Grants, tax incentives and EU funding in Portugal
Funding your investment in Portugal, explained in English
Portugal pays part of the cost when a company invests, hires or does research here: grants from Portugal 2030, tax credits such as RFAI and SIFIDE, and hiring incentives from IEFP. The rules are published in Portuguese, the calls open and close on their own calendar, and the order in which you do things decides whether you qualify.
Incentiva.pt is an independent consultancy that finds the programmes that fit your project and prepares the applications. We work in English. The first analysis and the video call are free, and the application is charged as a success fee, only if it is approved.
Last reviewed on 18 September 2026. We never promise approvals.
What are you planning?
Most foreign investors do not start by looking for a grant. They start with a decision. Pick yours.
New business
Starting a business in Portugal
Where the money can come from in your first two years, and what public funding will not pay for.
Read more →Foreign company or investor
Can foreigners get grants?
Who applies, the SME trap for foreign-owned companies, and why you apply first and invest after.
Read more →Overview
The full list of business grants
Every programme in one table, with what it is: a grant, a loan or a tax credit.
Read more →Tax
Tax on your Portuguese company
The corporate tax rate and the credits that reduce it when you invest or do research.
Read more →Land
Buying a farm
What young farmers get, what is open in 2026, and why no programme pays for the land.
Read more →Hospitality
A guesthouse, a hotel, glamping
Most tourism funding is loans. Where the real grants are, and what they require.
Read more →Industry
Setting up production
Grants and tax credits for a factory or a new line, and the rules on timing and group size.
Read more →Location
Choosing the interior
Lower corporate tax, reserved grant budgets and higher hiring incentives inland.
Read more →The programmes behind the money
EU funds
Portugal 2030
Grants for productive investment, innovation, R&D and going international. Open calls with deadlines.
Read more →Tax credit
RFAI
Part of what you invest in equipment and buildings comes off your corporate tax bill.
Read more →Tax credit
SIFIDE II
A tax credit for research and development costs, including the salaries of your R&D staff.
Read more →Hiring
IEFP hiring incentives
A cash incentive for each permanent hire of a person registered with the public employment service.
Read more →Guides
Guides for investors
Corporate tax, how grants are paid, SME status, de minimis and consultant fees, in plain English.
Read more →Five things foreign investors get wrong
- The company applies, not you. Support goes to a company registered in Portugal. Your nationality and where you live do not matter. The company's accounts, tax position and size do.
- Apply first, invest after. Most programmes only pay for costs that start after the application is filed. Sign the purchase order too early and that cost is lost.
- Grants are paid as reimbursements. You pay the suppliers, then claim the grant. You need the cash or a bridge loan to get there.
- A grant is not a loan, and neither is a tax credit. Several schemes advertised in English as grants are loans with a part that may be forgiven. We always say which is which.
- Applications are in Portuguese. So are the calls, the regulations and the portals. We work with you in English and file in Portuguese.
Each of these is explained, with the rules behind it, in Can foreigners get grants in Portugal?
How we work
- You tell us about the project. A three minute form. We answer by email within one working day.
- We talk. A free video call of 15 to 30 minutes, in English.
- We check the fit and the eligibility in writing. Two short paid analyses, each ending with a plain answer: go on, or stop.
- We apply. We prepare and file the application. The fee for this step is a success fee, charged only if your application is approved.
Fees are set out in a written proposal before any paid work starts. The whole process is on the page How we work.
Frequently asked questions
Can a foreign-owned company get grants in Portugal?
Yes. What counts is that the applicant is a company registered in Portugal, with organised accounts and no debts to the Tax Authority or Social Security. The nationality of the shareholders does not matter. The size of the group does: a Portuguese subsidiary of a large group is not an SME. See Can foreigners get grants in Portugal?
Do you work in English?
Yes. Emails, the video call, the written analyses and the proposal are in English. The application is filed in Portuguese, as the official portals require, and you receive an English summary.
What does it cost?
The first analysis and the video call are free. The two written analyses are paid, and the application is charged as a success fee, only if it is approved. You receive the amounts in a written proposal before any paid work starts. See How we work.
Do you guarantee approval?
No, and nobody honestly can. The decision belongs to the public body that runs each programme, and it depends on the budget of the call and on how your application ranks. What we guarantee is an honest analysis, and that you do not pay the application fee unless the project is approved.
Investing in Portugal? Find out what applies to you
Tell us about your project and we map the funding you could apply for. Free and with no commitment.
Free eligibility check →