Tutoring Franchise in Italy: The Complete 2026 Guide

In Italy, ripetizioni (private lessons) are part of ordinary school life. Students take them before the Maturità, over the summer to clear a failed subject, and through the year to keep up in maths. Much of that demand is still met informally, by a teacher or a university student working from home, or by a neighbourhood doposcuola. For anyone considering a tutoring franchise in Italy, that is both the opportunity and the challenge: the need is well established, but an organised, branded centre has to show families why it is worth choosing over the familiar options.

This guide covers the Italian school system and its exams, the evidence on tutoring demand, how a tutoring franchise works, how the main models compare, what to look for in a franchisor, the Legge 129/2004 on franchising and practical points about premises and staff, and how Success Tutoring approaches Italy.

The Italian school system, INVALSI and the Maturità

Italian schooling runs through five years of scuola primaria, three years of scuola secondaria di primo grado (ending with the first-cycle state exam, still widely called the esame di terza media) and five years of scuola secondaria di secondo grado, split between licei, technical institutes and vocational institutes. Three moments shape families' decisions about extra help.

• INVALSI tests. The national INVALSI assessments measure Italian, maths and English at several stages. According to INVALSI's first results for 2025, only 49 per cent of students in the final year of upper secondary school reached at least the basic level in mathematics, down from 52 per cent in 2024, with wide gaps between the North and the South.
• The debito formativo. A student who fails a subject at the end of the year can have the judgement suspended and must pass a make-up test before the new year starts. According to Skuola.net's Osservatorio Ripetizioni Estive (2025), around two in three students in that position turn to private lessons over the summer.
• The Maturità. The esame di Stato at the end of upper secondary school is the most visible exam in Italian family life. For 2026 the oral was reformed: Education Minister Giuseppe Valditara announced that it would focus on four subjects named by the Ministry by the end of January, without the old discussion of a starting "document", and press coverage (Sky TG24, Avvenire, Open) reported that a student who refuses the oral fails the exam. For the scientific liceo, maths remains central to the written papers and, in 2026, to the oral.

The international picture is similar. In the OECD's PISA 2022 assessment, Italian 15-year-olds scored 471 in mathematics, close to the OECD average and 15 points below their 2018 result.

Why tutoring demand is strong in Italy

Put together, those facts describe steady, recurring demand. Maths is the pressure point; the calendar creates predictable peaks around make-up exams, the first-cycle exam and the Maturità; and each exam reform sends families looking for structured preparation. Much of the market is still informal, which proves the demand but also means a centre competes with a familiar, low-overhead alternative and must win on structure, consistency and trust.

Franchising itself is well understood. According to the Assofranchising Italia 2026 report (2025 data, prepared by Patrigest with TEHA Group and reported by Teleborsa in October 2026), franchising in Italy turned over around €39 billion in 2025, with more than 700 brands and around 62,000 outlets. Landlords, banks and investors are used to the model.

What a tutoring franchise is

A tutoring franchise licenses you to run a learning business under an established brand, using its curriculum, systems, training and marketing. You invest in the premises and the launch, pay the franchisor fees set out in the agreement, own the business and employ the team.

Success Tutoring runs a membership model: families join for a set number of weekly sessions in a retail-style centre, rather than buying lessons one at a time. Revenue is more predictable than with pay-per-lesson tutoring and the focus moves to progress and retention. According to the company's own news posts, centres in its existing markets have opened with 45, 55, 60 and more than 70 members signed before opening day, through structured pre-launch marketing. Costs are led by rent, tutor wages and contributions, and marketing. For costs, see the investment schedule rather than any figure quoted in an article.

Tutoring franchise, worksheet centres, private tutors and independent centres

Italian families and investors can choose between four broad options.

• A centre-based tutoring franchise. Tutors work with small groups in a branded centre, following a structured programme. You get a tested system, launch support and a brand, in exchange for fees and following the system.
• A worksheet-based method centre. Kumon, which operates in Italy, uses a self-learning method in which students progress through graded worksheets at their own pace, supported by an instructor. It suits families who want daily practice and independence. Our Success Tutoring vs Kumon guide explains how the two models differ.
• Private tutors. Flexible and often cheaper, but quality varies, there is rarely any progress reporting, and a tutor's availability changes with exams and university timetables.
• An independent centre or doposcuola. You keep full control and pay no franchise fees, but you build the curriculum, the brand, the recruitment process and the marketing yourself. Our article on buying a tutoring franchise vs starting from scratch compares the two paths.

