Scarp de' Tenis

What Scarp de' Tenis does

Scarp de' Tenis is an Italian street newspaper founded in Milan in 1994 by publicist Pietro Greppi, published monthly and sold on the streets by individuals experiencing homelessness and social marginalization, who retain roughly half the cover price as income. The publication is operated by Cooperativa Oltre, the communication arm of Caritas Ambrosiana, since 1996, and it functions primarily as a social-inclusion enterprise rather than a profit-maximizing media business. The product portfolio comprises the print magazine, digital PDF editions and annual subscriptions sold through the Social Shop e-commerce platform (shop.scarpdetenis.it), video content hosted on YouTube (including a 2018 TV2000 documentary series), and the Spotify podcast 'Sconfitti. Sul filo di lana' directed by current editor Stefano Lampertico. Editorial coverage focuses on social issues, poverty, migration, prison reform, and stories from the margins of Italian society, with contributing editorialists including Piero Colaprico, Paolo Lambruschi, Paolo Brivio, Luciano Gualzetti, Giorgio Terruzzi, Bianca Stancanelli, Anna Pozzi, Mauro Meggiolaro, Marina Viola, Giangiacomo Schiavi, Alex Corlazzoli, and the late Gianni Mura.

Distribution combines a physical street-vendor network spanning Milan, Turin, Naples, Genoa, Vicenza, Rimini, Florence, Catania, Palermo, and additional cities (approximately 100 active vendors across central Milan and external locations), with a digital storefront for PDF issues and subscriptions, and supplementary distribution through the Caritas parish and partner-association network (Opportunanda, La Locomotiva, Fondazione Auxilium). Pricing is set at approximately €3.50–4.00 per individual PDF issue, with annual subscriptions available. Revenue is not publicly disclosed; the cooperative structure channels proceeds into vendor income, editorial operations, and social-reintegration programming rather than shareholder returns.

The publication joined the INSP (International Network of Street Papers) in 2015, and has been recognized with the Ambrogino d'oro (City of Milan, 2014), Premiolino (2015), Special Prize at the Premio Internazionale Biagio Agnes (2017), and the INSP Special News Service Award 2017 for the interview with Pope Francis. As of July 2026, the magazine had reached issue 302, marking over three decades of continuous monthly publication.

Name

Scarp de' Tenis

Legal name

Cooperativa Oltre soc. coop. A.r.l

Website

https://scarpdetenis.it

Company type

Private

Founded year

1994

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Scarp de' Tenis is an Italian monthly street newspaper founded in Milan in 1994, sold by people experiencing homelessness who retain a share of the cover price as income. Published by Cooperativa Oltre under Caritas Ambrosiana, it operates across 11+ Italian cities and offers print, PDF, video, and podcast content.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Street Newspaper Publishing

NAICS

Individual and Family Services (6241), Emergency and Other Relief Services (62423)

SIC

Services-Social Services (8300)

akta.pro industry

PRIMARYBPAGALAM

Disability Services & Assistive Solutions (Accessibility, Assistive Tech)

Business & Public Services/Nonprofit, NGO & Social Services/Social Enterprises & Impact Organizations

SECONDARYBPAGAAAC

Emergency Shelter, Camp Management & Non-Food Items (NFI)

Business & Public Services/Nonprofit, NGO & Social Services/Humanitarian Aid & Disaster Relief

Keywords

• Street newspaper
• Magazine publishing
• Social journalism
• Homeless employment program
• Multimedia content production

Headquarters

HQ city

Milan

HQ country

Italy

HQ region

Europe

Offices9 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Magazine Sales: Physical and digital magazine sold by street vendors (people experiencing homelessness) who keep a percentage of the cover price as income. PDF versions also sold through the Social Shop e-commerce platform.
2. Subscriptions: Annual and digital subscriptions available for the magazine

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

Scarp de' Tenis is a monthly Italian street newspaper founded in 1994 that is sold by people experiencing homelessness, providing them with dignified income. The publication covers social issues including poverty, migration, and marginalization, and is produced in print, digital PDF, podcast, and video formats. Operated by Cooperativa Oltre under Caritas Ambrosiana, the magazine operates across 11+ Italian cities and partners with Caritas networks for distribution.

