COMPETE — Productive Innovation Incentive System (Sistema de Incentivos à Inovação Produtiva)

COMPETE 2030 is the main competitiveness and innovation channel inside Portugal 2030, administered by IAPMEI for Portuguese SMEs. It sits under Portugal's €23 billion EU cohesion envelope and backs productive innovation projects that introduce new or significantly improved goods, services, processes, or business models. The program is national in scope and rooted in Portugal's business support system rather than a private grant pool. The instrument is grant funding, with calls issued through the year under the 2026 plan. Companies register and operate in Portugal, and the program supports SME investment with co-financing that can reach 40 to 60 percent depending on company size and territory. The recent call set includes STEP routes for energy and digital-biotech manufacturing and a low-density-territory innovation line. Applicants do best when the project is commercial, investment-ready, and clearly tied to productive innovation in Portugal. The program favors firms that can navigate the Balcão dos Fundos process, match the co-financing requirements, and fit the territory and sector priorities of the specific call they are applying to.

Each grant below is a distinct funding opportunity with its own eligibility, scope, and deliverables.