The European Commission approved the Innovation and Digital Transition thematic Program (COMPETE2030) for the next programming period 2021-2027.

Through this Program, COMPETE2030 has an allocation of 3.904 billion euros of European funds to finance investments essentially in the North Center and Alentejo regions, of which 3.504 million euros are ERDF and 400 million euros FSE.

The Program consists of 3 Strategic Objectives that are linked to the Priorities and Specific Objectives. COMPETE2030, intervening only in convergence regions, assumes a thematic agenda of promoting the competitiveness of the national economy, either through investment in R&I or through the promotion of sustainability and energy autonomy, with the qualification of business assets being an instrument in this strategy.

How to apply

The amount available in the Program is distributed across Policy Objectives, organized by Specific Objectives.

The conditions to be met by those who wish to apply are defined in the general regime for the application of European funds for Portugal 2030, in the specific regulations approved by the Interministerial Coordination Committee for Portugal 2030 and in the competition notices.

Strategic Objective 1Portugal   Competitive

Support investment in research and innovation, digitalization, competitiveness and internationalization of companies, skills for smart specialization and industrial transition.

• 1.1 Research and Innovation

Objectives:

Support internationally recognized scientific and technological production, stimulating an economy with high added value, as well as excellence, cooperation and internationalization, through the training of SCTN entities to develop research processes, with the purpose of production and expansion of knowledge in scientific and technological areas that support innovation processes with market purposes and increased knowledge creation to respond to business and societal challenges.

Financial support: Non-refundable grants

Beneficiaries: Entities of the National Scientific and Technological System

Investigation and development

Objectives: Promote investment in R&D, in the categories of industrial research and experimental development, stimulating their economic valorization and the promotion of innovation in priority areas of intelligent specialization, by strengthening the coordination between companies and scientific and technological institutions, as well as promote the internationalization of national capabilities in research and innovation (R&I), through integration into international R&I networks.

It is also intended to support “Integrated Investment in Research, Development and Business Innovation” operations, which develop activities from research to production and/or introduction of products or processes onto the market, enhancing productive innovation, resulting from cooperation between companies (SMEs and/or large company) and/or Non-Business Entities of the R&I system (ENESII).

Financial support: Non-refundable grants

Beneficiaries:

• SMEs and Small Mid Caps; ENESII (including those located in the autonomous regions of the Azores and Madeira) and other public and private, non-profit institutions that develop or participate in scientific research activities, in the case of co-promotion operations; Large Companies , in the case of “Integrated Investment in Research, Development and Business Innovation” operations, as long as they are co-promoted with SMEs.

Who can be supported

• CompaniesUniversities and PolytechnicsEntities of the Scientific and Technological SystemNon-Business Entities of the R&I System ENESIIBusiness Associations and other entities of an associative nature.Public Entities

• 1.2 Digitization

Objectives: Support the environment for business activity, through collective, mobilizing or clustering actions, which allow creating favorable conditions for the development of collective strategies that stimulate business investment, particularly in terms of knowledge dissemination and technology transfer, identification opportunities for digitalization and innovation and training companies to develop more sophisticated business and internationalization strategies.

Financial support: Non-refundable grants.

Beneficiaries: Business and non-business Associations of the I&I System, Agencies and Public Entities and Private Non-Profit Entities

• 1.3 Productive investment

Objectives: Promote the improvement of companies' productive capabilities, through increased business investment in the development of innovative, digital and sustainable solutions, mainly based on R&D results and the increase in qualified employment (Productive Innovation);

Promote the export orientation of SMEs, through investment in the qualification and internationalization of business models and production offerings, supporting the adoption of more advanced business strategies, which favor the use of intangible competitiveness factors and which increase the capacity for integration in global value chains (Qualification and Internationalization of SMEs).

Financial support: Non-refundable grants and Financial Instruments (in the case of support for Productive Innovation)

Beneficiaries: SMEs

Strategic Objective 2

Portugal   Green

Continuing the challenges of the climate transition, supporting innovation through the decarbonization of companies and energy efficiency and investing in the reinforcement of renewable energy.

Valor Global: 815 M€

Territorial Framework

COMPETE 2030 is aimed at the least developed regions of the continent (NUT II of the North, Center and Alentejo).

Structure and Incentive Systems

In the specific objectives – Promote energy efficiency and reduce greenhouse gas emissions (ERDF) and 2.2. Promote renewable energy

Climate and Energy Transition

Objectives: Accelerate the transition to a carbon-neutral economy and strengthen business competitiveness, stimulating the decarbonization of economic activities, energy efficiency and the reduction of greenhouse gas emissions, promoting environmental and economic sustainability;

Support the diversification of renewable energy production, based on sources and technologies not sufficiently disseminated on the market.

Financial support: Non-refundable grants

Beneficiaries: Companies

Strategic Objective 3

Portugal   Social

Supporting the improvement of skills and qualifications in business, in order to promote the adaptation of workers and companies to change, in line with the priorities established in the European Pillar of Social Rights.

Valor Global: 400M€

Territorial Framework

COMPETE 2030 is aimed at the least developed regions of the continent (NUT II of the North, Center and Alentejo).

Structure and Incentive Systems

In the specific objective – Promote the adaptation of workers, companies and entrepreneurs to change (FSE )

Human Resources Qualification

Goals:

Promote interventions that, acting on the side of companies, allow responding to the challenges of transforming the business fabric, both in terms of public policies for innovation, qualification and internationalization, and in the area of twin transitions (digital and climate), for which Qualifications are central, in order to allow companies to effectively adapt, adjusting the development of skills to the needs revealed by the labor market.

Financial support: Non-refundable grants

Beneficiaries: Companies