On the southern edge of Milan, just beyond the city’s railway lines, Casa Jannacci operates quietly every day of the year. The building hosts people experiencing severe housing exclusion: homeless adults, single parent families, unaccompanied minors. Inside, social workers, educators, health professionals and cultural mediators work together to provide accommodation, legal assistance, job orientation and tailored autonomy pathways.
Casa Jannacci reflects the broader approach to welfare Milan follows. It is one of many initiatives financed through the European Social Fund Plus (ESF+), which supports the city in turning social priorities into concrete services. For Milan, EU social funding is a practical tool that helps deliver inclusion, education and social cohesion across neighbourhoods.
A dual role in social funding
Milan has a distinctive position within Italy’s ESF+ governance structure. As one of the 14 metropolitan capital cities, it accesses EU social funding through two main channels, each involving a different level of responsibility.
The first channel is NP Metro Plus, a national programme with an ESF+ component dedicated specifically to metropolitan areas. Under this programme, Milan operates as an Intermediate Body.
Through a formal agreement with the managing authority, metropolitan cities are given substantial responsibilities throughout the funding cycle. Silvia Gambino, from the City of Milan’s EU Programmes Financing and Management Unit, explains: “Metropolitan cities directly manage resources and functions linked to the interventions. This includes planning actions, selecting projects, carrying out first level controls and reporting on results.”
In ESF+ Regional Programmes, cities act further down the chain. We respond to calls for proposals, but we do not influence the overall programme design.
This role places Milan in a strong position to shape social interventions in line with local needs. ESF+ resources are integrated into wider territorial strategies and aligned with the city’s welfare priorities.
Alongside NP Metro Plus, Milan also accesses ESF+ through regional and national programmes. During the 2021–27 programming period, these programmes formally promote place-based approaches and multilevel governance. In practice, however, municipalities mainly participate as beneficiaries.
“In ESF+ Regional Programmes, cities act further down the chain,” Gambino notes. “We respond to calls for proposals, but we do not influence the overall programme design.”
Within this framework, municipal administrations carry out projects in specific policy areas — such as active labour market measures, social services or early childhood education — while strategic choices remain largely centralised.
In addition to ESF+, Milan also uses AMIF, EaSI and Erasmus+ funding for social and educational work, mainly as a beneficiary or project partner. These funds help the city strengthen its capacity and build cooperation with other European cities.
In education and adult learning, the Municipality manages Erasmus+ mobility budgets, allowing staff to train abroad and exchange practices. It also participates in cooperation partnerships to test and develop new approaches at European level.
Milan is also exploring how sport can support inclusion and participation, in line with ESF+ priorities. For example, through the EduFurst project, the city is developing guidelines for early childhood services that support the Child Guarantee.
City involvement across the funding cycle
The contrast between these funding models is clearest when looking at Milan’s role across the funding cycle. Under NP Metro Plus, the city is involved from the start: design, implementation, monitoring and evaluation.
“Our role is defined clearly from the start,” says Gambino. “This creates stable cooperation and allows us to concentrate on long-term impact.”
In other ESF+ programmes, the role is more limited. Consultation may happen, but cities are usually confined to implementation and reporting.
If our role is defined clearly from the start, this creates stable cooperation and allows us to concentrate on long-term impact
This has consequences. Measures may not fully reflect local realities or the complexity of challenges, especially where coordination between local actors is essential.
What ESF+ supports in Milan
EU social funding in Milan supports three main areas: inclusion and rights; early childhood education; and opportunities for young people.
LABZEROSEI also acts as a research and innovation space, testing different ways for children to learn and express themselves through science, art and music.
These initiatives work closely with schools and community organisations, particularly in neighbourhoods where families may face greater barriers. The aim is simple: improve quality while making services easier to reach.
More broadly, Milan’s Zero-Six system helps families who are not yet connected to public services. Through local outreach and culturally sensitive approaches, families can access support in ways that feel relevant and accessible.
Additional projects focus on inclusive school holidays and preventing early school leaving through combined educational and social support. Erasmus+ exchanges also help educators improve skills and share approaches across Europe.
Without ESF+, integrating services and infrastructures in the early childhood area would not be implemented.
As Franca Locati, Head of the Project Office for Early Childhood Education and Care, Education Department, City of Milan, explains, “without ESF+, integrating services and infrastructures in the early childhood area would not be implemented. A dedicated social fund is essential to ensure continuity and quality.”
