Centros para o Empreendedorismo de Impacto

The opportunity is part of the "Portugal Inovação Social 2030" initiative, which aims to support projects that address social issues in innovative and efficient ways to create positive social impact. The focus is on promoting active inclusion, equality of opportunities, non-discrimination, and active participation, while enhancing employability, especially for disadvantaged groups. It encourages the creation or development of entities that support incubation, acceleration, and capacity-building processes for impact entrepreneurship, involving social investors from different sectors to co-finance operations.

Focus on the creation, development, or expansion of local or regional centers dedicated to promoting social innovation and impact entrepreneurship.

Be based in the Algarve (NUTS II) region and physically implemented there.

Aim to strengthen local and regional innovation ecosystems through structured incubation, acceleration, and capacity-building processes.

Involve collaboration with public entities, private sector actors, and social economy organizations.

Examples of Admissible Projects

• Establishing a local social innovation center that supports youth-led startups addressing unemployment and education gaps.
• Expanding an impact incubator focused on circular economy solutions, with co-financing from a corporate social responsibility fund.
• Launching a training and mentorship hub in partnership with municipalities and NGOs to support women entrepreneurs in vulnerable communities.
• Creating a digital acceleration program for social enterprises working in health and care services for the elderly.

Direct Personnel Costs

• Salaries for internal staff working directly on the project.

• Fees for external personnel under service contracts, provided they are explicitly linked to the operation.

Fixed-Rate Indirect Costs

• Calculated as a fixed rate of 40% applied to eligible direct personnel costs.

• Covers other necessary operational expenses that are difficult to itemize individually (e.g., administrative overhead, materials, communication).

Total budget for the grant: €300,000

Co-financing percentage: Up to 60% 

Maximum funding per project: 50,000€

Be one of the following types of entities:

• Private entities, including companies and private foundations
• Social economy organizations, such as cooperatives, associations, IPSS, mutual associations, and misericórdias
• Public higher education institutions or their R&D units

Be legally established in mainland Portugal, and operate (or implement the project) in the Algarve NUTS II region

Have organized accounting and be in good standing with tax and social security obligations

Demonstrate financial and operational capacity to execute the proposed project

Present a valid Letter of Commitment from a social investor, confirming a minimum 20% co-financing of the project’s eligible expenses