National Youth Card

The Card is a free digital tool that provides easy access to a wide range of goods, services, sports activities, experiences, and other opportunities, including those related to education and employment. These benefits are made possible through partnerships with numerous public and private entities. Additionally, the Card is part of the network of cards from European countries associated with the European Youth Card Association (EYCA), offering reciprocal benefits across participating countries

Objectives:

The project aims to enhance the quality of life for younger generations by offering discounted access to psychological support, fostering personal growth, and promoting opportunities for cultural, sports, and recreational activities.

Duration of the Initiative:

The Card was launched in March 2022.

Positive Impact (Indicators and Outputs of the Initiative):

More than 3 million individuals between the ages of 18 and 35 use the National Youth Card. The card is affiliated with over 150 partners, offering approximately 150 opportunities and discounts.

Preparation Phase:

The National Youth Card is a free digital tool available to all young people aged 18 to 35 residing in Italy. It provides facilitated access to goods, services, sports activities, experiences, and other opportunities, including educational and professional ones. Launched in March 2022 during the European Year of Youth, the initiative aims to improve the quality of life for younger generations by offering psychological support under favorable conditions, supporting their growth, and promoting opportunities for participation in cultural, sports, and recreational activities.

The National Youth Card is accessible through the IO APP, a free application developed and managed by PagoPA S.p.A., designed to facilitate access to public administration services for all Italian citizens. As a public access system, the IO APP uses the public digital identity system (SPID), which allows users to authenticate and access services with a single digital login.

The initiative is promoted by the Department for Youth Policies and the Universal Civic Service, in collaboration with the Minister for Sport and Youth. An annual budget of 5 million euros has been allocated for administrative and commercial management, as well as the development of the card, over a three-year period.

Additionally, the National Youth Card is part of the European Youth Card Association (EYCA), a network that includes over 30 countries and more than 7 million young people (ages 14-30). This association provides mutual benefits and opportunities across various aspects of youth social, cultural, sports, economic, and educational life.

The National Youth Card’s opportunities are also listed on a dedicated webpage (https://giovani2030.it/iniziativa/carta-giovani-nazionale/) as well as on the card’s Instagram and LinkedIn accounts.

Currently, there are over 150 partners affiliated with the National Youth Card, offering approximately 150 opportunities and discounts. Partners benefit from visibility through the app, which is accessible to over 3 million users of the IO APP.

The Department publishes calls on the institutional website for both public and private operators interested in becoming partners of the card. These operators can submit an Expression of Interest and present proposals for new opportunities and benefits, which are then evaluated by the Department.

The selection criteria for proposals include: alignment with the nature, objectives, and national scope of the National Youth Card; clarity of the proposal’s content; effectiveness and benefits for the target beneficiaries; and accessibility of the proposed benefits to the beneficiaries.

Implementation Phase:

In 2024, a dashboard was developed to monitor key data related to user activities on the National Youth Card. Since 2022, approximately 3.4 million people aged 18 to 35 have been using the card. There are currently over 150 partners affiliated with the National Youth Card, offering around 150 opportunities and discounts. In March 2024, a new call for expressions of interest was published, aimed at expanding the pool of partners willing to provide young people with additional benefits, services, and opportunities.

Post-Initiative Phase:

At the end of 2022, the Department launched a questionnaire for young holders of the CGN. Over 210,000 young people responded, providing valuable insights for future developments. Concurrently, thematic roundtables were held with economic partners involved in the initiative to collaboratively explore ideas for expanding and improving the available opportunities, benefits, and services.

Feedback from the survey and discussions at the roundtables highlighted a strong interest in aligning the types of accessible services and opportunities more closely with the actual needs of young people. The initiative is still ongoing.