- José Bogas, CEO of Endesa, has taken in hand the report on the results of "Digital lighting for SMEs in rural areas" programme from AFAMMER's national president, Carmen Quintanilla.
- More than 4,000 people have received training aimed at developing digital skills in e-commerce, use of the digital signature and ICTs in rural areas.
- Furthermore, 180 small rural companies have also received training in digitalisation and information technologies; 152 of these SMEs have been able to improve or implement their own online store and receive a laptop to manage their online business.
- This programme, to which EUR 615,000 has been designated, forms part of the ENDESA Public Responsibility Plan in response to COVID-19, which the company launched in March 2020 to assist in the fight against the impact of the pandemic and which, in this phase, aims to help with the economic and social recovery in Spain.
Endesa and AFAMMER (the Confederation of Federations and Associations of Families and Women of the Rural World) have contributed to reducing the digital divide in rural areas through their "Digital lighting for SMEs in rural areas" programme, which was conceived to correct the loss of competitiveness suffered by rural SMEs due to the technological gap between them and those located in urban hubs, which had a particularly significant impact during the lockdown period. The level of participation on this programme was particularly impressive: 85% of those enroled have completed the training, a very high figure considering access was free of charge, and the regions in which it has generated greatest interest were Jaén, Tarragona, Huesca and Teruel.
This project has helped 180 rural SMEs, located in Galicia, Aragon, Madrid, Extremadura, Andalusia, Catalonia and the Canary Islands, to enhance their digital skills by promoting knowledge of them and tools in e-commerce and, thus cover the needs of consumers who increasingly choose to make their purchases online.
For José Manuel Cebollada Sebastian, owner of a petrol station in Calamocha (Teruel), this experience "has opened his eyes to the new reality of commerce in rural areas. Nowadays, rural areas in Spain are being deserted and thanks to e-commerce, more possibilities are open to us in relation to maintaining and improving our business. It is a fundamental tool," he asserts. In turn, María Eugenia Medina González, head of an SME in A Rua (Ourense) stressed the importance of the current situation: "We are at a time when increasing the customer base is critical. During the pandemic, we were aware that there was an important gap in online sales. When this training was proposed to us, it was time for us to face this reality."
Of the 180 micro-SMEs and small businesses that have received training in e-commerce as part of this programme, 152 were selected for a pilot test that allowed them to implement their online shop free of charge. Furthermore, these 152 SMEs received a laptop to help them develop the skills learned and keep their business online. Nuria Cesar López, owner of a shop in Tabernas (Almería), was one of the lucky recipients of a laptop: "The best thing about the programme is that it was comprehensive: training, how e-commerce works, a laptop to put into practice what I learned and manage my online shop". This programme has helped her to start her online business and she is currently immersed in the development of her digital marketing strategy.
Professionals from SMEs participating in the programme have received the necessary advice, training and necessary to improve the operation of their companies and adapt them to the demands of the digital market. "Being involved in this programme has been very interesting and enriching, because it has given me the opportunity to understand and access a field that I thought was not accessible for my business," remarked Agustín Alemán Pérez, who owns a ceramics company in the town of Uga (Las Palmas de Gran Canaria):
Furthermore, as part of the "Digital lighting for SMEs in rural areas" programme, a contribution has been made to providing an education on digital tools to 4,008 residents from towns with a population of less than 10,000 inhabitants from the autonomous communities of Andalusia, Aragon, the Canary Islands, Castile and León (Bierzo region), Catalonia, Extremadura and Galicia. Endesa and AFAMMER have helped thousands of people learn to shop online, understand how to download their digital signature and carry out administrative procedures as well as how to use new information technologies (ICT) and save energy.
José Bogas, CEO of Endesa, has taken in hand the final project report containing its results from Carmen Quintanilla, national president of AFAMMER. Quintanilla explained that the target set had been 100% achieved and expressed her thanks to Endesa for the company's trust developing this project and its commitment to the development of rural towns.
Faced with these positive results and testimonies, the CEO of Endesa, stressed the importance of projects like this one: "Spanish SMEs, and in particular those operating in the rural environment, need our support more than ever, because they are the fabric that sustains us. Digitalisation is a critical lever of change for these small companies, and being able to accompany them in their transformation is of great satisfaction to us. This programme demonstrates society's capacity to quickly join forces and change the direction of its projects towards a different, solidary focus. This must be one of those lessons learned that are here to stay."
"As part of the programme that AFAMMER has developed in collaboration with Endesa, we have achieved equal opportunities for thousands of rural people and their families, facilitating access to products and services that they could not access before on account of their lack of knowledge of digital tools," remarked the national president of AFAMMER. "Today, a person who does not know how to use the Internet or their digital signature is considered illiterate, just like in the nineteenth century, people who could not read or write were."
The programme, to which EUR 615,000 have been designated, forms part of the initiatives carried out under the Endesa Public Responsibility plan to tackle COVID-19. This initiative has mobilised EUR 25 million since March 2020 in projects distributed almost equally between medical-health assistance in an initial phase until June 2020; and support for SMEs, unemployed people and families and groups in a vulnerable situation to foster socioeconomic reactivation in the second phase. This plan is in its final months and has so far supported more than 153 projects.
According to María Malaxecheverría, general manager of sustainability at Endesa, "this initiative is a further illustration of the company's commitment to not leaving anyone behind". We are sensitive to the needs of our environment, which is why we direct our activity to respond to the major, environmental and ethical challenges that society faces. However, we are also particularly happy to be able to contribute to the rural environment, an environment that has a place in our hearts, that is part of our roots and where our operations, to a large extent, are developed. We believe that the rural environment plays a key role in achieving fairer, more inclusive and sustainable societies. A programme like this allows us to combine the best of different "worlds" through digitalisation, helping, through technological adaptation, small rural companies make gains in competitiveness and, along with it, future potential".
About Endesa
Endesa is the largest electricity company in Spain and the second largest in Portugal. The company is also the second largest gas operator in the Spanish market. Endesa operates an end-to-end business from generation to marketing and through Endesa X also offers value-added services aimed at the decarbonisation of energy uses in homes, companies, industries and public administrations. Endesa is firmly committed to the United Nations SDGs and therefore strongly supports the development of renewable energies through Enel Green Power España, the electrification of the economy and Corporate Social Responsibility. The Endesa Foundation is also active in CSR. Our workforce numbers around 10,000 employees. Endesa is a division of Enel, the largest electricity group in Europe.
About AFAMMER
The Association of Families and Women of the Rural World was created in 1982, becoming the first non-governmental organisation to make rural women and their families visible and to defend equal opportunities for residents in rural areas. It is currently the largest organisation of women and rural families in Spain, with more than 195,000 members distributed across Spain and has been granted Special Consultative Status at the United Nations Economic and Social Committee. AFAMMER was a pioneer in bringing on-demand training to women and residents in rural areas without having to travel from their towns and in offering digital literacy and e-commerce programmes aimed at the rural population.