Generational renewal in rural businesses: empowering young people and supporting older people

This webinar on best practices will explore successful initiatives that support the transfer, creation, and development of rural businesses beyond agriculture, and will analyze how older generations can contribute through mentoring, knowledge transfer, and business succession planning. It will present policy measures and practical examples that enhance the attractiveness of rural areas, foster intergenerational collaboration, and strengthen local economies.

OBJECTIVES

• To present effective models and policy interventions that attract and support young people to establish or take over rural businesses beyond agriculture, with a focus on entrepreneurial opportunities and the diversification of rural economies and services;
• To explore how intergenerational collaboration can facilitate generational renewal in rural economies, particularly through mentoring, knowledge transfer, and succession planning that enable young people to establish or take over local businesses.
• To foster peer learning so that participants can share experiences, ideas, and best practices, with the aim of developing concrete and viable strategies for generational renewal in European rural areas.

TARGET AUDIENCE

Rural business owners, public authorities at the national, regional, and local levels, civil society organizations, networks, and project implementers working on youth empowerment, intergenerational cooperation, and rural development.

Registration deadline: May 22, 2026.

DATE AND TIME: June 10, 2026, from 9:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m.

FORMAT: Online

More information on the Rural Pact Community Platform