Cultural Entrepreneurship Programme

As part of the international project Undertaking Business in Culture, a collaboration between ICCROM and the Fondazione Scuola dei beni e delle attività culturali, applications are now open for suitable learning partners to join the Cultural Entrepreneurship Programme.  

We are looking for 20 creative business minds who have a few years of experience as cultural entrepreneurs; are inspiring and creative; are innovators and risk takers in the cultural heritage and creative industries in their country; and are dedicated to transforming and contributing to the sustainability of the creative and cultural sector. 

This programme seeks to nurture, mentor and empower cultural entrepreneurs and will mainly contribute to the building of a platform for dialogue and exchange, sharing successful models and methods, and finding inspiration for new initiatives. The outline of the programme focuses on the role that culture and cultural heritage play as an engine for local and regional development by focusing on: employment, social inclusion and entrepreneurship in the cultural sector, in line with the main objective of the Youth.Heritage.Africa programme; and strengthening the skills of Italian and foreign professionals and the internationalization of Italian cultural institutions, in line with the objectives of the Fondazione.  

Undertaking Business in Culture is an opportunity for young Africans and Italians to develop their entrepreneurial skills in the fields of cultural heritage industries. Through training and mentoring actions, the programme will be characterized by learning by doing and peer-to-peer approach, with the possibility to meet and network with fellow young entrepreneurs, thus creating an international community of practice.

During an online training module, spread over 11 weeks, from September to December 2023, the programme will provide the young entrepreneurs in the cultural sector with the training and support they need to advance in five important cluster topics: business modelling and planning for the cultural and creative sector, fundraising and sponsorship, start-up incubators counselling, sustainability and community involvement in creative and culture sector, marketing and communication strategies.

The working language will be English. The course will be entirely free of charge.

Closing date 

The complete application must be sent no later than 10 July 2023 (23.59 Rome time) here 

Further information 

For any further information, please contact: