European Funds and Applications in Portugal: Opportunities and Challenges

Feb 13, 2025

European funds play a crucial role in Portugal's economic and social development, financing projects in a variety of areas, from innovation and sustainability to education and territorial cohesion. With the current multiannual financial framework (2021-2027) and the Recovery and Resilience Plan (PRR), a number of opportunities arise for companies, local authorities and social sector organisations.

Main Funds Available

  1. Portugal 2030 - A programme that channels the European Union's structural and investment funds into strategic areas such as competitiveness, climate transition and digitalisation.
  2. Recovery and Resilience Plan (PRR) - It finances post-pandemic economic recovery projects, with a focus on resilience, climate transition and digitalisation.
  3. Horizon Europe - It supports research and innovation in companies and scientific institutions.
  4. Erasmus+ - Encourages mobility and training in the education sector.

Application process

Access to these funds requires careful planning and a detailed understanding of the eligibility criteria. Applications must follow steps such as:

  • Analysis of open programmes and noticesto identify opportunities aligned with the project's objectives.
  • Drawing up the projectensuring coherence between objectives, expected impact and budget.
  • Application submissionThis is usually done through platforms created for this specific purpose.
  • Evaluation and approvalThis depends on the quality of the proposal and how well it fulfils the established criteria.

Challenges and Good Practices

Despite the opportunities, the process can be bureaucratic and competitive. To increase your chances of success, we recommend:

  • Consult expertsto optimise the application.
  • Define clear and measurable objectivesin line with EU priorities.
  • Guarantee execution capacity, demonstrating financial and operational solidity.

European funds are a valuable tool for boosting Portugal's growth. With a well-structured application, you can maximise the benefits and turn innovative projects into reality.

At Fénix Horizonte, we can help you throughout the process, identifying opportunities, preparing the application process and ensuring that the project is followed up!