Government launched five tenders for corporate support worth 160 millions

The Ministry of Education has launched five tenders for corporate support last Monday, targeting namely SMEs and focusing on internationalization, qualification and technological development, with a financial provision of 160 million euros.


Among the tenders that were launched is the Incentive System for SME’s Internationalization, with  61.25 million euros in financial provision.

"This tender aims to widen the country’s exporting foundations, by increasing the number of new exporting companies or incrementing the international sales volume of the current exporting companies ", says the invitation to the tender launched by the ministry led by Manuel Caldeira Cabral. "To this end, incentives will be granted to projects that strengthen our MSE’s business education for internationalization and that increase the specific qualification of their human resources in relevant areas for their strategy for innovation, internationalization and modernization ", mentions the tender, adding that it covers all NUTS II regions in the continental Portugal: North, Centre, Lisbon, Alentejo and the Algarve. Applications must be presented until 31 October.

Another application targets the Qualification System for SMEs, which aims to select projects for training actions in "immaterial  domains, towards promoting the competitiveness” of SMEs and their ability to respond to the global market. The 42 million euros in financial provision "are meant to support  projects with investments for strengthening the SMEs organization and management capabilities and for the specific qualification of their human resources in relevant areas for their strategy for innovation, internationalization and modernization".

This support system covers all NUTS II regions in continental Portugal and applications are open until 31 October.

The Incentive System for Technological Research and Development – Individual R&R Projects is also funded with 42 million euros and covers the North, Centre, Lisbon, Alentejo and the Algarve.

The deadline expires on 30 September and the tender aims to "increase corporate investment in R&I, in order to promote an increase in knowledge-intensive economic activities and the creation of value based on innovation through new products and services ".

As for the Support System for Collective Actions - Internationalization, with a financial provision of 10 million euros, it targets "projects that develop or strengthen collective strategies for internationalization, preferentially concerning SMEs, through the following actions: collective campaigns for international promotion, identification of opportunities and constraints when accessing new markets, among others.

Co-financing of investments located in two or more of the less developed NUTS II regions (North, Centro and Alentejo) is ensured by COMPETE 2020 and applications are open until 28 October.

The fifth tender concerns incentives for technological research and development and aims to "increase corporate investment in R&D in order to promote an increase in knowledge-intensive economic activities and the creation of value based on innovation ". "The supports will target the creation and organization of R&D niches within the SMEs, through the creation and strengthening of the companies’ internal competences for the production of knowledge with a potential effect in corporate competitiveness and innovation, within their R&D activity plan and for a limited period, adds the invitation to tender. The financial provision is of 5.5 million euros and applications are open until 30 September.