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Tajani: "Thanks to these resources we want to contribute to creating and maintaining a fabric capable of animating and making the city more livable" 

Milan, August 3 2019 – Animate and liven up the neighborhoods thanks to the opening of local businesses or neighborhood shops that have at least one shop window on the street, in order to improve the quality of life in the decentralized areas of the city.  
This is the objective of "Prossima Impresa", the provision that makes 1,6 million euros available to aspiring entrepreneurs who choose to start and grow their businesses in the less central areas of Milan: from the Adriano district to Gratosoglio, from Quarto Oggiaro to Lambrate, passing through Barona and Bovisa up to Lorenteggio and Vigentino.

"Thanks to these measures and the action carried out by the Administration, we want to contribute to creating a commercial and artisanal fabric capable of animating and making the decentralized areas of the city more attractive. A way to bring local commerce closer to the needs of many citizens that populate these neighborhoods, thus contributing to improving sociality, safety and commercial vitality of the areas where they will settle". Thus the councilor for Labor Policies, Productive Activities and Commerce Cristina Tajani, who continues: "Encouraging the opening of businesses, shops and artisan workshops capable of being a point of reference for the inhabitants of the neighborhood on the street means going back to investing in the 'importance of being an integral part of a community and its heritage of social relations, two essential elements for the development of the city.'

In the first 7 months of the year, according to data collected by the Milan Monza Brianza Lodi Chamber of Commerce, there were 9.221 businesses registered in the city of Milan, of which 4.564 in the suburbs, which account for half. Among active businesses and local units, peripheral caps account for half of the Milanese total, with 103 thousand businesses out of 210 thousand.

The “Next Enterprise” tender, created together with the Chamber of Commerce of Milan Monza Brianza Lodi, is in line with the actions carried out in recent years by the Administration aimed at creating an ecosystem in the city territory conducive to settlement, growth and development of businesses in the various fields of manufacturing and new craftsmanship up to modern hybrid activities that combine sales and administration activities with experiential activities linked to the territory. From this perspective, business projects that contribute to the urban redevelopment of neighborhoods through the recovery of abandoned spaces, the protection of streets sparsely populated by commercial activities as well as the creation of job opportunities and social cohesion for the inhabitants of the area will be positively evaluated. area. Additional rewards are also provided for projects proposed by aspiring women entrepreneurs in order to encourage female entrepreneurship. Entrepreneurial projects may concern any type of business from crafts to trade, passing through personal and community services.

The resources made available for the implementation of the "Next Enterprise" tender derive from ministerial funds disbursed thanks to law 266/97, which support businesses located in urban areas characterized by particular socio-economic degradation. Specifically, of the approximately 1,6 million euros, over one million will be used to finance new businesses and 500 thousand will go to those already established, i.e. businesses that have at least one street shop window. For both types there is a non-repayable contribution of up to 25% of the total expense in addition to a subsidized rate loan, for the other 25% for a total amount not exceeding 50 thousand euros for each individual project.

New business ideas and existing businesses will be judged by a special commission on economic sustainability and on the basis of how these ideas impact and integrate with the life of the chosen settlement neighbourhood. In line with the economic-social objectives pursued by the Administration, business projects that include gaming or betting rooms, sale of alcohol and spirits at night (entities other than bars or pubs which also perform aggregation functions for the elderly) are excluded from the tender. or young people from the neighborhoods in question) as well as money transfers, massage centers or erotic adult services as well as armories and fireworks retailers.

In the next few days the contents of the "Next Enterprise" call will be published on the portal www.comune.milano.it, while from mid-September all the forms to access the financing will be available. Given the summer release of the notice, applications for participation can be submitted until November 19th.