The Eurocaja Rural-UCLM Foundation Chair, Culture and Rural Development has opened the call period for the 'Culture, Heritage and Innovation in the Rural Environment Awards' for this year 2022, with the aim of recognizing those entities or groups that have carried out Relevant actions in the Castilian-La Mancha rural area.

These awards are broken down into three different categories: Culture, aimed at initiatives related to the various fields of culture implemented in rural areas, which have had an impact on the improvement at different levels of their local or regional environment; Heritage, for executed projects or actions of special relevance in the preservation and/or dissemination of heritage in rural contexts) and Innovation, oriented to actions and projects carried out that are innovative due to the application of ICT as a dynamic element in the rural environment, as well as novel or creative initiatives for rural development .

The president of the Eurocaja Rural Foundation, Javier López Martín, and the rector of the UCLM, José Julián Garde López-Brea, accompanied by the directors of the Eurocaja Rural-UCLM Foundation Chair, Rebeca Rubio Rivera and Luis Alfonso Escudero Gómez, and the manager of the Eurocaja Rural Foundation, Susana Cortés Martínez, have supported this important call and highlighted the relevance of these awards that, in each of the indicated categories, will award a prize of 2,500 euros to the winner.

Nominations may only be submitted for one category. The period for submitting applications will remain open from June 1 to October 15, and public or private entities and groups that have their headquarters in municipalities of the region with less than 15,000 inhabitants, that maintain their activity, may participate in this call. during 2022 and that meet the requirements requested in the call.

The Eurocaja Rural-UCLM Foundation Chair, Culture and Rural Development is directed by Rebeca Rubio Rivera (Dean of the Faculty of Humanities of Toledo) and Luis Alfonso Escudero Gómez (Professor of the Faculty of Humanities of Toledo in the Department of Geography and Planning of the Territory) and the objective of this chair is to promote actions and initiatives in the field of culture, heritage or innovation that generate new opportunities and promote the socioeconomic development of the rural environment of Castilla-La Mancha.

All those interested in registering for this call or consulting the bases can obtain more information on the Eurocaja Rural Foundation website (https://eurocajarural.fun) or on the UCLM website (//www.uclm.es) .