Leonardo Committee - Degree prize "Alfredo Canessa"

Benefit

You will be offered a paid internship (tirocinio) at the Centro di Firenze per la Moda Italiana, the organisation that sponsors this prize for the best young graduate in the field of fashion and ‘Made in Italy’. Until 2024, the prize was worth approximately 3,000 euros in cash. From the 2024th round onwards, all prizes were awarded in the form of paid work placements rather than in cash. The ‘Comitato Leonardo’ organises the prize. This committee brings together Italian universities and leading ‘Made in Italy’ companies. The winners are honoured at the annual ‘Premi Leonardo’ ceremony, where they also meet the President of the Italian Republic.

Eligibility

• Level: You are a recent university graduate or a student undertaking an internship that counts towards your degree.
• University: You are studying at an Italian university that has a partnership with the Comitato Leonardo, or you have graduated from such a university.
• Topic: Your dissertation or project focuses on fashion and ‘Made in Italy’, for example on the environmental and technological changes in this sector.
• Field of study: Fashion, design, business, technology in the fashion industry, communication or a related field.
• Nationality: Any nationality can apply.
• Age: No age limit.

How to apply

Please submit your application to the Segreteria Generale of the Comitato Leonardo by 15 January. In recent rounds, the partner companies have organised the work placements, assessed the students and nominated the best candidates for the award.

How realistic are your chances?

This prize has very specific criteria. It focuses on a particular field (fashion and ‘Made in Italy’) at Italian partner universities, and the sponsoring company selects just one winner each year. As a result, the pool of eligible applicants remains small, but the competition is for a single, prestigious prize. If your final-year project or work placement is closely linked to the theme of fashion and ‘Made in Italy’ and you can demonstrate sound, relevant skills, your prospects look good.