Ciessevi Milan Association

What Ciessevi Milan Association does

Ciessevi Milan Association (Associazione Ciessevi Milano – ETS) is an Italian non-profit organization founded in 1998 that operates as the Centro di Servizio per il Volontariato (CSV) for Milan, within the 12-province CSV Lombardia regional network covering Bergamo, Brescia, Como, Cremona, Lecco, Lodi, Mantova, Milano, Monza e Brianza, Pavia, Sondrio, and Varese. The organization delivers free support services — training, consulting, administrative support, RUNTS registration guidance, and skill validation — to Third Sector organizations (Enti del Terzo Settore, ETS), including ODV and APS entities, as well as to citizens and territorial institutions in Lombardy.

Its core service portfolio is built around four products: the Lever Up Open Badge skill-validation model aligned to EU frameworks (EQF, ECVET, EUROPASS, NQF, ESCO) and delivered through a five-phase process; the Vdossier digital publication platform for in-depth Third Sector analysis (transitioned from print in 2021); the Bussole collection of 11 instant books on Terzo Settore reform compliance; and the ETS Balance Sheet Templates (Schemi di Bilancio, Mod. A/B/C/D) compliant with D.Lgs. 117/17 and DM 5 March 2020. The underlying technology stack is conventional digital infrastructure (websites, downloadable templates, newsletter platforms) rather than novel proprietary systems.

Ciessevi is funded primarily through public sources — principally Regione Lombardia and the Fondo Speciale per il Volontariato della Lombardia — and delivers its services free of charge under a publicly mandated service-center model. Its commercial positioning is therefore as a regulated, grant-funded capacity builder for the Third Sector, with strategic partnerships spanning Fondazione Politecnico di Milano (Lever Up lead partner), CSVnet (national network), the European Centre for the Validation of Prior Learning (Netherlands), and municipal authorities via the 2025 Anci Lombardia–CSVnet Lombardia territorial co-programming pact.

Name

Ciessevi Milan Association

Legal name

Associazione Ciessevi Milano - ETS

Website

https://csvlombardia.it

Company type

Private

Founded year

1998

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Ciessevi Milan Association is an Italian non-profit Service Center for Volunteering (CSV) that provides free training, consulting, administrative, and skill-validation services to Third Sector organizations across Lombardy under a publicly funded, regulatorily mandated model.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Volunteer Service Center Support

NAICS

Professional Organizations (81392), Educational Services (611), Civic and Social Organizations (813410)

SIC

Services-Membership Organizations (8600), Services-Educational Services (8200), Services-Social Services (8300)

akta.pro industry

PRIMARYEDALAHAG

Volunteerism, Service-Learning & Community Service

Education/Student Services & Campus Operations/Student Activities, Clubs & Campus Life

SECONDARYEDADACAF

Continuing Education (CE/CPD) & Provider Accreditation Bodies

Education/Education Administration, Accreditation & Policy/Accreditation Bodies (Institutional & Programmatic)

Keywords

• Volunteer support services
• Third sector consulting
• Nonprofit training
• Skill validation
• Regulatory compliance

Headquarters

HQ city

Milan

HQ country

Italy

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Others

Revenue model

1. Public Funding and Contributions: As a Third Sector service organization, Ciessevi Milan operates primarily through public funding from regional government and the Special Volunteering Fund (Fondo Speciale per il Volontariato). Services are provided free of charge to qualifying organizations.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

Ciessevi Milan Association operates as a Service Center for Volunteering (CSV) providing free support services to Third Sector organizations (Enti del Terzo Settore). Its portfolio includes training programs, consulting, administrative support, RUNTS registration assistance, and the Lever Up skill validation program with Open Badge certification. Services are funded through public funding and delivered across 12 Lombardy provinces through the CSV Lombardia regional network.