What to look for in a tutoring franchise in Italy

1. Curriculum alignment. Ask how the programme maps to the Indicazioni nazionali from primary school to the final year of upper secondary, and how it supports INVALSI, the first-cycle exam and the Maturità. A programme built abroad must show genuine adaptation, in Italian.
2. A launch system. Ask exactly how the franchisor fills a centre before opening, and ask for recent examples. See our launch support page.
3. Tutor recruitment and training. Italian employment rules and contributions are significant. Ask how tutors are recruited, contracted and trained, and whether training is online.
4. Territory. Ask how territories are defined and what exclusivity you get. Our franchise territories page, read in the Italian version of the site, shows Italian cities and indicative territories.
5. Disclosure and references. Read everything the franchisor gives you under Legge 129/2004 (see below) and speak to existing franchisees, including some you were not referred to. Our list of questions to ask a tutoring franchisor is a good starting point.
6. Support in practice. Who answers your questions day to day, in which language and time zone?

Franchise regulation in Italy: Legge 129/2004

Italy has a specific franchising statute, Law No. 129 of 6 May 2004 on affiliazione commerciale. As summarised by Italian franchise lawyers and the trade press, its main points are:

• Written contract. The franchise agreement must be in writing, or it is void.
• A tested formula. Before setting up a network, the franchisor must have tested its business formula on the market.
• Minimum term. For a fixed-term agreement, the duration must be long enough for the franchisee to recover the investment and in any case not less than three years.
• Disclosure at least 30 days before signing. The franchisor must give the prospective franchisee a copy of the full contract and an information package at least 30 days before signature. It covers, among other things, details of the franchisor and its brand, a summary of the know-how, the list of franchisees, changes in the network over recent years and any legal proceedings concerning the network.
• Foreign franchisors. A 2011 ministerial regulation (DM 204/2011) sets out how a franchisor that has operated only outside Italy meets the disclosure requirements, which is relevant to any brand entering the country.

Assofranchising is the main industry association; membership is voluntary. EU competition rules and Italian consumer and employment law also apply. Take advice from an Italian franchise lawyer and a commercialista before you sign anything or pay any money.

Premises, staff and practicalities

• Company set-up. Most franchisees trade through an SRL, registered with the local chamber of commerce.
• Lease. A commercial lease in Italy usually runs six years renewable for a further six. Check that the permitted use covers an educational or training activity.
• Licensing. A private tutoring centre is not a school and does not award qualifications, but the premises still need to meet planning, safety and accessibility rules. Check with the comune and a local adviser which notifications apply before you sign a lease.
• Child safeguarding. Employers taking on staff for activities involving regular contact with minors must obtain a criminal record certificate for them. Build this into recruitment.
• Teachers as tutors. Many tutors are teachers or university students. State-school teachers face limits on private lessons, including for their own pupils, so take advice on contracts.

How Success Tutoring approaches Italy

Success Tutoring was founded in Sydney, Australia, in 2017 by Michael Black and has been franchising since around 2020. It has announced international markets including New Zealand, the United States, Singapore, Canada, the United Kingdom and India. Italy is not one of the markets it has announced: at the time of writing (October 2026), Success Tutoring has not announced any launch or centre in Italy and is looking for qualified franchise partners and a master franchise partner for the country.

The model offered to partners is the one built in Australia: retail-style learning centres for K–12 students focused on English and Mathematics; a membership model with launch and pre-marketing support; site selection, leasing and fit-out support; tutor recruitment and online tutor training; learning resources and ongoing marketing under a global brand; and a flat structure in which franchise partners deal directly with head office leadership. Adapting the programme to the Italian curriculum would be part of the work with local partners.

Franchise partners do not need to be teachers. Success Tutoring is a member of the Franchise Council of Australia and the International Franchise Association. Read our complete tutoring franchise guide for the wider picture, and our guide to a tutoring franchise in France for a neighbouring market.

Frequently asked questions

Is there demand for a tutoring franchise in Italy?

Yes. INVALSI's 2025 results show that around half of final-year students do not reach the basic level in maths, and Skuola.net's 2025 survey found that around two in three students with a failed subject take private lessons over the summer.

What does Legge 129/2004 require?

A written contract, a franchisor that has tested its formula, a minimum term of three years for fixed-term agreements, and the contract and an information package delivered at least 30 days before signing.

Do I need to be a teacher to own a tutoring franchise in Italy?

No. The franchisor supplies the curriculum, systems and tutor training. Your role is to recruit and lead a team, build local relationships and grow the centre.

How much does a tutoring franchise in Italy cost?

It depends on the territory, premises and fit-out. Success Tutoring does not publish figures in articles; see the investment schedule.

Is Success Tutoring open in Italy?

No centres have been announced in Italy. Success Tutoring is looking for franchise partners and a master franchise partner for the Italian market.

Next steps

A tutoring franchise in Italy addresses real, recurring demand driven by maths results, make-up exams and a reformed Maturità, in a country that knows franchising well. The brand you choose has to make the case for a structured centre against informal private lessons. Read why us to see how Success Tutoring supports franchise partners, then follow the process from first conversation to opening day.

All third-party trademarks belong to their respective owners. Figures about other franchises are taken from their public websites, disclosure documents or reputable franchise directories at the time of writing and may have changed; verify them directly before making any decision. This article is general information, not financial or legal advice.