Aree Protette dell'Ossola

What Aree Protette dell'Ossola does

Aree Protette dell'Ossola (legal name: Ente di Gestione delle Aree Protette dell'Ossola) is a public government entity established under Piedmont Regional Law L.R. 19/2009, tasked with managing two natural parks in the Italian Alps: Parco Naturale Alpe Veglia e Alpe Devero (8,539 hectares, established 1995) and Parco Naturale dell'Alta Valle Antrona (7,435 hectares, established 2009). The entity operates under the oversight of Regione Piemonte, which provides core funding, and manages associated Natura 2000 ZSC/ZPS sites spanning over 21,500 hectares of protected territory. Its mandate covers biodiversity conservation, sustainable tourism development, environmental education, scientific monitoring, and traditional land-use management across six municipalities in the Verbano Cusio Ossola province.

The entity's service portfolio comprises mushroom collection permits (€5 daily to €90 triennial), fishing permits, campsite and alpine facility management, visitor center operations (Varzo and Crodo), museum services (Archeomuseo Multimediale, Museo dell'Alpeggio), the Saltabric environmental education program for schools, and wildlife monitoring through the designated Reference Center for Typical Alpine Fauna. Technology infrastructure is limited to digital permit management via the PagoPA payment system, ISO 14001/EMAS-certified environmental management systems, and geoportal integrations for Natura 2000 site management — with no software products or proprietary technology platforms.

The business model is primarily publicly funded rather than commercially driven. Revenue derives from regional government appropriations (the dominant source), permit fees (mushroom and fishing), facility management income (Alpe Veglia Isola campsite, alpine concessions), and project-based co-funding from Interreg IT-CH programs and foundations such as Fondazione CARIPLO. The entity holds ISO 14001 certification (since 2010), EMAS registration IT-001347 (since 2011), Europarc Transboundary Park certification for the Binntal Veglia Devero cross-border cooperation with Switzerland (since 2019), and pursues the European Charter for Sustainable Tourism (CETS). Customers are not commercial buyers but rather diverse stakeholder groups: school children, individual tourists, local communities, research institutions, and 10 registered park guides operating within the protected territory.

Name

Aree Protette dell'Ossola

Legal name

Ente di Gestione delle Aree Protette dell'Ossola

Website

https://areeprotetteossola.it

Company type

Public

Founded year

2009

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Aree Protette dell'Ossola is a public regional government entity managing two natural parks (Alpe Veglia-Devero and Alta Valle Antrona) in Piedmont, Italy. It serves visitors, schools, researchers, and local communities through permits, environmental education, wildlife monitoring, and sustainable tourism under EU Natura 2000 protections.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Protected Area Management

NAICS

Nature Parks and Other Similar Institutions (712190), Administration of Conservation Programs (92412)

SIC

Services-Amusement & Recreation Services (7900)

akta.pro industry

PRIMARYTHAAAAAG

Wildlife Sanctuaries, Conservation Parks & Reserves (Visitor Operations)

Travel & Hospitality/Adventure, Amusement Parks & Ecotourism/Amusement Parks & Theme Parks

SECONDARYBPAIAMAH

Parks, Recreation & Protected Areas Administration

Business & Public Services/Public Sector & Government Administration/Environmental Protection & Natural Resources Administration

SECONDARYTHAAAFAB

Conservation Parks & Private Nature Reserves (Visitor Operations)

Travel & Hospitality/Adventure, Amusement Parks & Ecotourism/Wildlife Sanctuaries, Conservation Parks & Reserves (Visitor Operations)

Keywords

• Protected area management
• Natural park services
• Environmental education
• Sustainable tourism
• Wildlife conservation