Product overview

Ciessevi Milan Association operates as part of the CSV Lombardia network, providing support services to the Third Sector (Terzo Settore). The organization offers a portfolio of programs including Lever Up for competency validation, Vdossier digital publication, the Bussole instant book collection, and balance sheet template services. These offerings are designed to support volunteer organizations, associations, and citizens in the Lombardy region with training, documentation, and regulatory compliance tools.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Lever Up Skill Validation Program A validation model for recognizing transversal competencies (soft skills) acquired through volunteering and active citizenship experiences, aligned with European standards (EU Key Competences, EQF, ECVET, EUROPASS, NQF, ESCO). The model involves a 5-phase process culminating in an Open Badge certification, issued free of charge upon completion. Designed for Third Sector organizations and their volunteers in Lombardy.
• Schemi di Bilancio ETS (Balance Sheet Templates) Balance sheet templates and accounting guidance for Third Sector entities (ETS), including downloadable models (Mod. A, B, C, D) compliant with Italian Ministry of Labor regulations (D.Lgs. 117/17 and DM 5 March 2020). Includes provincial support services for financial reporting compliance. Offered free to ETS organizations in Lombardy.
• Vdossier Digital Publication A magazine and digital platform for in-depth analysis on third sector topics, operating as a standalone publication providing research and editorial content on Third Sector issues.
• Bussole Instant Book Collection A collection of 11 instant books providing guidance for Third Sector entities on changes introduced by the Terzo Settore reform, covering topics such as ETS classification, statutes, taxation, volunteer activities, and financial reporting. Distributed free to Third Sector organizations.

Named customers1 record

Segments1 record

Ideal customer profiles1 record

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Twelve partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Fondazione Politecnico Di MilanocoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2019Lead partner in the Lever Up project - European initiative for validation of transversal skills acquired through volunteering, funded by Erasmus+.
• CSVnetcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerNational network of Service Centers for Volunteering, collaborating on Lever Up skill validation program implementation.
• European Centre Valuation Of Prior LearningcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerNetherlands-based partner contributing expertise in prior learning validation methodologies to the Lever Up project.
• Hominem (Spain)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerSpanish partner in the Lever Up Erasmus+ project, contributing to cross-border validation methodology development.
• Ecole (Italy)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerItalian partner contributing to the Lever Up skill validation project.
• Scuola Nazionale Servizi Foundation (Italy)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerItalian foundation supporting the Lever Up project for skills validation.
• Good Network Foundation (Poland)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPolish foundation participating in the European Lever Up project for skills validation.
• Cev (Belgium)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerBelgian partner in the Lever Up Erasmus+ project consortium.
• Ancilab (Italy)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerItalian partner in the Lever Up project consortium.
• Anci LombardiacoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership agreement (Patto Anci Lombardia-CSVnet Lombardia) for territorial co-programming in new welfare initiatives in Lombardy.
• Regione LombardiacoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerRegional government partner supporting Third Sector organizations through the CSV network, including funding and policy initiatives.
• Comitato di Gestione del Fondo Speciale per il Volontariato della LombardiacoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerManaging committee for the Special Volunteering Fund in Lombardy, providing financial support for the Bussole instant book collection and other initiatives.

Scale indicators1 record

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• Vol.To (CSV Piemonte): Centro di Servizio per il Volontariato serving Piemonte with the same statutory mandate as Ciessevi, offering free training, consulting, and support to ODV, APS, and other ETS entities. Directly comparable institutional role and service mix.
• CSVnet: National coordination body for Italy's Centri di Servizio per il Volontariato, of which Ciessevi is a member node. Directly comparable as the umbrella that sets policy, advocates for Special Fund allocations, and co-develops programs (including Lever Up) with Ciessevi.
• CSV Emilia (Coordinamento CSV Emilia-Romagna): Regional CSV coordination in Emilia-Romagna providing the same free training, consulting, and administrative support to ETS organizations under the same national CSV mandate. Closely comparable operating model and service portfolio in a neighboring region.
• Forum Nazionale del Terzo Settore: National representative platform of the Italian Third Sector, engaging in policy advocacy, RUNTS-related consultations, and representation of ETS interests. Comparable as a peer institution supporting and representing Third Sector organizations at a higher jurisdictional level.
• CESV Lazio: Centro di Servizio per il Volontariato del Lazio providing training, consulting, and administrative support to Third Sector organizations in the Rome region. Operates the same CSV model funded by the Special Volunteering Fund.

Emerging players

• Italia Non Profit: Online information portal and digital community serving Italian Third Sector organizations with news, regulatory updates, and resources. Comparable as an adjacent support provider targeting the same ETS audience with content and digital tools rather than direct training or consulting.

Broad incumbents

• Fondazione con il Sud: Major Italian private foundation supporting Third Sector development in Southern Italy through grantmaking and capacity-building programs. Comparable as a larger, established institution operating in the Third Sector support space with overlapping beneficiary populations but a different geographic focus and funding model.

Regional players

• Centre for European Volunteering (CEV): Brussels-based European umbrella for national volunteering organizations and an existing Ciessevi consortium partner in the Lever Up Erasmus+ project. Comparable as a peer in volunteer-sector advocacy and skills validation at the European level, though operating across multiple countries rather than a single region.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about Ciessevi Milan Association