Intesa Sanpaolo wants to be closer to the projects and dreams of young people – who represent our future – and believes it is essential to meet their needs with products and services that promote financial inclusion.

For this reason it has developed a specific product range: besides Mutuo Giovani, products include prepaid cards, the ad hoc loans – PerTe Prestito Giovani and PerTe Prestito Con Lode – and supplementary welfare solutions.

In 2016, the “PerTe Prestito Giovani” loan was disbursed to more than 41,000 young customers for nearly 486 million euro (in 2015 the loan was disbursed to over 43,000 customers, totalling more than 487 million).

Per Te Prestito con Lode

This loan, which underscores the Bank's commitment to promoting the training and university careers of young people, is for students who are up to date with their courses not only at University, but also with an organisation that is a Foundation, a guarantee fund in general or a company in the welfare sector. The requirements for obtaining the loan are regardless of family income and are based solely on university attendance and merit, without any collateral.

The “Per Te Prestito con Lode” loan has been extended to students on post-graduate courses, with higher amounts and longer repayment periods, based on single agreements, offering flexible and customisable management by any participating organisation.

The agreement with the Jesuit Educational Foundation was revised in 2016, which brings together Jesuit schools in Italy and Albania, providing access to credit for families of pupils at the foundation's secondary schools. A further 13 organisations signed up. In total 27 organisations – comprising universities and further educational organisations – have signed the agreement.

519 loans for 6.7 million euro were disbursed.

The “Per Te Prestito con Lode” loan will be offered to all Italian universities, to the Ministry of Education and Italian companies, as a corporate welfare programme.

As regards supplementary welfare, the two solutions launched at the end of 2012 – an open-ended pension fund, “Il Mio Domani”, and an individual welfare plan, “Il Mio Futuro” – offer under-25s a discount on the annual management fee. In 2016, over 86,000 joined, with figures up considerably on 2015 (+21.90% for “Il mio Futuro” and +50.34% for “Il mio Domani”).

To promote employment and help young people purchase a home and develop a new business, Banca CR Firenze signed a partnership agreement with Ente Cassa di Risparmio di Firenze, based on which non-returnable funding of 4 million euro will be granted in the 2016-2018 period. Amounts will be allocated to individuals and companies in the provinces of Florence, Arezzo and Grosseto through participation in tenders covering five areas: Jobs Act Plus (the employment of specialist workers or apprentices), E-Commerce Evolution (the use of e-commerce), New One (the renewal and modernisation of plants, equipment and processes), Young Home (for young, first-time home buyers) and New Artist (for young people to open artisan and art businesses).

Numerous tailor-made solutions have been offered to young people and students by international banks. These include the initiatives of VÚB Banka and Intesa Sanpaolo Banka Bosna i Hercegovina.

The Slovakian VÚB Banka had already launched a loan in 2007 for young people to buy or renovate their home: Flexi mortgage for young. The Bank has based the loan on a government initiative, providing special conditions in the first five years of the loan to customers up to 35 years of age, with limited financial possibilities. A 3% decrease in interest is applied and repayments can be suspended or halved for three years in the case of the birth of a child or adoption. The loan is for a maximum of 50,000 euro and up to thirty years. In 2016, 334 million euro was disbursed to more than 5,000 applicants.

For students up to thirty years of age, Intesa Sanpaolo Banka Bosna i Hercegovina provides an Overdraft for students account. Launched in 2014, this initiative has gradually been expanded and offers a current account with overdraft facility, Internet and mobile banking, Visa Inspire and monthly account statements by email, with no charges for keeping the account. More than 4,300 new current accounts were opened in 2016 (since the offer was launched, over 10,451 accounts have been opened).