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€27 million to create new spaces where young people can live the present and build the future. This is "Fabbrica – Civic Spaces for Youth," the project promoted by Minister for Sport and Youth Andrea Abodi through the Department for Youth Policies and the Universal Civil Service, with the support of Sport and Health.
Amateur sports associations, clubs, and third-sector organizations wishing to establish new Civic Spaces will be able to count on financial support from the Youth Policy Fund. "Fabbrica" was officially presented at the Teatro dei Filarmonici in Ascoli Piceno by Minister Andrea Abodi, along with the Mayor of Ascoli Piceno, Marco Fioravanti, and the President of the Italian Youth Agency, Federica Celestini Campanari, as well as representatives of the "Illumina" Sport and Health team, Alessia Filippi and Andrea Lo Cicero.
The choice of the Marche city was no coincidence. Ascoli Piceno, Italian City of Youth 2026, is among the most active in youth-focused initiatives and has demonstrated great dynamism. Hence, a call for proposals designed specifically for local communities, where Civic Spaces can become concrete opportunities to allow young people to remain in their communities.
The reason lies in what a Civic Space is: an open, accessible, safe, inclusive, and recognizable local community center where sport represents an educational, relational, and socially empowering lever, alongside cultural, artistic, educational, social, and career-oriented activities.
For associations, it's an opportunity to give form and resources to something they often already do every day. Specifically, the Civic Space is an open and accessible educational facility, designed by and for young people between the ages of 14 and 35, combining sports, education, culture, social gatherings, and social activities. Its mission is to act as a bridge between young people and what the community has to offer, connecting people, opportunities, and resources that often exist but remain disconnected.
Within a Civic Space, young people are not simply users. They meet, participate, learn, orient themselves, develop skills, and experience active citizenship, playing a leading role in community activities and life. It is a dynamic place open to dialogue, which aims to build strong relationships and social value for the entire community over time. "Fabbrica" supports its creation, consolidation, and development, aiming to promote youth leadership and physical and mental well-being, support orientation and training with concrete opportunities for skills development, strengthen community participation and social inclusion, and enhance the active role of young people in social, cultural, and regional development. The "Fabbrica" program draws on the experience of initiatives such as Community Civic Spaces and RiGenerazioni, developed over the years by the Department and Sport and Health, which have transformed the face of several social realities in Italy.
During the morning, Minister for Sport and Youth, Andrea Abodi, emphasized that "this project is based on a profound belief: young people must not only be recipients of public policies, but protagonists of the choices and initiatives that affect their future and that of the communities in which they live. Meeting, listening, discussion, and participation are the principles that guide our government's commitment to valorizing the ideas, talents, and energies of the younger generations, without neglecting their hardship and the difficulties they face in these times. It is no coincidence that we chose to launch this national initiative in Ascoli Piceno, a city that has demonstrated great sensitivity and attention to youth policies. With the new Fabbrica project, which complements RiGenerazioni, we have allocated a total of over 50 million euros to activities and initiatives aimed at young people throughout the country. Specifically, Fabbrica-Civic Spaces for Youth will be able to finance between 120 and 150 local projects, lasting from 18 to 24 months, with a contribution of €100 million. €150.000 to €250.000. A significant investment that demonstrates the commitment of this Government, led by Giorgia Meloni, to transform listening into concrete action and to offer young people the tools and opportunities to be key players in the development of their communities. Because investing in young people means investing in the future of the entire nation.
"It is a source of great pride for our city to have hosted the national launch of 'Fabbrica,' a program that puts young people at the center and recognizes their talent, ideas, and ability to generate change. Creating places where young people can meet, express themselves, develop skills, share experiences, and transform their aspirations into concrete projects truly means investing—starting today—in the future of the new generations and our communities. Ascoli Piceno is the Italian City of Youth 2026: a city that knows how to listen and follow through, that places its trust in young people, values their skills, and implements their ideas. In this process, 'Fabbrica' will further engage young people in the active life of our communities," stated the Mayor of Ascoli Piceno, Marco Fioravanti.
"For a young person, having a place to go, where someone listens to them and where they can do something useful, makes a difference. In small towns and provincial areas, this place is often lacking, or it's too far away. Sports clubs and the Third Sector, however, are already there: they're in the neighborhoods, they know the families, they're open every day. The Government, with Fabbrica, wants to give these facilities the tools to become true Civic Spaces, where sport intertwines with education, culture, and participation. And we at Sport e Salute are ready to do our part, not only through administrative actions, but by systematically developing our knowledge of the local area and supporting the associations and clubs that represent valuable points of reference throughout Italy," commented Marco Mezzaroma, President of Sport e Salute. The Public Notice, worth €27 million, is aimed at amateur sports associations and clubs registered with the RASD and third sector entities, established as associations or foundations, registered with the Runts. Applications, through the dedicated platform, open at 12:00 on November 4, 2026 and close at 12:00 on December 18, 2026.
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