The issue of protecting and enhancing the artistic and cultural heritage has always been subject of lively debate in Italy. In recent years, even with the economic crisis, public funding for conservation, management and enhancement of artistic and cultural heritage has drastically declined. Thus, "public-private" strategic partnerships are increasingly involved, with aimed substantial private loan for restoration projects on monuments or artistic asset of considerable value.

The bill of law no. 2950, approved by the Chamber on September 26, introduces in the Italian political debate, the figure of cultural start-up. In Italy, the phenomenon of the cultural industries is widespread, but it reflects the lack of sectoral legislation. In this sense, this proposal is certainly a good starting point.

From the legal point of view, cultural start-up is included in the legal definition of innovative start-ups but has as sole purpose the promotion of national cultural offer through the development, production and marketing of innovative high-tech products or services. The bill of law pursues the objective of combining economic growth, youth entrepreneurship and the promotion of national artistic heritage. The great innovations are therefore represented by the incentive measures to support young entrepreneurs and by the opportunity to have recourse to the "crowdfunding" tool for enhancing and protecting cultural heritage.

The Article 2 provide for cultural startups made up of at least 80% under 35, the exemption from government fees. Start-ups that invest in the purchase of technology and digital assets, within one year of their date of incorporation, also receive a tax credit equal to 65% of the costs incurred. This percentage has increased to 75% if start-ups are located in one of the convergence regions of the European Union (think about start-ups located in the South of Italy).

The Articles 3 and 4 govern the use of the crowdfunding tool by cultural start-ups. In particular, the Article 3 introduces amendaments to the Legislative Decree on the collection of capital between the public for the valorisation and protection of cultural assets, providing for the creation of online portals, managed by qualified entities, in order to enable the collection of risk capital by the cultural innovative startups and donations from public bodies that manage cultural assets.

The Article 4 expects the obligation for public authorities to create and publish capital raising programs for the promotion and protection of cultural heritage belonging to them, and to make known to citizens and tourists through appropriate institutional communication campaigns the existence of such programs.