Main public funding scheme adds new measure for universities to finance strategic projectsUniversities in Italy are set to receive a modest increase in public funding and a new mechanism to finance strategic initiatives, the government has announced. The minister for universities and research, Anna Maria Bernini, signed off a 2026 budget for the Ordinary Financing Fund (OFF)—the main funding instrument for state universities—of €9.42 billion, up €25.6 million from 2025.