CaixaBank and the Association for Rural and Fishing Development of Lanzarote (ADERLAN) presented the awards for the third edition of the Tierra de Oportunidades 2025 competition on Tuesday at the Civic Centre in Arrecife. Four entrepreneurial projects from rural Lanzarote, located in Conil, Mácher, Villa de Teguise, and Tinajo, were recognised.

This initiative, led by CaixaBank across Spain, aims to strengthen its commitment to entrepreneurship in rural areas through collaboration with Local Development Groups.

Among the winners in Lanzarote was Bodega Mota, owned by entrepreneur Samuel González. This artisanal winery in Conil combines wine production with wine tourism experiences.

Also awarded was Lanzarote Honeybees, founded by Selina Katharina Vogel. This ecotourism experience in Mácher connects people with nature through the world of bees.

The business Batatas Arrugaditas y Harina, run by Karliana José Aguilera in La Villa, was also recognised. This innovative project adds value to local sweet potatoes through transformation processes.

Lastly, Marco Padrón Buis, a young farmer from Tinajo producing ‘kilometre zero’ food, received an award. He promotes sales in local shops and embodies the interest of new generations in the agricultural sector.

The event featured participation from Enrique Sánchez, Area Business Director at CaixaBank in Lanzarote; Santiago Padín, President of ADERLAN; Mónica Acosta, Social Action Technician at CaixaBank in the Canary Islands; and Mercedes Robayna, Manager of ADERLAN.

The awarded projects were selected by a technical committee comprising representatives from CaixaBank and ADERLAN, who evaluated aspects such as viability, job creation potential, growth capacity, innovation, and sustainability.

The four winners will participate in the national training competition “The Tierra de Oportunidades Challenge,” driven by CaixaBank in collaboration with social enterprise Rural Talent, where they will face three challenges alongside over 180 entrepreneurs nationwide.

The top 20 participants will advance to the national final, which offers further recognition, financial awards, and personalised mentoring programmes.

Training and Support

The award ceremony was complemented by the training session “Brand Storytelling: How to Connect with Your Audience.” This took place from September 16 to 19 at the Civic Centre in Arrecife, led by Helena Colomé and Gladys Becerra from DML Digital Marketing Lanzarote.

The course aims to enhance the communication skills of rural and fishing entrepreneurs on the island, assisting them in identifying their ideal customer and effectively connecting with their audience.

The Tierra de Oportunidades programme is a CaixaBank Social Action initiative designed to support entrepreneurship in rural areas, create jobs, and contribute to population retention in local territories. It is developed in collaboration with Local Development Groups across Spain, who understand their community’s needs, and involves the participation of Rural Talent for training purposes.

Additionally, the programme is supported by CaixaBank Volunteering, MicroBank, and AgroBank, which offer mentoring, guidance, and funding initiatives.