The Department of Employment and Local Development, under the Deputy Mayor, Rafael Mena, has designed a scheme to promote local businesses, primarily by the medium of local radio, through a series of interviews with local businessmen and their employees. The Council's objective is to showcase Manilva's commercial scene and its diverse range of services and activities. It will also spotlight more specialist businesses as well as those that provide employment for local residents, especially the young, women, and disabled workers.

The programme is being run in collaboration with Retail and Industry Association, as well as the Local Development Agency “Sierra Bermeja” along with Radio Television Manilva. According to Councillor Rafael Mena it will “make available to local businesses two 15 to 20 minute slots on Radio Television Manilva which will take the form of an interview, either live, by telephone or recorded, which will be broadcast during prime viewing or listening times which will give them exposure to the maximum number of viewers and listeners.

This programme of broadcast is open to local businesses that fit the following criteria:

• New businesses particularly those that provide a particular public service.
• Businesses that are set up or run by the disabled, women, young people, foreign residents or the long term unemployed.
• Those businesses that incorporate new technology or that improve the quality of life, and provide a benefit to the environment.
• Those businesses that provide a large number of jobs locally.
• Those businesses that promote tourism, culture and sport or that preserve and promote traditional skills and products.
• All other businesses which, although not fitting the above criteria, present a strong case for being included in this scheme.

The programmes will be preceded and followed by a public information broadcast by the Councillor for Employment and Local Development.

Anyone interested in taking part in this inovative scheme should apply at the Oficina de Fomento de Empleo in Calle Mar, Manilva.