Self-employment incentives for young people under the cohesion decree

At a glance

• A new decree supports young people under 35 to start self-employed, entrepreneurial or professional activities.
• Applicants must meet specific criteria, such as being unemployed, socially vulnerable, or part of the Guarantee of Employability of Workers (GOL) programme.
• Funding includes training, mentoring, and support during the design and development phases of new ventures.
• A total of EUR800 million has been allocated to support these initiatives.
• The decree was issued jointly by the Ministers of Labour, European Affairs, and Economy.

The Italian government has issued the implementing decree for Articles 17 and 19 of Decree-Law no. 60/2024, commonly referred to as the Cohesion Decree, aimed at promoting self-employment among young people under the age of 35.

Jointly signed by the Minister of Labour and Social Policies, the Minister of European Affairs, the National Recovery and Resilience Plan, and Cohesion Policies, and the Minister of Economy and Finance, the decree introduces a comprehensive package of incentives to encourage the launch of self-employed, entrepreneurial, and professional activities.

To qualify, applicants must meet at least one of the following conditions:

• Be marginalised, socially vulnerable, or subject to discrimination;
• Be unemployed, inactive, or currently without work;
• Be unemployed and enrolled in the GOL programme.

The initiative is backed by a substantial EUR800 million fund, which will be used to provide training, mentoring, and tailored support during the planning and development stages of new ventures. This funding is designed to foster active inclusion and sustainable employment opportunities for young people across Italy.