Estágios INICIAR

The main goal of this opportunity is to help young people and unemployed individuals with intermediate qualifications gain practical work experience and re-enter the job market. The program focuses on providing hands-on training in real work environments, supporting professional integration without replacing regular jobs. It is especially inclusive of people with disabilities or incapacity, offering them extended internship durations. While the initiative is funded by European resources, it is designed for participants in mainland Portugal, with special attention to interior regions and underrepresented groups. The program does not cover curricular internships or roles in medicine and nursing.

• Projects must offer practical training that supports the professional (re)integration of eligible participants.
• Internships should not replace existing job positions or regular employment roles.
• Internships must last up to 6 months (or up to 12 months for people with disabilities or incapacity).
• Projects must not involve curricular internships or roles in medicine and nursing.
• Host entities can be in revitalization or recovery processes.

Examples:

• A small business in an interior region offers a 6-month internship to a young unemployed person with a level 4 qualification.
• An organization provides a 12-month internship for a person with a disability, focusing on administrative support tasks.
• A non-profit hosts an internship for an unemployed individual who is a recognized informal caregiver, helping them gain office experience.

• Monthly internship grants ("bolsa de estágio") based on the participant's qualification level
• Daily meal allowance (€6.00 per day)
• Work accident insurance (3.296% of IAS, or €17.22 in 2025)
• Transportation expenses (10% of IAS, or €52.25 in 2025, if applicable)
• Transportation support or subsidy for interns with disabilities or incapacity

Restrictions: Only expenses directly related to the internship and outlined above are eligible. Reimbursement depends on specific internship types and profiles.

• Co-financing rate: 80% for gender under-represented professions, internships in interior territories, people with disabilities/incapacity, or when a permanent full-time contract is signed within 20 days after the internship. 65% for all other cases.
• Monthly stipend: Level 4 - €888.25; Level 5 - €940.50; Level 6 - €1,149.50; Level 7 - €1,254.00; Level 8 - €1,358.50 (based on 2025 IAS of €522.50).
• Meal allowance: €6.00 per day.
• Work accident insurance: €17.22.
• Transportation expenses: €52.25 (if applicable).
• Maximum project duration: 6 months (12 months for people with disabilities/incapacity).
• Special conditions: Host entities must not have had prior employment or internship relationships with the intern in the past 24 months (some exceptions apply).

• Unemployed individuals aged 18–35 with a level 4 or 5 qualification.
• Unemployed individuals over 35 who have obtained a level 4 or 5 qualification in the past 24 months and do not receive an old-age pension.
• People with disabilities or incapacity with a level 4 or 5 qualification, or lower.
• Unemployed individuals with a level 4 or 5 qualification who are in specific vulnerable situations (e.g., single-parent families, domestic violence victims, refugees, ex-prisoners, recovering addicts, homeless, informal caregivers, or under residential care).
• Applicants cannot have completed a previous state-funded internship unless they have since obtained a higher or different qualification and 12 months have passed.
• Eligibility is not dependent on being part of a network or partnership.
• Interns with higher qualifications (level 6 or above) are directed to a different program (Estágios +Talento).