Emilia-Romagna supports people in need with a law on social microcredit
The Region has approved a measure allocating 3 million euros for the three-year period 2026–2028, through the establishment of a Guarantee and Development Fund for social microcredit. In addition to financial support, the measure provides for a support programme with a dedicated mentor to assist beneficiaries in managing the funding.
(Il Sole 24 Ore Radiocor) – Emilia-Romagna is supporting individuals and families facing financial hardship through a regional law on social microcredit, a measure that provides for the allocation of 3 million for the three-year period 2026–2028. Indeed, it often takes nothing more than a trivial unforeseen event – such as a separation, a bereavement, urgent emergency repairs to one’s home, an eviction, an illness, the need to care for a family member or something similar – to turn a temporary crisis into outright poverty. The Region has chosen to intervene precisely in such cases through a specific measure introduced by the Regional Executive on “The recognition and promotion of regional social microcredit”.
Supportive and responsible financial assistance
Social microcredit is a scheme designed to offer practical financial support to individuals and families going through difficult times, helping them to meet significant expenses and regain greater financial stability. Its distinctive feature is that, alongside the loan, it provides a support programme with a dedicated mentor, who also helps beneficiaries manage their financial resources. Loans can be for up to 10,000 euros, to be repaid over a period of five years.
The measure is allocated a budget of 1 million euros per year for the three-year period 2026–2028. Through an institutional agreement with the National Microcredit Agency – a non-economic public body operating under the guidance of the Prime Minister’s Office and subject to the supervision of the Ministry of Economy and Finance (MEF) and the Ministry of Economic Development (MIMIT) – the loans granted will be guaranteed, mentoring and management costs will be covered, and the interest rates applied will be capped.
Furthermore, the fund is self-renewing: as loans are repaid, resources are freed up and become available to new beneficiaries, generating, over time, a volume of funding greater than the initial allocation. In short, the Emilia-Romagna Region thus recognises social microcredit as a stable and complementary measure within policies to combat poverty, with the aim of preventing economic difficulties from worsening and promoting the self-reliance of individuals and families.
Support at the centre
The scheme is generally aimed at individuals and households resident in Emilia-Romagna who are experiencing financial hardship, including as a result of unforeseen circumstances. The specific eligibility criteria for beneficiaries will be defined in the coming months. Eligibility will be assessed taking into account the ISEE, the nature of the expenses for which funding is being sought, and the sustainability of the repayment plan, in relation to the applicant’s financial situation.
