What Piazza dei Mestieri does

Piazza dei Mestieri is an Italian non-profit foundation (Fondazione Piazza dei Mestieri ETS) founded in 2004 in Turin by entrepreneur Sandro Fiorio and currently presided over by Dario Odifreddi. It delivers vocational training and social-inclusion programs to young people aged 13-35 who are at risk of school dropout or labor-market exclusion, operating physical sites in Torino, Milano, and Catania and reaching roughly 5,000 young people and 12,000 total beneficiaries annually. The educational model pairs classroom instruction with production workshops in craft trades (bakery, chocolate, pastry, brewing, woodworking, ceramics, tailoring, graphics), enabling trainees to learn by operating real consumer-facing businesses.

The foundation operates a hybrid revenue model that mixes grant-funded training programs with commercial workshop output. Institutional revenue comes from the European Union, the Italian Ministry of the Interior (FAMI), Regione Piemonte, the Presidency of the Council of Ministers, and major Italian philanthropic foundations including Compagnia di San Paolo, Fondazione CRT, and Fondazione Intesa Sanpaolo. Corporate partners — Stellantis (La Strada), Fondazione Lavazza (COFFELIER), L'Oréal, Iren, and others — co-fund specific programs. Commercial revenue is generated through an on-site restaurant, a brewery, a chocolate lab, a bakery, a design agency (VisivaMente), and signature events such as Granda in Piazza and Bierfest Platz, plus individual donations and the Italian 5x1000 tax designation. The alumni network ("Back to Piazza") and joint controlled training entities (ITS, Archè, Filos) extend the operational footprint beyond direct program delivery.

Name

Piazza dei Mestieri

Legal name

Fondazione Piazza dei Mestieri ETS

Website

https://piazzadeimestieri.it

Company type

Private

Founded year

2004

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

101–250 employees

Short description

Piazza dei Mestieri is an Italian non-profit foundation founded in 2004 that delivers vocational training and social-inclusion programs to at-risk youth aged 13-35 across Torino, Milano, and Catania through artisan production workshops, restaurant, brewery, and bakery operations.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Vocational Education and Youth Training Services

NAICS

Educational Services (611), Technical and Trade Schools (6115), Religious, Grantmaking, Civic, Professional, and Similar Organizations (813)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200), Sugar & Confectionery Products (2060)

akta.pro primary industry

Youth & Young Adult Workforce Programs (Out-of-School Youth) (EDAAAOAD)

akta.pro secondary industries

Professional Culinary Arts (Chef Training) (EDAOAKAA), Institutional & Commercial Kitchen Training (Schools/Healthcare/Corporate) (EDAOAKAL)

Keywords

• Vocational training services
• Youth education programs
• Social integration services
• Artisan production workshops
• Job placement support

Headquarters

HQ city

Turin, Piedmont

HQ country

Italy

HQ region

Europe

Offices3 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Social/Donation Funding: Funding from institutional partners including Regione Piemonte, Fondazione Compagnia di San Paolo, Fondazione CRT, Intesa Sanpaolo, Iren, L'Oréal, and other corporate foundations for educational and social programs.
2. Public/EU Funding: Project-based funding from European Union, Italian Ministry of Interior (FAMI), Presidency of Council of Ministers for youth programs.
3. Commercial Operations: Revenue from restaurant, bakery, brewery, and chocolate shop operations at physical locations. Products sold include artisan bread, pizza, craft beer, gourmet chocolate, and amaro.
4. Event Services: Revenue from team building activities, location rentals, and event hosting services for corporate clients.
5. Donations and 5x1000: Individual donations, 5x1000 tax designation, legacies, and scholarship support from private donors.

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

Piazza dei Mestieri is an Italian non-profit foundation that provides vocational training, education, and social integration services to youth (ages 13-35), particularly those at risk of educational exclusion. It operates artisan production workshops (restaurant, brewery, chocolate, bakery) where young people gain hands-on trades experience while producing real commercial products. The organization also delivers team-building activities, location rentals, and cultural programming for corporate and community audiences.

Product overview

Piazza dei Mestieri is an educational and social enterprise organization founded in 2004, operating as a multi-location training and youth development center with three facilities in Torino, Milano, and Catania, Italy. The organization combines vocational education with hands-on production workshops where young people learn crafts and trades. The portfolio consists of production workshops (Restaurant, Brewery, Chocolate Workshop, Bakery and Shop) that serve dual purposes: as vocational training environments for approximately 12,000 young beneficiaries annually and as commercial enterprises generating revenue to sustain operations. Additionally, the organization offers team building services and location rentals for corporate events, as well as cultural programming including concerts, theater, exhibitions, and competitions. The entity is structured under an articulated corporate architecture comprising Fondazione Piazza dei Mestieri ETS (foundation), La Piazza Società Cooperativa (cooperative), and Associazione Piazza dei Mestieri APS (association).

