Project Description
Qualification and Internationalisation of SMEs
(Individual Applications)
Portugal 2030
The aim of this call for proposals is to grant financial support to projects that strengthen business capacity for the qualification and internationalisation of SMEs. This support from PT2030 is aimed at individual applications for organisations that want to expand their business abroad and need funding for hiring human resources, taking part in events, communication and publicity to publicise their products and services on international markets.
Support Status
Preliminary Stage
Financing
Up to 500.000€
Territory
Mainland Portugal
Eligible Entities
SME
Qualification and Internationalisation of SMEs
(Individual applications)
Portugal 2030
The aim of this call for proposals is to grant financial support to projects that strengthen business capacity for the qualification and internationalisation of SMEs. This support from PT2030 is aimed at individual applications for organisations that want to expand their business abroad and need funding for hiring human resources, taking part in events, communication and publicity to publicise their products and services on international markets.
Support Status
Preliminary Stage
Financing
Up to 500.000€
Territory
Mainland Portugal
Eligible Entities
SME
Incentive Conditions
- The aim of this call for proposals is to grant financial support to projects that strengthen the business capacity of SMEs for internationalisation and SME qualification.
- Mainland Portugal.
- The “Qualification of SMEs” operation typology includes support in immaterial areas of competitiveness, namely:
- a) Organizational, management and logistics innovation;
- b) Digitalisation and digital transformation, including cybersecurity and data protection;
- c) Capacity building for the development of products, services and processes;
- d) Quality and certification;
- e) Creation of brands and design, excluding periodic changes and others of a cyclical and seasonal nature;
- f) Protection of industrial property;
- g) Transfer of knowledge and technology;
- h) Sustainability and eco-innovation.
- The “Internationalisation of SMEs” type of operation includes support for actions in the field of:
- a) Knowledge, prospecting and presence in foreign markets;
- b) International marketing;
- c) Online presence and e-commerce;
- d) Creation and international promotion of brands;
- e) Organizational innovation related to commercial practices or external relations;
- f) Quality and specific certification for foreign markets.
- The funding rate for operations is up to 50 per cent, without prejudice to the provisions of the following paragraphs.
- In the case of eligible human resources training costs, the base rate of up to 50 per cent may be increased by the following, but may not in any case exceed the maximum limit of 70 per cent:
- a) By 10 p.p. if the training is given to disabled or disadvantaged workers;
- b) By 10 p.p. if the incentive is granted to medium-sized companies;
- c) By 20 p.p. if the incentive is granted to micro and small enterprises.
- The minimum eligible investment amount per project will be 25,000 euros and the maximum amount of support is 500,000 euros.
- In applications submitted individually, SMEs are beneficiaries.
- Beneficiaries must, on the date of the application, have completed the operations approved under this subsection for the same establishment of the company, without prejudice to the cases excepted in the call for applications.
- *Beneficiaries must, at the time of application, have completed the operations:
- a) Be legally constituted and duly registered, including in the Central Registry of Effective Beneficiaries (RCBE).
- b) Have a regularised tax and social security situation, respectively.
- c) Have a regularised situation with regard to refunds under European funds, including support granted by the Recovery and Resilience Plan;
- d) Be legally authorised to carry out the respective activity;
- e) Have or be able to provide their own human resources, as well as the technical and material means necessary to carry out the operation;
- f) Have a balanced economic and financial situation and demonstrate the ability to finance the operation.
- g) Be certified or use certified training organisations in the training areas for which they are requesting financial support;
- h) Have a bank account with an institution legally authorised to operate in Portugal;
- i) They do not hold, nor have they held in the last three years, by themselves or their spouse, whether or not separated, or by their ascendants and descendants up to the first degree, capital in a percentage greater than 50%, in entities that are not in good standing in terms of refunds under European funds;
- j) Not be the subject of an injunction procedure for the recovery of unlawful aid, in accordance with European regulations;
- k) The organisation is not in insolvency proceedings.
- The following expenses are considered eligible, provided they are directly related to the development of the operation:
- a) Costs of equipment necessary for the application of new organisational methods, including software, to the extent that they are used in the operation and during its implementation, and only if they are used exclusively in the beneficiary’s establishment;
- b) Salary costs for hiring qualified human resources, including the basic salary and compulsory social charges;
- c) Costs incurred in taking part in fairs and exhibitions abroad, including space hire, construction and operation of the stand;
- d) Costs of specialised consultancy services, provided by external consultants, which do not constitute a continuous or periodic activity, nor are they related to the normal operation of the beneficiaries, including marketing campaigns in foreign markets, expenses with the intervention of certified accountants or statutory auditors, costs associated with the certification of products, processes or services, costs of designing and registering new brands, costs associated with the domiciliation and subscription of applications, membership of electronic platforms or inclusion in directories and search engines;
- e) Costs of obtaining, validating and defending patents and other industrial property registrations;
- f) Training of human resources;
- g) Other expenses related to promoting internationalisation, including prospecting and attracting new clients and promotional activities carried out in foreign markets;
- Note: Costs directly related to the beneficiaries’ productive or operational area are not eligible.
