In rural areas, new business models are emerging to help address social and environmental challenges. For these initiatives to spread throughout Europe, the recipe for their success needs to be analysed and shared across countries. This is the role of the European project RUBIZMO, funded to identify the vital ingredients for developing rural entrepreneurship through the replication of successful business ideas.

On 24 October 2019, the RUBIZMO partnership will present its first tools and findings at the conference ‘Supporting rural business success across Europe’, which will be hosted at the European Economic and Social Committee in Brussels.

This event will be the chance for policy-makers, industry representatives, networks, civil society groups and all interested stakeholders to discuss recommendations to foster the large-scale deployment of innovative business models that can support sustainable growth and job creation in European rural areas. Along with the vision for the present and future rural development policy framework, the conference will explore current opportunities to develop supportive rural business environments and make collaboration the key to success for rural entrepreneurship.

As part of the conference, a dedicated Rural Business Innovation Awards and Exhibition will showcase and reward the most inspiring rural business initiatives identified by the RUBIZMO consortium in three fast-growing sectors: food, bio-based value chains, and ecosystem services. The vote is open to the public, and will close on 22 October at midnight. Winners in each category will be announced at the conference.  Have a look at the nominees and tell us which initiative you find the most inspiring for European rural areas !

Join the movement to shape the future of modern rural development and vote for your favourite rural business initiative!

Find out more at the event website.