Headquarters

HQ city

Varzo

HQ country

Italy

HQ region

Europe

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Others, Marketing or Sales

Revenue model

1. Public Administration Funding: Core funding from Regione Piemonte as a regional protected area management body. Annual budget approved by the Consiglio Direttivo and subject to regional government oversight.
2. Mushroom Collection Permits: Fees collected for mushroom harvesting permits with various validity periods (daily, weekly, annual, biennial, triennial) as per regional law l.r. 24/2007. Proceeds fund trail maintenance and educational initiatives.
3. Fishing Permits: Fees for fishing permits (normal/green and special/orange) valid within park waters. Managed through convention with Provincia del Verbano Cusio Ossola.
4. Facility Management: Revenue from campsite management services (Alpe Veglia Isola campsite), alpine building and pasture concessions, and facility rentals.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Aree Protette dell'Ossola manages two natural parks (Parco Naturale Alpe Veglia e Alpe Devero and Parco Naturale dell'Alta Valle Antrona) totaling over 15,000 hectares in the Piedmont region. Its core offerings include conservation of alpine ecosystems, Natura 2000 site management, issuance of mushroom collection and fishing permits, environmental education programs (Saltabric), wildlife monitoring services through the alpine fauna reference center, and operation of visitor facilities such as the Crodo visitor center, the Varzo multimedia archaeological museum, and the Alpeggio museum.

Product overview

Aree Protette dell'Ossola operates as a unified platform managing two natural parks (Parco Naturale Alpe Veglia e Alpe Devero and Parco Naturale dell'Alta Valle Antrona) spanning over 15,000 hectares in the Piedmont region of Italy. The organization provides a portfolio of visitor services including permits for mushroom collection and fishing, environmental education programs (Saltabric project), and operates visitor facilities such as the Centro Visita di Crodo and Archeomuseo Multimediale di Varzo. Additional services include wildlife monitoring through their reference center for alpine fauna, participation in transboundary park cooperation with Switzerland (Binntal Veglia Devero), and sustainable tourism certification through CETS. The portfolio is delivered through physical facilities, administrative permits, educational programs, and environmental research activities rather than software products.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Parco Naturale Alpe Veglia e Alpe Devero: Natural park established in 1995, covering 8,539 Ha in the municipalities of Varzo, Trasquera, Crodo, and Baceno.
• Parco Naturale dell'Alta Valle Antrona
• Binntal Veglia Devero Transboundary Nature Park

Products and services

• Parco Naturale Alpe Veglia e Alpe Devero Natural park established in 1995 covering 8,539 hectares across altitudes of 1,600 to 3,553 meters in the Western Lepontine Alps, spanning the municipalities of Varzo, Trasquera, Crodo and Baceno.
• Parco Naturale dell'Alta Valle Antrona Natural park established in 2009 covering 7,435 hectares at altitudes from 500 to 3,656 meters, spanning the municipalities of Antrona Schieranco and Borgomezzavalle and including the natural Lake Antrona formed by a landslide in 1642.
• Progetto Saltabric (Environmental Education Program) Environmental education project for middle school students divided into three sub-projects (Saltabric I, II, III) targeting first, second and third classes respectively, delivering activities aimed at developing ecological awareness in pre-adolescents.
• Centro Visita di Crodo (Crodo Visitor Center) Visitor center and geological laboratory 'Gian Battista Castiglioni' with dioramas dedicated to local fauna including Black Grouse and butterflies, a raptors gallery, an alpine marmot diorama, and multimedia-equipped educational facilities.
• Archeomuseo Multimediale di Varzo Multimedia archaeological museum located at the Varzo administrative headquarters, showcasing prehistoric findings from Alpe Veglia with multimedia presentations in four languages.
• Museo dell'Alpeggio Museum dedicated to traditional alpine farming practices located in Devero, featuring exhibits on mountain agriculture and transboundary trails connected to the Alpeggio Museum project.
• Wildlife Monitoring and Alpine Fauna Reference Center Fauna monitoring and research services, including the 'Centro di referenza Tipica fauna alpina' reference center for typical alpine wildlife species management, co-managed with Ente di Gestione delle Aree Protette delle Alpi Cozie and del Monviso.
• Mushroom Collection Permits (Permesso Raccolta Funghi) Mushroom collection permits valid throughout the Piedmont region under l.r. 24/2007, available in daily (€5), weekly (€10), annual (€30), biennial (€60) and triennial (€90) options, processed via the PagoPA system.
• Fishing Permits (Permessi di Pesca) Fishing permits for park waters including normal (green) and special (orange) permits for Alpe Devero and Alpe Veglia areas, managed through convention with Provincia del Verbano Cusio Ossola and processed via PagoPA.
• Carta Europea per il Turismo Sostenibile (CETS) Program European Charter for Sustainable Tourism in Protected Areas certification program coordinated by EUROPARC Federation, covering both the parks (Part I) and tourism operators (Part II).
• Binntal Veglia Devero Transboundary Nature Park Transboundary nature park collaboration between the Italian Alpe Veglia and Alpe Devero parks and Swiss Landschaftspark Binntal, sharing management experiences, conducting joint monitoring of alpine biodiversity, and promoting sustainable tourism initiatives.

