The UK-Italy Young Leaders’ Programme (YLP) was founded by the Memorandum of Understanding signed on 27 April 2023 in London by the British and Italian prime ministers Rishi Sunak and Giorgia Meloni. It was launched in September 2023 during the Pontignano Conference.
Each year, a small group of young professionals is selected who have shown particular leadership qualities in their field. (Sectors represented in previous years include politics, business, tech, journalism, defence, science and culture.) They are invited to take part in a series of initiatives in London and Rome, such as visits to parliament, ministries or industrial associations, with the aim of creating a network that will help create positive relations between the UK and Italy in the long term.
At the end of the experience, the participants continue to contribute to the programme by becoming part of the Young Leaders Alumni network, through which they can continue to take part in initiatives promoting UK-Italy relations and mentor those who come after them.
Further information on the programme is available here.
Applications for the 2025 Young Leaders Programme are now closed.