StartUP Voucher Innovate

StartUP Voucher Innovate

Supports non-employed graduates in Portugal with stipend-backed startup development through structured coaching.

StartUP Voucher Innovate is a structured entrepreneurship programme administered by IAPMEI — Agencia para a Competitividade e Inovacao — and co-financed by COMPETE 2030. IAPMEI is Portugal's national SME competitiveness and innovation agency. The programme supports young NEET-graduates — individuals under 30 years old holding a university degree who are not studying, in formal training, employed, or receiving other income — with fiscal domicile in the Norte, Centro, or Alentejo NUTS II regions of mainland Portugal. Projects must be at idea stage in technology-based areas with positive impact on the UN Sustainable Development Goals and ESG criteria. The 2025 edition published two avisos: Aviso 2025-01 (beneficiary list already published) and Aviso 2025-02. Applications are submitted individually as natural persons — no existing company is required — through the dedicated portal at webapps.iapmei.pt/StartupVoucher. The programme runs for nine months across three structured development phases. Financial support includes a monthly stipend of EUR 900 per person with a maximum of two stipends per project, interim prizes of EUR 1,500 paid at the start of the second and third phases, and a completion prize of EUR 2,000 awarded upon verified creation of own employment. A two-person founding team can therefore access up to EUR 1,800 per month in combined stipends across nine months, plus the phase prizes and completion award. Non-financial support includes access to Portugal's National Incubator Network and National Mentor Network, plus bootcamps, skill labs, technical clinics, Demo Days, and participation in the ESG 2030 Council. The EUR 2,000 completion prize is conditional on creating own employment, not merely completing the programme. Company formation is an intended output of the programme rather than a prerequisite for application, making this a suitable entry point for pre-incorporation technology founders in eligible Portuguese regions.