A project set up in association with Banca Intesa SanPaolo and with the ISU (Institute for the Right to University Study, Istituto per il Diritto allo Studio Universitario) of the Politecnico di Milano. It began in 2003 as a pilot agreement between the then Banca Intesa (today Intesa SanPaolo), the Politecnico di Milano, the Politecnico di Torino and the Politecnico di Bari, and it was the first loan designed to be a 'bridge' to help undergraduates into the workplace.

Today IntesaBridge has been extended to 23 universities all over Italy. It is an honour loan for the most deserving undergraduates, who intend to invest in themselves and in their careers, concentrate their energies on studying, avoid having to take the first job they find in order to pay the bills, participate in family expenses and generally acquire a more responsible outlook towards the future.

IntesaBridge overcomes a peculiarly Italian anomaly: unlike in other countries, in Italy student loans are very much the exception and not the rule. With a current account at favourable conditions, not only can beneficiaries withdraw money as they need it, but they can also make deposits, so reducing their debts.

Once the degree has been completed IntesaBridge allows a year's respite in order to allow the graduate to find a job. The loan is paid back over eight years, at constant monthly payments. More information is available from the internet site:  www.intesabridge.it

The Fondazione Politecnico di Milano has made a direct contribution to setting up the guarantee fund, and it actively cooperates in managing the project.