Qualificação das PME - Operações Individuais

The main goal of this opportunity is to help small and medium-sized businesses in Portugal improve their business models and competitiveness through digitalization and innovation. The focus is on supporting advanced business strategies, integrating into global value chains, and producing goods and services that can be sold internationally. Priority areas include organizational innovation, digital transformation (such as cybersecurity and data protection), and adopting sustainability practices aligned with ESG principles. This grant is available in the Norte, Centro, Alentejo, Lisboa, and Algarve regions.

• Projects must aim to qualify and digitalize SMEs using intangible competitiveness factors like organizational innovation, digital transformation, cybersecurity, and data protection.
• They must contribute to the objectives of the call, show clear sources of financing, and avoid duplicating actions from other projects.
• Projects are evaluated on strategy fit, quality, execution capacity, and impact, with minimum required scores for each.
• Applicants must comply with environmental principles and submit a declaration confirming this.
• Only one application per candidate is allowed, except for projects in less developed regions and Lisbon/Algarve, where separate applications are needed. Projects must align with regional strategies and support regional development.
• Eligible costs include hiring up to two qualified new employees and introducing innovative activities directly related to the project.

Example Projects:

• A company in Porto launches a digital platform to manage supply chains more efficiently, including cybersecurity upgrades.
• An SME in Algarve implements new management software and hires two data analysts to improve business processes and expand internationally.
• A business in Lisbon adopts ESG-aligned practices and digital tools to enhance sustainability reporting and market reach.

• Costs of equipment and software used exclusively for the project at the beneficiary's location during execution.
• Salaries for up to two newly hired qualified staff (qualification level 6 or higher), capped at €2,250 per month, with specific employment conditions.
• Fees for specialized external consultancy, including certified accountants or auditors (up to €5,000 for accounting validation).
• Expenses for product or service certification and brand registration.
• Subscription fees for digital applications or platforms directly related to the project.
• Costs for obtaining, validating, and defending patents and intellectual property rights.
• Investments in digital transformation, cybersecurity, artificial intelligence, and data analytics.
• Innovation in organizational methods, management, logistics, and integration strategies for global value chains.

Restrictions: Expenses incurred before the application date are not eligible. Salary support is limited to two new hires, and accounting validation costs are capped at €5,000.

• Total budget of the grant: €18,000,000
• Co-financing rate: Up to 50% depending on the region
• Minimum per project: €200,000
• Maximum project duration: 24 months
• Other financial details: Payments include initial advances (up to 10%), advances against invoices or with guarantees, reimbursements, and final payments. The final payment request must be submitted within 90 business days after the project ends. Operations must cover at least two competitiveness domains. If project compliance falls below 85%, funding is reduced; if below 40%, support may be revoked. Salaries for new qualified hires are capped at €2,250/month, and accounting validation costs are capped at €5,000. Costs before application are not eligible.

• Applicants must be micro, small, or medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) operating in the eligible regions.
• Projects must contribute to the objectives of the grant and demonstrate clear sources of financing.
• Only one application per applicant is allowed, except for investments in less developed regions and Lisbon/Algarve, where separate applications are required.
• Applicants must confirm that their projects do not duplicate actions funded by other projects.
• All projects must align with the "Do No Significant Harm" environmental principle and provide a declaration of compliance.
• Projects must achieve a minimum Merit Project score of 3.00, with specific minimum scores for adequacy (2), quality (3), execution capacity (2), and impact (2).
• Applicants must submit their applications online through the Balcão dos Fundos platform.