Project Description
Qualification and Internationalisation of SMEs
(Joint 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 grant from PT2030 is aimed at joint applications for organisations that want to expand their business abroad and need funding for hiring human resources, taking part in events, communication and advertising to publicise their products and services on international markets.
Support Status
Closed
Financing
Up to 500.000€
Territory
Mainland Portugal
Eligible Entities
SMEs
Qualification and Internationalisation of SMEs
(Joint 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 grant from PT2030 is aimed at joint applications for organisations that want to expand their business abroad and need funding for hiring human resources, taking part in events, communication and advertising to publicise their products and services on international markets.
Support Status
Closed
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 internationalization 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 financing 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.
- In the case of joint applications (Qualification and internationalization of SMEs), the funding rate for eligible costs for monitoring and developing the operation can be up to 75%.
- The minimum eligible investment amount per project will be 25,000 euros and the maximum amount of support is 500,000 euros.
- Public or private non-profit organizations, of an associative nature and with activities aimed at SMEs, namely business associations, chambers of commerce and industry, regional tourism promotion agencies and other non-business entities in the R&I system, as well as participating SME companies that incur individual costs, are beneficiaries in applications submitted jointly.
- Beneficiaries must, at the time of application, have completed the operations:
- a) Be legally constituted and duly registered, including in the Central Register of Effective Beneficiaries (RCBE).
- b) Have a regularized tax and social security situation, respectively.
- c) Have a regularized situation with regard to refunds under European funds, including support granted by the Recovery and Resilience Plan;
- d) Be legally authorized 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 organizations in the training areas for which they are requesting financial support;
- h) Have a bank account with an institution legally authorized 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) 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 organizational methods, including software, insofar as 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 renting space, building and running the stand;
- d) Costs of specialized consultancy services, provided by external consultants, which do not constitute a continuous or periodic activity, nor are they related to the normal functioning 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 internationalization, including prospecting and attracting new clients and promotional actions carried out in foreign markets;
- h) In the case of joint applications, costs for monitoring and developing the operation, including actions to publicize, raise awareness and disseminate the results, studies and staff costs.
- Note: Costs directly related to the productive or operational area of the beneficiaries 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 internationalization 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 financing 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 funding rate for eligible costs for monitoring and developing the operation can be up to 75%.
The minimum eligible investment amount per project will be 25,000 euros and the maximum amount of support is 500,000 euros.
Public or private non-profit organizations, of an associative nature and with activities aimed at SMEs, namely business associations, chambers of commerce and industry, regional tourism promotion agencies and other non-business entities in the R&I system, as well as participating SME companies that incur individual costs, are beneficiaries in applications submitted jointly.
Beneficiaries must, at the time of application, have completed the operations:
a) Be legally constituted and duly registered, including in the Central Register of Effective Beneficiaries (RCBE).
b) Have a regularized tax and social security situation, respectively.
c) Have a regularized situation with regard to refunds under European funds, including support granted by the Recovery and Resilience Plan;
d) Be legally authorized 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 organizations in the training areas for which they are requesting financial support;
h) Have a bank account with an institution legally authorized 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) 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 organizational methods, including software, insofar as 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 renting space, building and running the stand;
d) Costs of specialized consultancy services, provided by external consultants, which do not constitute a continuous or periodic activity, nor are they related to the normal functioning 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 internationalization, including prospecting and attracting new clients and promotional actions carried out in foreign markets;
h) In the case of joint applications, costs for monitoring and developing the operation, including actions to publicize, raise awareness and disseminate the results, studies and staff costs.
Note: Costs directly related to the productive or operational area of the beneficiaries are not eligible.