Supporting young people and the urban economy
Projects targeting young people aim to reduce inequalities in access to work and participation.
Milan in 15 Minutes supports neighbourhood-level initiatives that bring services and opportunities closer to residents. Zio focuses on Gen Z, creating spaces where young people can build skills and take part in civic and economic life.
Together, these projects aim to strengthen autonomy, participation and a sense of belonging.
Reaching people facing complex exclusion
A significant share of ESF+ funding supports people facing severe and overlapping forms of exclusion.
Some initiatives provide training, work placements and support for access to employment. Others focus on communities such as Roma and Sinti, combining actions on housing, education and services.
Local welfare hubs like WeMi act as entry points, offering guidance and personalised support. Outreach services bring assistance directly to people in difficult situations, particularly in peripheral areas.
As Milan representatives put it, “EU social funding allows us to move beyond individual measures and build integrated pathways.”
In focus: Casa Jannacci
Casa Jannacci is a key example of this approach. With a total budget of €28.5 million for 2024–2029, including €3.15 million from NP Metro Plus, the centre is evolving into a multifunctional hub.
While traditionally dedicated to adults facing extreme poverty and social isolation, today it welcomes and supports more than 500 people, including families with children, unaccompanied minors and people seeking protection.
By combining education, social services, health and legal support, the centre helps people move from emergency support to independence.
Its work relies on close cooperation with Third Sector organisations. “Co-design with Third Sector organisations is essential,” explains Francesca Taverna, from the City of Milan’s International Relations – EU Affairs Unit. “They are close to communities and bring flexibility that strengthens public action.”
A dedicated social fund is essential to ensure continuity and quality.
One example is the renovation of six apartments confiscated from organised crime, now used as shared housing for residents moving towards independence. As Nicola Ardagna, Head of Budgeting and Financial Management for Casa Jannacci notes, “EU funding is the bedrock that ensures continuity, allowing us to maintain an integrated response.”
What works, and what doesn’t
From Milan’s perspective, one of the major strengths of NP Metro Plus lies in the clarity of governance arrangements. Roles, responsibilities and procedures are defined from the outset, reducing uncertainty and strengthening trust between levels of administration.
At the local level, co-design with Third Sector organisations is central to service delivery, particularly for vulnerable groups that are harder to reach through standard administrative channels.
Administrative complexity and misaligned indicators
Despite positive experiences, Milan faces significant challenges in managing EU social funding, especially in terms of administrative burden.
“Reporting requirements are often very detailed and time consuming,” explains Lucia Barone, EU Programmes Financing and Management Unit, responsible for monitoring and facilitating the implementation of the ESF+ projects in the NP Metro Plus Operative Plan. “This creates a significant workload for municipalities.”
The challenge is even greater for Third Sector organisations involved in co-designed projects. Many lack specialised administrative staff, increasing the risk of delays in reporting and reimbursement.“To prevent procedural complexity from becoming a barrier, the city invests heavily in mentoring, training and continuous technical support,” Taverna explains.
EU social funding allows us to move beyond individual measures and build integrated pathways.
Another critical issue concerns monitoring and indicators, particularly in educational projects. “Indicators often reflect a socio-assistential logic and do not fully capture educational and community based work,” she adds. This can obscure the real impact of long-term educational and preventive interventions at neighbourhood level.
Why ESF+ must remain a standalone fund
For Milan, the existence of ESF+ as a dedicated fund is essential. “A standalone fund for social and welfare policies is absolutely needed,” say Milan representatives. “Without ESF+, many essential services, especially in early childhood education, would simply not exist.”
ESF+ provides continuity, predictability and flexibility, enabling cities to build long-term strategies rather than short term projects.
Looking ahead: recommendations from Milan
Drawing on its experience, Milan highlights several priorities for the future of EU social funding:
- increased resources for technical assistance for cities,
- further administrative simplification,
- standardised and user-friendly reporting tools,
- appropriate monitoring indicators also for educational and community-based work, and
- mandatory use of simplified cost options, particularly for co-designed ESF+ projects.
“Simplified costs should be the ordinary rule, not an optional choice,” Barone concludes. “This would reduce errors, administrative burdens and barriers for Third Sector participation and, ultimately, strengthen the impact of EU social funding.”