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Birrificio La Piazza: Birrificio artigianale della Piazza dei Mestieri che produce birre premiate, con attività dal 2014 circa.
• Il Cioccolato della Piazza dei Mestieri
• VisivaMente

Products and services

• Ristorante della Piazza dei Mestieri (Restaurant) Fine dining restaurant offering refined breakfasts, business dinners, corporate events, and haute-cuisine evenings. Serves both as a hospitality venue for customers and as a hands-on training kitchen for culinary students.
• Birrificio La Piazza (Artisan Brewery) Artisan brewery producing a wide range of award-winning craft beers guided by Master Brewers. Functions both as a commercial beer production facility and a vocational training module for brewing students.
• Cioccolato della Piazza dei Mestieri (Chocolate Workshop) Chocolate workshop producing gianduiotti, tablets, pralines, orange filaments, lemon zest, and Gianduja chocolate following Piedmontese confectionery tradition with high-quality South American cocoa and local hazelnuts. Functions as both commercial production and a training environment.
• Pane e Prodotti da Forno (Bread and Bakery Products) Artisan bakery producing daily bread from durum wheat, soft wheat, rye, and cereals, plus focaccias, pizzas, and hand-stretched Turin grissini. Uses stone-milled flours and cracked wheat. Functions as a commercial bakery and training environment for baking students.
• Bottega (On-site Shop) On-site retail shop selling gourmet chocolate, craft beers, beer amaro, rustic bread, pizzas, focaccias, and handmade grissini produced in the adjacent workshops. Open to the public.
• VisivaMente (Design and Marketing Agency) Communication and design agency offering website design and development, video creation, photography, and marketing strategy services. Projects built with user-centered approach.
• Team Building Activities Corporate team-building activities utilizing the organization's kitchens, pastry and baking labs, brewery, and chocolate workshop, led by resident chefs, bakers, and pastry chefs. Programs culminate in tastings.
• Location Rental Rental of Piazza dei Mestieri spaces for corporate meetings, workshops, and business events, offering solutions for various corporate event needs.
• Vocational Training and Job Placement Programs Vocational training programs delivered in partnership with specialized organizations including Immaginazione e Lavoro (since 1994), Archè Impresa Sociale (Catania), Filos formazione, ITS ICT, ITS Agroalimentare, and ITS Turismo, covering trades in ICT, food service, and tourism. Includes job placement and orientation services.
• Cultural Programming and Events Annual cultural program comprising over 50 events including jazz concerts, theatrical performances, educational exhibitions, meetings with prominent personalities, poetry and prose contests, and trade competitions for young professionals.

Quantifiable outcome

• 12,000 beneficiaries served in 2024
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers1 record

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

Five partnerships are on record, tiered core.

• Granda BirrificiocoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 5 June 2026Collaboration between Granda Birrificio and Birrificio La Piazza for the Granda in Piazza beer festival. Combines Granda's international brewing research with Piazza's hospitality and cultural capabilities. Produces collaborative beers like QUEEN T Mild Ale infused with Indian Nilgiri tea.
• Immaginazione e LavorocoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerTraining entity operating since 1994 providing orientation and training services contributing to the growth of unemployed, employed and unemployed individuals through interventions aimed at job placement, updating and professional reconversion.
• Archè Impresa SocialecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerTraining entity based in Catania focused on valorizing youth talents through recovering manual skills and trades, creating a stable network involving companies, and experimenting with a true dual system with work at the center of educational paths.
• Filos Società CooperativacoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerTraining organization with the goal of recovering the centrality of the person and social inclusion through training, interpreting the demand for professionalism from the production world with strong attention to innovation processes within companies.
• ITS ICT, ITS Agroalimentare, ITS TurismocoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerHigher Technical Institutes providing specialized tertiary non-university technical training in ICT, agri-food, and tourism sectors, with instructors from companies and universities.

Scale indicators7 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• La Cocina: San Francisco nonprofit kitchen incubator that supports low-income food entrepreneurs, primarily immigrant women, in launching food businesses. Comparable in mission (underserved populations + culinary training) and structure (commercial kitchen + small business launch pathway) to Piazza's workshop model.
• DC Central Kitchen: US-based nonprofit that uses culinary training and food production to break the cycle of hunger and poverty for at-risk youth and adults. Shares Piazza's exact model of combining vocational training in food trades with real commercial production (catering, food distribution) to create revenue and authentic work experience.
• FareStart: Seattle-based nonprofit providing culinary job training to people experiencing poverty, homelessness, and other barriers. Operates a training restaurant and commercial catering business, mirroring Piazza's integration of training kitchens with on-site dining and event services for vulnerable youth.
• Greyston Bakery: US open-hiring bakery known for employing anyone who walks through the door, using artisan baking as a vehicle for workforce inclusion. Strong parallel to Piazza's bakery workshop as a low-barrier entry point for vulnerable populations into stable employment.
• Hot Bread Kitchen: NYC nonprofit incubator providing culinary and food-business training primarily to immigrant women and underserved populations. Comparable to Piazza's migrant-integration programs delivered through food production (bakery, chocolate) and its combined training plus small-business support model.
• Café Reconcile: New Orleans nonprofit offering culinary training and wraparound services to at-risk youth, operating a flagship restaurant as both training venue and revenue source. Closely comparable to Piazza's restaurant-based youth training and job placement mission.
• Jamie Oliver's Fifteen Foundation: UK charity training disadvantaged young people in restaurant kitchens, established alongside the Fifteen restaurant chain. Most directly comparable to Piazza's combination of culinary apprenticeship, restaurant operation, and youth-at-risk focus.

Regional players

• Galdus: Milan-based Italian foundation providing vocational training and job placement services, particularly for at-risk youth. Operates in the same Lombardy/Piedmont geography as Piazza and is jointly connected via Fondazione ITS partnerships, but focuses more broadly on vocational paths rather than food trades specifically.
• ENGIM: Nationwide Italian nonprofit federation offering vocational training, with a focus on youth from disadvantaged backgrounds and international cooperation. Operates across Italy and addresses similar segments (school dropouts, migrants), but lacks Piazza's distinctive production-workshop-driven model.
• Fondazione San Patrignano: Large Italian nonprofit community providing rehabilitation and vocational training (including artisan food, wine, and crafts production) for youth recovering from addiction. Operates production workshops analogous to Piazza's and serves a vulnerable-youth population through a residential program model.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/piazza-dei-mestieri

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Subsidiaries10 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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

Frequently asked questions about Piazza dei Mestieri