Il Digital Republic Fund which will make 350 million euros available over three years to finance the growth of digital skills, supporting training and inclusion projects. The agreement that establishes its creation was signed today by the Minister for Innovation Vittorio Colao, by that of Economy, Daniele Franco and by the president of Acri, Francesco Profumo.
An important initiative that aims to fill the gaps in our country where, according to the European Commission's Digital Economy and Society Index (DESI), 58% of the Italian population between 16 and 74 years of age (26 million citizens) has no basic digital skills, compared to 42% of the EU average. A delay that has an impact on access to digital services of the PA, but also determines one of the major brakes on the development of Italy.
In this scenario, the Digital Republic Fund will select projects to be financed through calls for tenders in which public, private non-profit and third sector entities can participate, alone or in partnership.
They will feed the fund the foundations of banking origin which will make around 350 million euros available. Against the payments made, the Foundations will be granted a tax credit, equal to 65% for the years 2022 and 2023 and 75% for the years 2024, 2025 and 2026.
The fund will be led by a Strategic Steering Committee, made up of 6 members appointed by the Government and by Acri: Daria Perrotta (president), Michele Bugliesi, Luca de Angelis, Anna Gatti, Federico Giammusso, Francesco Profumo. They will be assigned the task of defining the strategic lines, the priorities of action, the verification of the selection and evaluation processes of the projects. At his side on the Strategic Committee there will be a Independent scientific committee, which will be entrusted with the task of monitoring and evaluating the ex post effectiveness of the financed interventions. "Within six months an implementing body of the Fund will be identified, who will take care of all the operational activities", reads the note from ACRI.
“The digitization objectives included in the Pnrr are very ambitious and we aim to be one of the leading countries in the European Union as early as 2026. To do this, the Pnrr invests significant resources in digital infrastructures, such as connectivity and the cloud. But no transformation can take place fairly if you don't also invest in people. With the Digital Republic Fund, another key initiative of the PNRR is starting today, built to accompany people and families who have greater difficulty in accessing digital technology", he declared the minister Colao.
“Digitization is a fundamental element of the transformation of the country. The acceleration of investments in new technologies, infrastructures and digital processes will allow us to enhance the competitiveness of our economy. The Fund for the Digital Republic represents an important tool that our country uses to pursue these objectives,” he added Minister Franco.
Secondo the president of Acri, Francesco Profumo “The digital transition is a very important part of the country's modernization and the Fund for the Digital Republic will allow the activation of projects aimed at ensuring that this revolution takes place without leaving anyone behind. This is a very ambitious initiative, to which the Foundations of banking origin are happy to contribute”.
