Sustainable Business Award 2025: applications are now open
The fourth edition is now underway: SMEs that incorporate sustainability into their growth strategy have until 18 September to register
Key points
Applications are now open for the 2025 Sustainable Business Award, now in its fourth edition, organised by *Il Sole 24 Ore* in collaboration with Piccola Industria (a division of Confindustria) and the Pontifical Committee for World Children’s Day – organised in partnership with the Ministry of the Environment and Energy Security and Unioncamere, and funded by the National Recovery and Resilience Plan (PNRR). The aim is to continue recognising and promoting Italian small and medium-sized enterprises that integrate sustainability – environmental, social and economic – into their growth strategy.
Projects
Against a backdrop characterised by the energy transition, the evolution of supply chains and the digitalisation of processes, alongside growing global geopolitical complexity, the award aims to highlight companies that have succeeded in turning change into a lasting competitive advantage. In particular, those SMEs which, through concrete projects, have succeeded in combining economic development, environmental protection and social responsibility, becoming models of excellence for the entire national ecosystem.
Categories
Each company may submit an application in up to two of the three award categories: environmental sustainability (reducing environmental impact through decarbonisation and the circular economy), economic sustainability (promoting employment growth and creating value in the local area), and social sustainability (promoting inclusion, improving working conditions and supporting local communities).
The selected companies will then take part in the awards ceremony to be held on Wednesday 22 October in Rome as part of a nationally significant event such as the Sustainability Forum 2025.
Jury
Entries will remain open until Thursday 18 September 2025. The entries will be assessed by a jury chaired by Fabio Tamburini, editor-in-chief of *Il Sole 24 Ore*, Radio 24 and the Radiocor news agency, comprising leading figures from the academic, institutional and business worlds. These include Marina Brogi, professor at La Sapienza University in Rome; Teresa Caradonna, vice-president for ESG and Sustainable Value at Piccola Industria Confindustria; Maria Carmela Colaiacovo, president of Gruppo 24 ORE; Roberta Toffanin, an expert at the Ministry of the Environment and Energy Security; Father Enzo Fortunato, president of the Pontifical Committee for World Children’s Day; and Edoardo Garrone, president of Erg.
