Bando Valore per il Territorio

Bando Valore per il Territorio

Funds university-led research in Italy on regional innovation and territorial development.

⚠ This may reflect a past cycle — verify the current call on the funder's site.

Bando Valore per il Territorio is a competitive grant program launched by Fondazione CDP — the philanthropic arm of Cassa Depositi e Prestiti, Italy's state-backed development finance institution — on the occasion of CDP's 175th anniversary. The 2026 edition offers three research grants of €150,000 each to Italian university departments for projects that generate concrete, positive social impact. Alongside the university track, the bando includes companion prizes: three prizes of €10,000 each for doctoral theses and four prizes of €5,000 each for master's degree theses, bringing the total pool to approximately €510,000. Submissions were accepted from 18 November 2025 through 31 March 2026 via the just.impacta.app portal, and that deadline has now passed.

The program targets four thematic areas: circular economy and sustainability (including 3Rs models and energy transition), technological and digital innovation (digitization of supply chains, smart mobility), employability and social inclusion (university-business collaboration, training for peripheral areas), and regeneration of peripheral urban areas (cultural and social interventions, participatory models). University grants are paid directly to the awarding institution, with one project selected from each of Italy's three macro-regions — North, Centre, and South — ensuring geographic equity. PhD thesis prize candidates must not have reached 36 years of age by 31 March 2026, and the doctorate must have been obtained in Italy in 2025 or be on track for completion by that date. Master's thesis candidates must hold or be completing a degree with a minimum grade of 105/110 and be no older than 28.

Evaluation criteria include social impact, originality, stakeholder involvement, and overall quality of work. No more than one application may be submitted per university Department or School. The 2026 cycle is now closed; researchers and institutions interested in a potential future edition should monitor the Fondazione CDP website (cdp.it) for announcement of the next call.