RIMINI (ITALPRESS) – The four winning projects of the Social Contest 2025 – The Many Faces of Need, promoted by Cdo Opere Sociali with the support of JTI Italia, were announced today at the Rimini Meeting. Selected from 33 proposals from all over Italy, the projects were presented during the panel "Profit-Nonprofit Partnerships: New Frontiers of Sustainable Development." The initiative, a press release explains, aims to promote concrete actions with a social impact: from the fight against poverty to the promotion of decent work, from reducing inequalities to the creation of more sustainable cities and communities. At the close of the call for proposals, 33 projects from across Italy were selected: four were awarded, each corresponding to one of the areas of intervention identified for this edition. For the objective of "Defeating Poverty," recognition went to Banco non solo pane Odv with the project "Too Good to Waste," which proposes concrete actions against food waste and to support families in difficulty. For "Decent Work and Economic Growth," the award went to ATT Srl Impresa Sociale with "Inclusive Catering," which creates professional opportunities for disadvantaged individuals through sustainable entrepreneurial activities in the restaurant sector. For "Reducing Inequalities," the winning project was "CREA – La bottega dei talenti," promoted by Cura e Riabilitazione Società Cooperativa, which offers treatment, rehabilitation, and social and work placement for vulnerable individuals. Finally, for "Sustainable Cities and Communities," the winner was the Giotto Social Cooperative with its "Progetto Esperide," dedicated to the reintegration of prisoners into the workforce and the enhancement of public spaces. The winning projects were announced during the panel discussion at the Rimini Meeting "Profit-Nonprofit Partnership: New Frontiers of Sustainable Development." The meeting, moderated by Economy Director Sergio Luciano, was attended by representatives of the profit and non-profit sectors, along with JTI Italia: Banco Alimentare Lombardia, Amazon Business Italia, and Fondazione Progetto Arca. "The conference explored the still partly untapped potential of collaboration between businesses and social organizations," the panel reads. "In a context marked by complex challenges such as inequality and the climate crisis, synergy between seemingly distant sectors can generate innovative and high-impact solutions. The skills and resources of companies, when integrated with the knowledge of the needs and the capacity for activation of non-profits, can give rise to virtuous and sustainable cooperation models. The objective of the panel was therefore to outline strategies capable of increasing the effectiveness of interventions and promoting a more equitable and resilient future for all." "The Social Contest 2025 demonstrates how businesses, when acting responsibly, can generate a genuine positive impact in the communities in which they operate," stated Didier Ellena, CEO of JTI Italia. "Supporting projects rooted in territories and capable of addressing concrete needs means contributing, day after day, to building a more equitable and inclusive society. We are therefore proud to stand alongside organizations that, with expertise and passion, help transform fragility into opportunities for rebirth. "Meeting a partner like JTI Italia has been a truly positive experience and one that brings great added value," commented Stefano Gheno, President of Cdo Opere Sociali. "JTI's intention to support projects developed locally by our member social works demonstrates, in a concrete way, how central partnerships between profit-making businesses and nonprofit organizations are to the development of the social economy in our country. Moreover, this type of collaboration is at the very origin of Compagnia delle Opere, constituting its genesis and most authentic identity. CDO is, in fact, a group of entities that choose to share a common path in building good, both through social activities and more traditional economic activities. This collaboration, which we hope will continue over time, has convinced us from the beginning and makes us particularly happy to host the awards ceremony for the first Social Contest, as part of Arena CDO's initiatives at the Rimini Meeting."
– photo by Spencer & Lewis press office – (ITALPRESS).
