Italy expands entrepreneurship incentives for youth and women

Italy is providing various financial incentives to support entrepreneurship among young people and women. Through Invitalia, the Ministry of Labour has reported that its integrated self-employment plan has already approved over 3,200 projects, involving approximately 3,500 young people with 215 million euros in aid granted.

Two primary programs are available: ‘Resto al Sud 2.0’, which covers southern regions including Abruzzo, Basilicata, Calabria, Campania, Molise, Puglia, Sardegna, and Sicilia; and ‘Autoimpiego Centro-Nord’, which covers northern and central regions such as Lombardia, Lazio, and Toscana. These measures target individuals under 35 who are unemployed, inactive, or classified as working poor.

Additionally, the Ministry of Enterprises and Made in Italy (Mimit) has announced a 59 million euro refinancing for the ‘On-Oltre’ call. This measure, managed by Invitalia, provides zero-interest loans to support the creation and development of micro and small businesses, with a particular focus on women and young entrepreneurs. While previous non-repayable grants have been exhausted, the new funding will focus on zero-interest financing for up to ten years across various sectors, including commerce, tourism, and services.