In 2026, the University Fund will total 9.41 billion (2.54 in performance-related funding)

In 2026, the Ordinary Financing Fund (FFO) for universities will reach 9.41 billion. This has been confirmed by the Ministry of University and Research (MUR) decree setting out the allocation criteria, which in recent days received the approval of the Conference of Rectors and the National University Council (CUN) and which – once it has also received the approval of ANVUR and the National Council of University Students’ Unions (CNSU) – will be submitted for scrutiny by the relevant parliamentary committees. This double approval has also been driven by the corrective measures introduced by Minister Anna Maria Bernini at the end of June, which will enable many universities to avoid the feared funding cuts that would have resulted from the application of the findings of the new Research Quality Assessment (the VQR 2020–24). It is expected that the PA Decree, due to be discussed by the Council of Ministers next week, will allocate 50 million euros to universities, drawn from the Ministry of University and Research’s (MUR) own budget, which will serve to further bolster the FFO.

The reference to additional resources is found in both of the opinions cited. The CRUI – chaired by the Vice-Chancellor of Ferrara, Laura Ramaciotti – on the one hand, expresses its appreciation for ‘an equalisation measure accompanied by a safeguard clause, ranging from 0% to +5%’ for the 2025 financial year, which ‘fulfils the fundamental function of mitigating, as far as possible, sudden negative fluctuations in universities’ budgets, with the aim of ensuring a sustainable and gradual transition towards the new evaluation framework’. On the other hand, she emphasises that the 50 million due to be allocated will be used ‘to recognise improved performance in the bonus allocation for universities that have achieved positive results in the VQR’.

For its part, the National University Council refers to the ‘ongoing regulatory initiatives, which could result in additional funds that would otherwise have been earmarked for budget savings, and the possibility of adopting further allocation measures’, expressing the hope “that these initiatives will be brought to a timely conclusion and that any resources recovered may offset the amounts earmarked for reducing staff turnover, thereby contributing to strengthening the financial sustainability of universities”. The CUN itself then offers to “make a constructive contribution to launching a discussion on revising the FFO allocation model with a view to updating it to meet the needs arising from the changes that have taken place over the last decade, with the shared aim of strengthening its quality, sustainability and capacity to respond to the needs of society, research and higher education’.

The opinion of the body representing the academic world (which is due to be reformed by a draft bill currently under consideration in the Senate, Ed.) also helps us to piece together the puzzle of the funding available for 2026. In total, the FFO will amount to 9.41 billion (including the 49 million earmarked, however, for the state budget to reduce staff turnover) compared with 9.36 billion in 2025. Net of the additional 50 million mentioned above, therefore, the share to be distributed amongst universities will be essentially the same as last year. On the other hand, an increase has been announced in the ‘share’ of resources to be allocated on the basis of standard costs, which will rise from 36 per cent to 38 per cent of the Fund, net of earmarked allocations, thus increasing from 2.45 to 2.58 billion. Meanwhile, the basic share of the FFO, which will continue to be linked to historical expenditure, will decrease to 1.42 billion.

We also consider it worth noting here the slight increase, from 2.5 to 2.54 billion, in the bonus allocation, 60 per cent of which will be distributed on the basis of the 2020–24 VQR (rather than the previous 2015–19 VQR), with a further 20 per cent based on recruitment policies and the remaining 20 per cent based on the performance indicators of the three-year plan.