NIDI, national winner and European finalist of the 2024 EEPA - European Enterprise Promotion Awards

NIDI, national winner and European finalist of the 2024 EEPA - European Enterprise Promotion Awards.

The Nidi - New Business Initiatives - funding tool has been named national winner and European finalist of the 2024 EEPA - European Enterprise Promotion Awards, a European Commission award.

The award was presented on December 2nd in Rome in the Parlamentino Hall of the Ministry of Enterprise and Made in Italy during the event "Small and Medium-sized Enterprises: A Pillar of the National and European Economy." Program Manager Lorenzo Minnielli accepted the award on behalf of the Puglia Region and Puglia Sviluppo (which manages the measure).

Nidi was awarded in Category 1, "Promotion of the Entrepreneurial Spirit."

"The Award in this category," the certificate states, "recognizes virtuous initiatives at the national, regional, and local levels aimed at promoting an entrepreneurial mindset, particularly among young people and women."

This link is for the page dedicated to the initiative. Nidi is discussed in the opening video and in Lorenzo Minnielli's speech.

In November, the European Commission held a ceremony in Budapest, during which the Nidi initiative ranked among the top three European initiatives aimed at promoting entrepreneurship, along with two similar measures from France and Germany.

The three countries reached the finals after competing from a record 442 applications from 29 countries. From these, national juries selected 15 winners in the aforementioned Category 1, "Promotion of Entrepreneurship." From these, the EEPA jury then selected the three that advanced to the final stage.

Here are the successful initiatives:

Italy: Nidi – New Business Initiatives

From Italy, the Nidi – New Business Initiatives initiative of the Puglia Region is a regional measure that provides financial support to new businesses, with particular emphasis on companies founded by women and young people, and where at least 50% of their members are disadvantaged by working conditions. The support comes in the form of non-repayable grants and interest-free loans to promote entrepreneurship and boost the local startup ecosystem.

France: Pépite

Pépite was founded by the Ministry of Higher Education and Research throughout France to promote entrepreneurship among students and graduates. The program has supported over 40,000 young entrepreneurs since its launch in 2014. By leveraging the expertise of higher education institutions and fostering connections with mentors and entrepreneurial partners, Pépite strengthens regional business environments while encouraging entrepreneurial initiatives.

Germany: Silicon Vilstal

In Germany, Silicon Vilstal gUG - Social Economy Cluster, connects social enterprises and rural regions to promote practical entrepreneurship and innovation in rural areas. In real-world laboratories, social innovations are further developed and tested together, benefiting both the regional rural economic ecosystem and the social enterprises themselves, addressing the need for innovation solutions and improving rural economic resilience.

In the photo, Puglia Sviluppo program manager Lorenzo Minnielli, awarded for Nidi.