Incentive Conditions
The aim of this call for proposals is to grant financial support to projects that strengthen the business capacity of SMEs for internationalisation and SME qualification.
The “Qualification of SMEs” operation typology includes support in immaterial areas of competitiveness, namely:
a) Organizational, management and logistics innovation;
b) Digitalisation and digital transformation, including cybersecurity and data protection;
c) Capacity building for the development of products, services and processes;
d) Quality and certification;
e) Creation of brands and design, excluding periodic changes and others of a cyclical and seasonal nature;
f) Protection of industrial property;
g) Transfer of knowledge and technology;
h) Sustainability and eco-innovation.
The “Internationalisation of SMEs” type of operation includes support for actions in the field of:
a) Knowledge, prospecting and presence in foreign markets;
b) International marketing;
c) Online presence and e-commerce;
d) Creation and international promotion of brands;
e) Organizational innovation related to commercial practices or external relations;
f) Quality and specific certification for foreign markets.
The funding rate for operations is up to 50 per cent, without prejudice to the provisions of the following paragraphs.
In the case of eligible human resources training costs, the base rate of up to 50 per cent may be increased by the following, but may not in any case exceed the maximum limit of 70 per cent:
a) By 10 p.p. if the training is given to disabled or disadvantaged workers;
b) By 10 p.p. if the incentive is granted to medium-sized companies;
c) By 20 p.p. if the incentive is granted to micro and small enterprises.
The minimum eligible investment amount per project will be 25,000 euros and the maximum amount of support is 500,000 euros.
In applications submitted individually, SMEs are beneficiaries.
Beneficiaries must, on the date of the application, have completed the operations approved under this subsection for the same establishment of the company, without prejudice to the cases excepted in the call for applications.
*Beneficiaries must, at the time of application, have completed the operations:
a) Be legally constituted and duly registered, including in the Central Registry of Effective Beneficiaries (RCBE).
b) Have a regularised tax and social security situation, respectively.
c) Have a regularised situation with regard to refunds under European funds, including support granted by the Recovery and Resilience Plan;
d) Be legally authorised to carry out the respective activity;
e) Have or be able to provide their own human resources, as well as the technical and material means necessary to carry out the operation;
f) Have a balanced economic and financial situation and demonstrate the ability to finance the operation.
g) Be certified or use certified training organisations in the training areas for which they are requesting financial support;
h) Have a bank account with an institution legally authorised to operate in Portugal;
i) They do not hold, nor have they held in the last three years, by themselves or their spouse, whether or not separated, or by their ascendants and descendants up to the first degree, capital in a percentage greater than 50%, in entities that are not in good standing in terms of refunds under European funds;
j) Not be the subject of an injunction procedure for the recovery of unlawful aid, in accordance with European regulations;
k) The organisation is not in insolvency proceedings.
The following expenses are considered eligible, provided they are directly related to the development of the operation:
a) Costs of equipment necessary for the application of new organisational methods, including software, to the extent that they are used in the operation and during its implementation, and only if they are used exclusively in the beneficiary’s establishment;
b) Salary costs for hiring qualified human resources, including the basic salary and compulsory social charges;
c) Costs incurred in taking part in fairs and exhibitions abroad, including space hire, construction and operation of the stand;
d) Costs of specialised consultancy services, provided by external consultants, which do not constitute a continuous or periodic activity, nor are they related to the normal operation of the beneficiaries, including marketing campaigns in foreign markets, expenses with the intervention of certified accountants or statutory auditors, costs associated with the certification of products, processes or services, costs of designing and registering new brands, costs associated with the domiciliation and subscription of applications, membership of electronic platforms or inclusion in directories and search engines;
e) Costs of obtaining, validating and defending patents and other industrial property registrations;
f) Training of human resources;
g) Other expenses related to promoting internationalisation, including prospecting and attracting new clients and promotional activities carried out in foreign markets;
Note: Costs directly related to the beneficiaries’ productive or operational area are not eligible.