Quantifiable outcome

• 17 stambecco (ibex) individuals counted in 1993, growing to 300 specimens within 20 years through conservation efforts
• +1 more outcomes

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Ten partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Landschaftspark BinntalcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2013Transboundary Nature Park Binntal Veglia Devero encompasses the Alpe Veglia and Alpe Devero Natural Park (Italy) and Landschaftspark Binntal (Switzerland). Cooperation formally started in 2013 with official agreement, though cross-border connections through the Arbola/Albrun pass date back over 3000 years. The parks share management experiences, conduct joint monitoring of alpine biodiversity, and promote sustainable tourism initiatives.
• EUROPARC FederationcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerEuropean federation coordinating the Charter for Sustainable Tourism (CETS) program across protected areas. Manages the certification process for parks and coordinates the Transboundary Parks Network including Binntal Veglia Devero.
• Federparchi-Europarc ItaliacoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerItalian section of EUROPARC Federation supporting CETS implementation in Italy. Assisted with the Envitour project for Italian-Swiss cooperation.
• Fondazione CARIPLOminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerItalian banking foundation that co-funded the 'Veglia Devero e Formazza: pianificazione gestionale, riqualificazione e divulgazione ambientale nelle ZPS dell'alta Val d'Ossola' project for management planning and environmental dissemination.
• Regione PiemontecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerRegional government that funds the park entity, delegated management authority for Natura 2000 sites, and co-funded various conservation and planning projects.
• Università degli Studi di Torino - Facoltà di AgrariaminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerUniversity department that partnered in the Interreg III 'Alpeggi senza confini' project for alpine pasture valorization, alongside the Alpeggio Museum project.
• Ente di Gestione delle Aree Protette delle Alpi CozieminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCo-managing entity of the 'Tipica fauna alpina' Reference Center for management of protected wildlife species, along with Ente di Gestione delle Aree Protette del Monviso.
• Ente di Gestione delle Aree Protette del MonvisominorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCo-managing entity of the 'Tipica fauna alpina' Reference Center for management of protected wildlife species, along with Ente di Gestione delle Alpi Cozie.
• Interreg IT-CH ProgramcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCross-border cooperation program funding multiple projects: Envitour (tourism tools), GEONET, BLITZART, and others involving Italian-Swiss park collaboration.
• Società ticinese di Economia alpestre S.T.E.A.minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerSwiss society for alpine economy leading the Interreg III 'Alpeggi senza confini' project with the Alpeggio Museum and transboundary cheese trail connecting to Caseificio del Gottardo in Ticino.

Scale indicators8 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Market position

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/areeprotette.ossola
• Instagraminstagram.com/parchi_veglia_devero_antrona
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/aree-protette-dell-ossola

Compliance4 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles5 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Aree Protette dell'Ossola