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Benefit Competition: Mimit’s roadshow comes to Padua

The Venetian city will host the fourth stage on 16 October at the SMACT Competence Centre. Applications will remain open until 14 September

by Eleonora Micheli

16 July 2026

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3' min read

Translated by AI

Versione italiana

3' min read

Translated by AI

Versione italiana

(Il Sole 24 Ore Radiocor) Following Milan, Brindisi and Ancona, Padua will host the fourth stage of the Benefit Competition, an initiative promoted by the Ministry of Enterprise and Made in Italy (Mimit) to promote Benefit Corporations and encourage the spread of business models geared towards creating economic and social value.

The event is scheduled for 16 October at the SMACT Competence Centre, one of the eight national Competence Centres promoted by Mimit. The event will provide an opportunity for businesses, institutions, universities, the research community and local stakeholders to discuss the contribution of Benefit Corporations to the sustainable development of local areas and the promotion of business models that prioritise sustainability and the common good.

The Veneto leg is organised in collaboration with City Vision, which also supports the project through the national roadshow “Benefit for the City”, dedicated to promoting experiences and initiatives capable of generating shared value for citizens, communities and public authorities.

Challenge also open to ESG companies

Companies interested in taking part in the Padua stage may submit their applications by 14 September 2026. The competition is open to companies throughout Italia that are already registered as Benefit Corporations, as well as to those that have begun the process of transitioning to this corporate model, which the Mimit aims to promote in view of the economic, social and environmental benefits it can generate.

Mimit is monitoring the model’s uptake across the region

In parallel with the roadshow, Mimit continues to monitor the development of Benefit Corporations via a dashboard created in collaboration with the Brindisi-Taranto Chamber of Commerce and InfoCamere, which enables analysis of the model’s uptake across the country and its impact in various business sectors.

There are 577 benefit corporations in Veneto

According to data from the National Observatory, available via the dashboard, in the first quarter of 2026 Italian Benefit Corporations numbered 5,754, with around 250,000 employees and a production value of 70.57 billion euros. Year-on-year, the number of companies grew by 19.55 per cent, confirming a trend of strong expansion compared with the mere 442 companies recorded in 2019.

The Veneto region remains one of the most dynamic regions. The number of businesses that have adopted this model has risen from 51 in 2019 to 551 in 2025, reaching 577 in the first quarter of 2026. This growth demonstrates how the Benefit model has found fertile ground in a region characterised by a strong manufacturing sector and a production system that is increasingly focused on sustainability and social responsibility.

Benefit Corporations in the Veneto region operate mainly in the professional, scientific and technical services sectors and in manufacturing, two sectors that account for a significant proportion of the regional economy.

The figures explain why Mimit chose to host one of the stages of the Benefit Competition in Padua. The Veneto region is, in fact, not only one of the regions where the Benefit model is most widespread, but is also among those that have developed specific tools to support its growth.

An ad hoc law and the Venexus platform in the Region

The region has, in fact, enacted Regional Law 10/2024, which established the Regional Register of Benefit Corporations and has supported the development of Venexus, a digital platform designed to facilitate collaboration between businesses and local authorities in the implementation of projects with a social, environmental and governance (ESG) impact.

Venexus positions itself as a sustainability marketplace. Through a system based on blockchain technology, it ensures the transparency and traceability of transactions, enabling local authorities to publish projects of public interest and businesses to identify initiatives that are most in line with their objectives for the common good.

The platform brings together Benefit Corporations listed in the Companies Register, organisations that adopt ESG practices, and projects promoted by public bodies, creating a meeting point between the supply and demand for initiatives with a high social impact. Companies can thus support these projects through financial or operational contributions, whilst at the same time achieving measurable results that can be highlighted in their sustainability reporting.

The Veneto region is now one of the most advanced examples in this field at national level and is virtually unique in Italia. Puglia has also developed tools designed to promote Benefit Corporations, but the Veneto model stands out for the way it integrates regulatory measures, a digital platform and support for collaboration between the public and private sectors.

The fourth stage of the Benefit Competition (click here to register: https://www.mimit.gov.it/it/benefit/competition ) forms part of this initiative to showcase the best local initiatives, with the aim of fostering dialogue between businesses, institutions and local authorities, and promoting models of growth that are increasingly geared towards the common good.

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Eleonora Micheliredattore Radiocor
- @eleonoramicheli
- LinkedIn
Luogo: Milano
Lingue parlate: italiano, inglese, francese
Argomenti: finanza, economia
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