rural activators in Spain | Portugal | Italy that wish to embody rural regeneration excellence – who aim to bring creative approaches to revitalizing rural spaces and communities.

Important: You won't just learn. You'll take the first steps, bringing your ideas to life, and start your own network of inspiring and established cases.

As a participant in the program, besides accessing a pioneer training, you will discover many inspiring case studies: their work, their journey, their entrepreneurial stories – so you can model your own strategies on what they've built. You'll also have the opportunity to be in contact with the protagonists of success cases, so you can ask your relevant questions and explore their recipes for rural activation.

Start bringing your rural project to life!

The Rural Activators Academy brings together:

30+ up-and-coming rural innovation projects across Europe (participants like you)
6 reference cases per country (showcasing some of the most inspiring examples)
A platform for peer learning, mentoring, and European collaboration
An online training and mentoring in rural activation
In-person training and dissemination events to allow you to present your project to potential partners and stakeholders

Your role as a Participant is to:

🤸

Actively engage in the learning and training

💬

Share your story and background with fellow participants

📚

Contribute to a European knowledge commons on rural activation

🏋️‍♀️

Work on developing your own project of regeneration in rural areas

Who Are We Looking For?

Ideal participants are individuals, small teams, or collectives that:

Want to actively regenerate rural spaces (turning them into co-livings, co-workings, cultural hubs, creative centers, agricultural innovation, youth programs, social enterprises, hybrid farms, training centers in rural areas, etc.)
Want to work closely with local communities (not extractive; collaborative)
Have already identified a space in which the project can happen
Have an innovative project that embraces architecture, social innovation, and/or community engagement
Have some English communication skills so they can enrol in the international content and make the best out of the mentorship session

Your Commitments (What We Need From You)

The non-negotiables:

✓ Be available and open to share your own project of rural activation

✓ Participate in 2 in-person events in your country

✓ Participate in a minimum of 80% of the online sessions

The nice to have:

✓ Participate in the international workshop in Italy

✓ Provide overall feedback to the project

Simple. Doable. Meaningful

FAQs

Still in doubt if this program is for you? Take a look here:

👩🏽‍🌾 What is a Rural Activator?

We see Rural Activators as Social entrepreneurs: someone who imagines, plans & implements the sustainable regeneration of rural built heritage through social innovation together with local communities

✍🏽 Who can Apply?

Any individual or small team with an upcoming rural innovation project in Italy, Portugal, or Spain.
Municipalities owning unused buildings and seeking contacts with rural activators are also welcome to apply!
More details on 'Who are we Looking for'

🎯 Objectives

Promoting the regeneration of unused spaces
Developing activation skills & networking opportunities
Promoting new and innovative rural projects focusing on architecture, social innovation, or community building
Helping the development of disadvantaged rural, remote, and peripheral areas
Creating an international community of peer rural activators

🌻 What we offer

National & International networking - with other newcoming rural activators, and also well-established rural innovative projects, local stakeholders and institutions, municipalities, etc.
The chance to participate in the first Pilot Academy designed for new Rural Activation projects
Online training and 2 in-person meetups
Access to a learning platform & materials & knowledge on success cases
Mentoring by expert rural activators
Working with your peers to develop projects in collaboration
Access to the International workshop in Italy

📝 Selection Criteria

To have your own regeneration project (an idea and the space identified)
The idea should be innovative in the area
It should also relate to any of the project's main focus points: a) architecture, b) social innovation, c) community engagement

🕸️ How to Apply

Interested? If this resonates with you, please write to any of the country delegates with your questions or fill in the form directly
Submission deadline: Sunday, March 29th, 2026 (23:59)
Announcement of results: Monday, April 13th, 2026

⚠️ What is Not Included

In-country travel (and to the international workshop in Italy - in-person attendance is optional)
Accommodation (if needed)
Meals at the in-person events

📺 How will I get Visibility?

Be one of the 30 upcoming rural innovation projects in 3 European countries. Become a Rural Activation reference!
Access to peer support, networking, and potential synergies around European rural activators
Feature in the final dissemination materials (reports, case study book, presentations, website…)
Social media campaign promoting your project across EU networks
Attendance Certificate & Europass Certificate

🌍 Learning & Networks

Access to the learning platform with videos, podcasts, photos, and interviews - EN
In-person national training session (idioms: PT, ES, IT)
Online workshops and access to mentoring by established rural activators - EN
Access to peer support - EN (or another mutual language)
Action Learning: learn by working on your own rural regeneration project
Possibility to access the international workshop in Italy (EN)
Showcase your project idea
Possibility to apply as an individual or as a small team
Networking opportunities with European rural innovators and policymakers

⌛ Timeline

Participants Application deadline: April 10th 2026
Interview + Selection: April 2026
In-person Kick Off Meeting: May 2026
Online training + Mentoring: May-September 2026 (15 sessions of 2hr)
In-person Final Event: Oct - Nov 2026
Event in Italy (optional): August 2026

🪜 Application Questionnaire:

General Information of the Participant(s)
Motivation to Apply
Team Members
Project Title & Definition
Participants’ Background
Previous Experience
Stakeholders | Partners
Venues | Building | Spaces
The Project - Vision | Expectations | Challenges | Inspiration

Rural regeneration isn't a policy problem to solve. It's a movement to catalyze.

And movements need visible examples, brave pioneers, and people willing to share their stories.

Next Steps

Interested? Ready to become a Rural Activator?

Apply to the cohort by filling in the form
Schedule a 20-min call with the Rural Activators team to discuss expectations and answer your questions
If you are selected, sign the participation agreement
Welcome to the movement. Let's amplify rural regeneration together.

Contact & Questions

Portugal: info@dinamo10.net
Italy: angelo@liberopensatore.it
Spain: ruralactivators@rooral.co

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