Local Action Groups: Promoting Entrepreneurship and Development in the Towns of Navarre

Our area of operation covers nearly half of Navarre’s total land area, where only 12% of the population lives, presenting challenges for the provision of local services. We are part of the Navarre Entrepreneurship Support Network, led by the Navarre Employment Service/Nafar Lansare (SNE/NL).

We recognize that the quality of life in our region depends, among other factors, on the accessibility of services—both public and private. That is why our goal is to bring our services as close as possible to the public. To this end, we have established20 in-person servicelocations across the eight regions where we operate (Sangüesa, Pre-Pyrenean Basins, Roncal/Salazar, Esteribar/Erro/Aezkoa, Baztan/Urdazubi/Zugarramurdi, Bidasoa, Mendialdea, and Sakana). This in-person service is complemented by telephone and online support to optimize and ensure the sustainability of the service.

As part of our entrepreneurship support service, we have a team of eight development officers and three support specialists who provide personalized, flexible, efficient, and sustainable assistance. We organize group activities aimed at raising awareness, identifying, and training aspiring entrepreneurs; and we offer individualized, personalized support tailored to the profile and specific needs of each aspiring entrepreneur and/or business, their environment, and their project.

Entrepreneurship in the Mountains

Entrepreneurship in the Mountains

In recent years, female entrepreneurship has surpassed male entrepreneurship in the Montaña region; approximately 60% of entrepreneurs are women, and they generally start businesses due to a lack of job opportunities in rural areas and to achieve a better work-life balance, whereas men do so more out of a sense of vocation or necessity. People who start businesses in rural areas usually have deep roots and respect for the region and are particularly attuned to the needs, customs, and demands of their surroundings, as well as the opportunities it offers. That is why we speak of“visibility”—of long-term life projects with deep ties to the region, projects that, in most cases, contribute to the overall well-being of the community.

It is important for people to be aware of all the resources available to them, such as this information and advisory service provided by the Local Action Groups, a free service co-financed by the SNE-NL. Thanks to the guidance and support provided by CEDERNA in 2023, we assisted 249 entrepreneurs (143 women and 106 men) and helped establish 104 businesses.

Starting a Business in Tourism

Starting a Business in Tourism

Since our inception, CEDERNA has worked to support rural tourism through various programs. We currently manage the Destination Tourism Sustainability Plans (PSTD), which are divided into five PSTDs. We have four Tourism Area Management Units (UGET): Baztan Bidasoa; Pyrenees; Sakana-Plazaola-Ultzamaldea; and Pre-Pyrenees and Sangüesa Region. The fifth PSTD is URDINA, comprising five villages in the Sangüesa region that have developed a tourism product centered on the Aragón River.

Author: Cederna Garalur

Cederna Garalur – Local Action Group founded in 1991 with the aim of promoting the socioeconomic development of the “Navarre Mountains”

info@cederna.es