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Social Challenge Addressed

Sferiguida is a social mobile app that I want to create for the community in Macerata, Italy, to help immigrants integrate into social life. As an immigrant myself, I’ve seen how hard it can be to connect with locals and find reliable information. The app would bridge this gap by linking newcomers and citizens, promoting cultural exchange, language learning, and collaboration on community issues. It will foster inclusion and shared growth in Macerata

Description of the Solution / Business Idea

Sferiguida will connect migrants and citizens in Macerata to foster real integration. It offers six key tools: a local map and transport guide, live reviews of places and events by locals, language exchange with locals, multilingual guides about bureaucracy, an AI chatbot with 24/7 help, and local news updates. All guides will be created and updated by locals. Together, these features help immigrants navigate daily life, learn Italian, access services, and join the community dialogue.

(No estimated budget since it is an early idea and there is little understanding about the amount of people that should join the team, but I can work on the code myself. The main expenses will be to support the work of server moderators and connect with local businesses.
The main funding after app launch will be subscriptions (monthly around 2.5-5 EUR) and voluntary donations from users. Before launching it is necessary to apply for government and private grants and sponsorships in order to get enough money to initiate the project. The interest of sponsors might influence the geographic scope of the app - it might be expanded to other cities in the Marche region, for example. At the same time, the initial fundings can be raised with crowdfunding in Macerata.
The financial sustainability of the business is ensured by subscription plan - users won't be able to purchase a product for unlimited use. The nature of the product also encourages users to be constantly engaged with the app - otherwise the amount of discount decreases. The app actually employs the human nature and recent habit of people who are dependent on their phones, but at least they will use their phones to add a social value and to join the local community. The app doesn't solve the problem of constant usage of mobile phones and other devices, but it encourages at least `good` social behavior and allows to stay connected with like-minded people (in language learning, for example).

Related UN Sustainable Development Goals