Article 1, paragraph 375, of Law no. 234 of 30 December 2021, entitled "State Budget for the Financial Year 2022 and Multi-Year Budget for the Three-Year Period 2022–2024", earmarked EUR 90 million for 2022 and EUR 140 million for 2023 for the "Extraordinary Fund for Support Measures in the Publishing Sector", initially within the budget of the Ministry of Economy and Finance, for subsequent transfer to the autonomous budget of the Presidency of the Council of Ministers.

With the D.P.C.M. (Prime Minister's Decree) of 10 August 2023, issued in agreement with the Minister of Labour and Social Policies, the Minister of Enterprises and Made in Italy, and the Minister of Economy and Finance, resources from the Extraordinary Fund for Publishing, amounting to EUR 140 million for 2023, were distributed. In particular, in order to support the demand for information, Articles 5 and 6 of the aforementioned Prime Minister's Decree provided for a Non-repayable grant for the year 2023 totalling EUR 55 million (of which: 10 million under Art. 5 and 45 million under Art. 6 of the D.P.C.M. 10 August 2023), which constitutes an expenditure ceiling, aimed at incentivising investments geared towards technological innovation and the digital transition of businesses publishing newspapers and periodicals and of press agencies (Article 5 of D.P.C.M. 10 August 2023) and in the radio and television publishing sector (Art. 6 of the D.P.C.M. 10 August 2023). The grant is intended for businesses that have invested in innovative technologies for the technological adaptation and modernisation of infrastructure and production processes, aimed at improving the quality of content and its use by users.

Pursuant to Article 108(3) of the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union, the effectiveness of the provision is subject to the authorisation of the European Commission, which, by Decision No. C(2024) 3253 final of 13 May 2024, published on 20 June 2024 (State Aid "SA.112855"), ruled on the compatibility of the aid with the European state aid regulations, authorising its application for the year 2023.

A subsequent decree of the Head of the Department for Information and Publishing of 4 July 2024 then defined, in Article 2 and Article 3, the modalities for the use of this aid. 

Eligible for the grant are operators in the radio and television sector (Article 6(2)(a), (b) and (c) of the D.P.C.M. 10 August 2023), businesses publishing newspapers and periodicals and press agencies (Art. 5 of the same D.P.C.M. 10 August 2023).

Operators in the radio and television publishing sector who intend to access the grant for the year 2023 may submit their applications from 28 October to 19 November 2024, through the computerised procedure made available through the portal on the website of the Ministry of Enterprises and Made in Italy. Any queries or requests for clarification should be sent exclusively by ordinary e-mail to the following dedicated mailbox: fondoeditoria@mise.gov.it 

As regards businesses publishing newspapers and periodicals and press agencies (Article 5 of the D.P.C.M. 10 August 2023 and Article 2 of the Decree of the Head of the Department for Information and Publishing dated 4 July 2024), entities intending to apply for the 2023 grant must meet the following eligibility requirements: having their registered office in an EU Member State or within the European Economic Area; having tax residency in Italy or a permanent establishment in Italy through which the relevant commercial activity associated with the grant is conducted; being registered in the Register of Communication Operators (ROC), maintained by the Authority for Communications Guarantees; being compliant with social security and contribution obligations; not being subject to voluntary liquidation, compulsory administrative liquidation, or judicial liquidation procedures; additionally, listing one of the following primary/main ATECO classification codes in the Business Register:

• 58.13 (publishing of newspapers),
• 58.14 (publishing of magazines and periodicals),
• 63.91 (news agency activities).

The grant contributes to taxable income and is therefore subject to corporate income tax (IRES) withholding.

Entities wishing to access the grant referred to in Article 5 of the D.P.C.M. 10 August 2023, for the year 2023 may apply to the Department from 10.00 am on 28 October to 5.00 pm on 19 November 2024.

Each applicant business must submit only one application for investments made in the year 2023. The application must be digitally signed by the legal representative of the business, exclusively with a CAdES signature. In case of an error, it will be possible, throughout the period during which applications are open, to submit a new application that replaces the previous one.

The procedures for application and the documentation required to submit an application for access to the benefit are governed by the aforementioned Decree of the Head of the Department for Information and Publishing dated 4 July 2024.

More details on the aid measure can be found on the dedicated page on the Department for Information and Publishing website.

Download the user manual (updated 24/10/2024) useful for filling in the application.

For technical assistance in accessing the web portal or in filling in the application, please contact the Help Desk at 06 64892717 from Monday to Friday from 9.00 am to 5.00 pm

If you need clarification, please read the FAQs section on the dedicated page of the Department for Information and Publishing website.  If consulting the FAQs does not resolve your queries, please submit your question exclusively via regular email to the following dedicated email address: fondo.straordinario@governo.it