EU funds · Grants
Portugal 2030 grants for companies, explained in English
Portugal 2030 is the framework that channels EUR 23 billion of EU funds into Portugal for 2021 to 2027. For companies, the money comes through incentive systems: calls for applications that fund part of an investment in equipment and new capacity, innovation, research and development, skills, or entry into foreign markets. Grants for productive investment by SMEs go up to 60% of eligible costs.
Any company established in Portugal can apply if it meets the conditions of the call, whoever owns it. The calls, the portal and the applications are in Portuguese, the application has to be filed before the investment starts, and the grant is paid as a refund of costs already paid.
Figures checked against the official sources between 10 and 19 September 2026. We never promise approvals.
- What it is
- EU cohesion funds for Portugal, 2021 to 2027, delivered through 12 programmes
- For companies
- Incentive systems with open calls, ranked on merit
- Nature
- Grant, paid as reimbursement. Some calls mix in a repayable part
- Rates
- Set in each call. Up to 60% for SME productive investment and up to 80% for business R&D
- Where to apply
- Balcão dos Fundos, the official portal, in Portuguese
- Costs eligible until
- 31 December 2029
- Foreign-owned companies
- Same rules as any company established in Portugal
What Portugal 2030 is
Portugal 2030 is the partnership agreement between Portugal and the European Commission for the current EU budget cycle. It is delivered through 12 programmes. For business investment, the ones that matter are COMPETE 2030, the national programme for innovation and competitiveness, and the regional programmes: Norte 2030, Centro 2030, Lisboa 2030, Alentejo 2030, Algarve 2030, Açores 2030 and Madeira 2030.
It is not one fund with one form. Each programme publishes calls for applications (avisos) during the year, each with its own budget, deadline, eligible companies, eligible costs and scoring grid. A project is only fundable while a call that fits it is open.
Who can apply
- Companies of any legal form established in Portugal. Most calls are for SMEs. Some accept larger companies, at lower rates.
- Foreign-owned companies, on the same terms. The programmes look at the company, not at the nationality of its shareholders. Ownership matters for one thing: the size of the group counts for SME status.
- With the basics in order: organised accounts, nothing owed to the Tax Authority or Social Security, the IAPMEI SME certificate where the call asks for it, and the financial capacity to carry out the project.
- In an activity the call covers. The productive investment calls are aimed at goods and services that can be sold outside the local market. Primary agriculture and fisheries have their own programmes, and sectors such as finance and property are generally excluded.
The incentive systems that matter for companies
| Incentive system | What it funds | Typical applicant |
|---|---|---|
| Productive Innovation (SICE Inovação Produtiva) | Innovative productive investment: a new establishment, more capacity, new products, a fundamental change in the production process. Machinery, equipment, works and software | SMEs in industry, tourism and tradable services, with larger projects. Up to 60% of eligible costs |
| Territorial Base (SI de Base Territorial) | Creating, expanding and modernising small businesses, through the regional programmes | Micro and small companies with smaller investments, including local services and trade, depending on the call |
| SME Qualification and Internationalisation | Digitalisation, certification, design, brands, and the costs of entering foreign markets: fairs, prospecting, marketing | SMEs that want to organise themselves or export |
| Business R&D (SIID) | Industrial research and experimental development, alone or with universities and research centres | Companies developing new products or processes. Up to 80% of eligible costs |
Rates, minimum investment and eligible sectors are set call by call, and they change. A rate quoted without the number of the call behind it is a guess.
Why the region changes the answer
EU state aid rules cap how much public money an investment can receive, and the cap is higher where the economy is weaker. In practice, Norte, Centro, Alentejo, the Azores and Madeira allow higher rates than the Lisbon area and the Algarve, and small companies get more than medium-sized ones.
Within each region, low-density territories, which cover most of the interior, often have their own calls or a bonus on the rate. For an investor who has not yet chosen a location, this is worth knowing before signing a lease.
How to apply, step by step
- Find a call that fits. Calls are published on the Portugal 2030 website and on the sites of each programme, with a yearly plan of the calls to come. We keep a list of the open calls in English.
- Register the company on Balcão dos Fundos, the single portal for applications.
- Build the application, in Portuguese. A description of the project, answers to each scoring criterion, the budget with supplier quotes, and financial projections that show the project is viable.
- File before the deadline, and before the investment starts. Nothing ordered or paid before that date counts.
- Wait for the ranking. Applications are scored against published criteria and funded from the top until the budget of the call runs out.
- Sign the acceptance agreement, which fixes the approved costs, the rate, the timetable and the targets.
- Carry out the project and claim the money. You pay suppliers, file payment claims with invoices and proof of payment, and receive the refunds.
What you commit to after approval
- Carrying out the project as approved, within the timetable. Changes need prior authorisation.
- Proving every cost with invoices, bank proof of payment and, above certain amounts, evidence that the purchase was made at market conditions.
- Meeting the targets the application promised, such as turnover, exports or jobs. Missing them can reduce the grant.
- Keeping the investment in use, in the region, for a minimum period after the final payment.
- Publicising the EU funding as the rules require, and keeping the file available for audits.
Approved projects lose money in this phase more often than in the application. A supplier paid in cash, an invoice dated before the application or an unapproved change of equipment can each cost part of the grant.
How long Portugal 2030 will last
The programming period is 2021 to 2027, and costs are eligible until 31 December 2029. Calls will keep opening until the budgets are committed, and they thin out towards the end of the cycle. The Recovery and Resilience Plan (PRR), which ran in parallel, had to meet its milestones by 31 August 2026 and is no longer a source of new calls for companies.
If you are planning an investment for the next two years, the time to look at the calendar of calls is before you fix the dates of the investment, not after.
Frequently asked questions
Can a foreign company apply to Portugal 2030?
A company established in Portugal can, whoever owns it. A foreign company with no Portuguese entity cannot apply to the business incentive systems: the beneficiary has to be established in Portugal and the investment has to happen in an eligible Portuguese region. See Can foreigners get grants in Portugal?
Is there an English version of the calls?
No. Some programme sites have an English section, but the calls, the regulations, the forms and the application portal are in Portuguese, and applications are written in Portuguese. We work with you in English and file in Portuguese.
What is the minimum investment?
It depends on the call. The productive innovation calls are designed for projects of several hundred thousand euros and more. The territorial base calls of the regional programmes accept much smaller investments by micro and small companies. Each call states its own minimum and maximum.
How long until a decision?
Count in months from the closing date of the call, and then add the time to sign the agreement. The first refund only arrives after you have paid costs and filed a payment claim. Plan your cash flow as if the grant did not exist, and treat the refunds as they come. The legal deadlines are in how grants are paid in Portugal.
Is a Portugal 2030 grant really non-repayable?
The grant part is, provided you carry out the project and meet the conditions you signed. Some calls add a repayable part or make a share of the grant depend on results. The call says which.
Official sources
The official texts are in Portuguese. The figures on this page were checked against them.
- Portugal 2030, official website: what Portugal 2030 is (checked 18 September 2026)
- IAPMEI: open calls (call MPr-2026-6, SICE Productive Innovation) (checked 10 September 2026)
- Portugal 2030, official website: calls for applications (checked 10 September 2026)
- Balcão dos Fundos, the official application portal (checked 18 September 2026)
- Regulation (EU) 2021/1060 (Common Provisions Regulation), article 63(2), consolidated version published by AD&C (checked 19 September 2026)
- Recuperar Portugal: the PRR enters its final phase (31 August 2026) (checked 18 September 2026)
Is there an open call for your project?
Tell us what you plan to invest in, where and when. We check the calls that are open and the ones on the calendar.
Free eligibility check →