Job

Self-employment incentives, the implementing decree arrives. Here are the novelties

800 million on the plate. The measure is intended for young people aged between 18 and 35 who are unemployed, inactive or socially fragile.

by Claudio Tucci

12 July 2025

3' min read

Key points

A boost to work for Neet and unemployed
Resources
Addressees
What are these incentives
Self-Employment Centre North
Resto al Sud 2.0
The estimated audience

3' min read

About a year after the Cohesion Decree, incentives for self-employment, self-employment and professional work are also being unblocked. This was announced by the Ministry of Labour, in a note highlighting the arrival of the implementing decree, signed by Minister Marina Calderone, in agreement with her government colleagues, Tommaso Foti (Minister for European Affairs, the NRP and Cohesion Policies) and Giancarlo Giorgetti (Mef). The measure, financed with EUR 800 million, now passes the scrutiny of the supervisory bodies.

A boost to work for Neet and unemployed

"A system action to increase the participation of our young people in the world of work, in particular the Neet and the unemployed, to promote good business ideas and to accompany new self-employment, professional and entrepreneurial initiatives through training, mentoring and access to a start-up contribution,' said Minister Calderone. This is also a useful boost for the generational transition of business, professional and self-employment activities, which highlights the role that this government entrusts to the ability to undertake, know-how and quality work. Whatever contractual or corporate form it takes'.

Resources

"The Meloni government," said Minister Foti, "has allocated EUR 800 million to promote active inclusion and job placement through specific measures to support the start-up of self-employment, entrepreneurial, and freelance initiatives for young people. Of these, 700 million come from the European Social Fund Plus (ESF+), while 100 million are resources of the NRP, under the GOL programme (Guaranteed Employability of Workers - part of Mission 5 of the Plan).

Addressees

The measure is intended for young people aged between 18 and 35 who are unemployed, inactive or socially fragile. Thanks to these resources, it will be possible to offer training and accompaniment courses - in collaboration with the National Microcredit Agency - and concretely support the start-up of autonomous, entrepreneurial and professional activities throughout the country.

What are these incentives

As will be recalled, it was the cohesion decree (Decree-Law 60/2024) that redesigned (and multiplied) labour subsidies according to certain subjects considered to be more in difficulty, or distant from employment. In particular, incentives are envisaged to push self-employment, liberal professions and business activity.

Autoimpiego Centro Nord

Here, under the Cohesion Decree, two interventions are on track: Autoimpiego Centro Nord Italia and Resto al Sud 2.0. Beneficiaries are young people under 35, in conditions of marginalisation and difficulty, or unemployed, inactive, unemployed or jobless recipients of the Gol (Workers' Employment Guarantee) programme measures. Funding is provided for training and coaching services, tutoring to increase skills, and actual incentives in the form of vouchers, which are non-refundable. In the latter case, with Autoimpiego Centro Nord Italia, it is possible to obtain a maximum amount of up to EUR 30,000 for the purchase of goods, tools and services for the start-up of self-employment, entrepreneurial and freelance activities, on an individual or collective basis. This rises to EUR 40 thousand if innovative, technological and digital goods and services are purchased, or goods that ensure environmental sustainability or energy saving. Alternatively, de minimis aid can be obtained for expenditure programmes below 120 thousand, consisting of a non-repayable contribution of up to 65% of the investment. If expenditure programmes are over 120 thousand and up to 200 thousand, the non-repayable contribution is 60%.

Resto al Sud 2.0

With Resto al Sud 2.0, a de minimis start-up voucher subject to reimbursement is envisaged for activities located in southern Italy, to be used for the purchase of goods, instruments, and services for the start-up of activities up to EUR 40,000, rising to EUR 50,000 in the case of the purchase of innovative goods and services. De minimis aid of up to 75 per cent is envisaged for expenditure programmes of up to EUR 120 thousand, which drops to 70 per cent for expenditure programmes between EUR 120 thousand and EUR 200 thousand.

The estimated audience

The technical report to the Cohesion Decree for both these measures estimates an audience of 15,000 recipients (more than 65% of whom are in the South) and an average non-repayable contribution of 40,000 euro considering that the recipients will have to contribute financially to the costs of the investment plans in varying percentages according to the location of the business initiatives.