Token Projects 2026

For 2026, a budget of € 360.000 has been allocated to token projects aimed at exploring and opening up new markets and channels and strengthening communication and collaboration with commercial partners.

There are three different membership levels:

• Bronze: 2.000 € - Focus on the product and materials

Activities to promote new channels and markets, covering product and material costs.

• Silver: 4.000 € - Focus on communication

All Bronze-level activities, plus on-site activities dedicated to the product, in-store promotions with tastings managed by hostesses or brand ambassadors, opening of the cheese wheel, event sponsorships, etc.

• Gold: 6.000 € - Focus on trade fairs and events

All Silver-level activities, plus participation in international trade fairs and the organisation of an event abroad with the aim of exploring new markets and establishing contacts for future potential commercial opportunities.

For each beneficiary, a maximum of four projects may be eligible for funding. The projects must be submitted on a rolling basis starting from the date of publication of these guidelines until 31 March 2026.

Projects are evaluated in chronological order of receipt. The Consortium shall communicate the outcome within three weeks of the submission date and shall pre-approve funding until the available allocation is exhausted.

The grant approved by the Consortium, disbursed upon completion, covers 100% of the cost of the action and cannot exceed €24.000. The activities for which funding is requested must not overlap with any activities in which the Consortium is already involved.

The membership criteria must include the following:

For any in-store promotion and consumer communication activities, it is mandatory to use the official Parmigiano Reggiano merchandising and the “Online Leaflet/Banner Guidelines” developed by the Consortium (ANNEX 2).

During the year, the Consortium will carry out inspections to verify the proper execution of the planned activities, either directly or through specialised agencies. Such inspections may also include audits and document reviews, which can be conducted at the company’s premises (an activity that the beneficiary hereby authorises by agreeing to these Guidelines).

Applications are accepted exclusively through the portal available in the Reserved Area, in the Operators and Dairy Contributions Section, at the following link: ar.parmigianoreggiano.it. Through this portal, operators can upload the required documents and check the status of their application. It is mandatory to upload the 2026 TOKEN PROJECT PARTICIPATION DECLARATION (ANNEX 1) on the same portal.

It is mandatory to notify in advance any variation that deviate from the information previously submitted, under penalty of forfeiture of the grant.

ADMISSION STANDARDS FOR 2026:

Commercial operators (operating in trade, retail, industry and HoReCa channels), packagers and consortium dairies shall be eligible to apply for funding if they:

• Have signed the DECLARATION OF ADHESION TO TOKEN PROJECTS 2026 (ANNEX 1);
• Have joined the ‘Nielsen Sell-in Operators project’ agreement and regularly submit data on a monthly basis;
• Export a minimum quantity of 50 tonnes per year (only for foreign projects);
• Have reported their warehouse stock levels in the ISMEA STOCK project.

MODALITIES:

All documentation required by the guidelines must be completed and uploaded to the dedicated portal at ar.parmigianoreggiano.it , in accordance with the attached manual (ANNEX 3).

All activities must be completed by 31 December 2026.

DISBURSEMENT OF GRANTS:

The grant will be disbursed upon completion, after the formal approval of the report by the Consortium (preliminary review by the Office and final approval by the Executive Committee).

Please note that:

• The percentage actually granted may be reduced in the event of failure to comply with the Guidelines or delays in the prior submission of schedules or materials for approval during 2026;
• In any case, the amount disbursed may not exceed the maximum allocated amount.

The report must include:

• The final project schedule;
• Accounting documents certifying the execution of the activities;
• Audiovisual materials and images documenting the activities;
• The commercial operator's report on the activities carried out.

SUSPENSION

If the beneficiary is involved in proceedings against the Consortium pending before national courts or arbitration tribunals, the Consortium shall retain the sums until a final judgment is issued, as a guarantee to cover, in the event that the judgment is rendered against the claimant, the internal and external costs incurred by the Consortium in managing the dispute and not recoverable through the court.

RATING

Operators receiving grants in 2025 are subject to a qualitative assessment (rating) based on the following criteria: :

1. new serious irregularities detected by OCQ-PR in the three-year period 2023-2025;
2. new violations sanctioned and/or reported by the CFPR supervisory authority to official bodies and/or sanctioned by other competent national authorities (Icq, Nac, Nas, Cfs) in the three-year period 2023-2025;
3. major anomalies found within the Grater and Portioning Surveillance Programme promoted by the Consortium;
4. any deviations detected in the mandatory accounting audit carried out by a leading auditing firm appointed by the Consortium.

In the event of a “negative” rating, the Consortium reserves the unconditional right to reduce the amount of grants awarded to the operator.