The note provides a preliminary inventory of the policy responses adopted by the Italian regions to support small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Chapter 1 focuses on the repercussions on the Italian economy. Chapter 2 provides an overview of national policy responses. Chapter 3 explains the role regions play within Italy’s institutional setting regarding economic development, particularly SME policy. Chapter 4 provides a regional deep dive on the measures put in place by the regions to support SMEs during the pandemic. Chapter 5 provides a summary of the main findings.

This working document will be periodically updated and enriched with further analytical insights in the coming weeks.