Italy Launches €7.5 Million Programme to Help Companies Improve Work-Life Balance
Italy has announced a new €7.5 million support programme aimed at helping businesses introduce stronger policies for balancing employees’ professional and family responsibilities.
The initiative has been developed by the Department for Family Policies and the Department for Equal Opportunities, working with Unioncamere, Italy’s network of chambers of commerce. The programme is designed to encourage companies to obtain a new certification focused on work-life balance.
New certification for businesses
At the centre of the programme is UNI/PdR 192:2026, a technical framework that establishes requirements and performance indicators for management systems designed to support employees in combining work and family life.
The Italian government says the initiative is intended to make family-friendly workplace practices part of companies’ broader organisational and economic strategies.
Support available to eligible companies
Companies operating in Italy with at least one employee will be able to seek assistance through the programme.
A minimum of 60% of the available allocation is reserved for micro, small and medium-sized enterprises, giving smaller businesses a significant opportunity to participate.
The programme provides two main forms of support.
The first offers technical and organisational assistance to companies working toward certification. Qualified professionals and consulting organisations will be selected to provide this support.
The second covers part of the cost associated with obtaining the first work-life-balance certification from an accredited certification body.
Grants can reach €12,000 per company
The financial support available for certification will depend on the size of the company.
According to the government announcement, eligible businesses can receive support of up to €12,000 per company for the certification process.
Before applying, companies will also have to complete an online self-assessment designed to determine their existing level of maturity in workplace work-life-balance practices.
Applications open later this month
Businesses interested in participating will be able to submit applications through the Restart platform operated by InfoCamere.
The application window is scheduled to open at 10:00 a.m. on September 21, 2026. Applications will be processed according to the order in which they are submitted, subject to the programme’s eligibility requirements.
Approved assistance and certification programmes will need to be completed by June 30, 2027.
Government links family policies with economic performance
The Italian government says supporting employees’ ability to manage work and family responsibilities can also benefit companies.
Government-cited data from Unioncamere and its Tagliacarne Study Centre indicate that businesses investing in employee well-being and work-life-balance measures have reported stronger performance in areas including turnover growth, employment and digital technology adoption.
The initiative is therefore being presented not simply as a social policy measure, but also as a way of encouraging companies to build more sustainable and competitive workplaces.