Product overview

Scarp de' Tenis is a monthly street newspaper founded in Milan in 1994, published by Cooperativa OLTRE (the communication arm of Caritas Ambrosiana). The publication focuses on social issues, poverty, migration, and stories of marginalized individuals. The product portfolio consists of the print and PDF magazine (Scarp de' Tenis), the Social Shop e-commerce platform for digital sales, a video section featuring documentaries and historical coverage, and a Spotify podcast called 'Sconfitti. Sul filo di lana'. Vendors experiencing homelessness sell the magazine on the streets, with proceeds supporting their social reintegration.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Scarp de' Tenis Magazine (Print) Monthly Italian street newspaper sold by homeless and marginalized individuals across 11+ Italian cities, covering social issues including poverty, migration, and marginalization.
• Scarp de' Tenis PDF Digital PDF editions of the magazine sold through the Social Shop e-commerce platform, allowing readers to access individual issues online.
• Sconfitti. Sul filo di lana (Podcast) Podcast on Spotify featuring stories of people who lose by a narrow margin, exploring themes of failure and resilience.
• Video Section Video content including documentaries, investigations, and coverage of the magazine's 30-year history, including appearances on Rai and TV2000.

Quantifiable outcome

• Vendors earn income without begging - they offer a communication product
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers2 records

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles1 record

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Eight partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Tv2000coreGTM or Marketing Partner · 1 January 2018Television broadcast of 'Scarp de' tenis - Incontri sulla strada' documentary in four episodes, hosted by Giacomo Poretti with direction by Ranuccio Sodi.
• INSP (International Network of Street Papers)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2015Scarp de' tenis joined the international network of street papers in 2015, connecting with street newspapers worldwide and enabling international content sharing and recognition.
• Caritas ItalianacoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2008Collaboration with Caritas Italiana starting in 2008 opened new redactions in Vicenza, Rimini, Florence, Catania, and Palermo.
• Fondazione Auxilium (Genoa)minorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ Distributor · 1 January 2005Foundation that helped bring Scarp de' tenis to Genoa around 2005.
• Cooperativa OltrecoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 1996Cooperativa Oltre, the communication structure of Caritas Ambrosiana, became the publisher of the newspaper in early 1996. Based at Via San Bernardino, 4, Milan.
• Opportunanda (Turin)minorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ Distributor · 1 January 1996Association that helped distribute Scarp de' tenis in Turin during the late 1990s and early 2000s.
• Cooperativa La Locomotiva (Naples)minorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ Distributor · 1 January 1996Cooperative that helped establish the Naples redaction, which also hosts a creative writing laboratory.
• Caritas AmbrosianacoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 1995After 14 issues published, the project passed to Caritas Ambrosiana at the end of 1995. Caritas provides support through its network and social services, facilitating vendor reintegration.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves8 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• The Big Issue: The UK's flagship street newspaper, sold by homeless and marginalized vendors who keep a portion of the cover price. Closest comparable peer: identical vendor-based street-paper model, multi-format publishing, and explicit focus on homelessness and social reintegration.
• Hinz&Kunzt: Hamburg-based German street magazine following the same model as Scarp de' Tenis: vendors experiencing homelessness sell the publication and retain a share of revenue, with editorial focus on social issues and marginalized communities.
• Hus Forbi: Danish street newspaper sold by people experiencing homelessness and social marginalization; mirrors Scarp de' Tenis's combination of dignified vendor income and journalism on poverty, addiction, and social exclusion.
• Real Change News: Seattle-based US street newspaper where homeless and low-income vendors earn income by selling the publication; matches Scarp de' Tenis's street-vendor income model and advocacy journalism on homelessness.
• Street Roots: Portland-based US street newspaper sold by vendors experiencing homelessness and poverty; directly comparable publishing model, vendor income structure, and social-issues editorial scope.
• L'Itinéraire: French street newspaper following the same vendor-empowerment model as Scarp de' Tenis, selling on streets to generate income for people experiencing homelessness and exclusion while covering social issues.
• Megaphone Magazine: Canadian (Vancouver-based) street magazine employing the same vendor-based sales model for homeless and low-income individuals, with editorial focus on poverty, housing, and social justice.

Others

• INSP (International Network of Street Papers): The global umbrella network that Scarp de' Tenis joined in 2015; not a direct competitor but the enabling ecosystem that links peer street papers internationally, coordinates content sharing, and administers the awards (including the 2017 INSP Special News Service Award won by Scarp de' Tenis).

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks7 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xtwitter.com/scarpdetenis
• YouTubeyoutube.com/user/scarpdetenis
• Facebookit-it.facebook.com/pages/Scarp-de-tenis/44549138800?ref=ts
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/scarp-de-tenis

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 Scarp de' Tenis