Qualification of SMEs: Strengthen your business's competitiveness.

Qualification of SMEs - Individual Applications: What is it?

Individual SME operations aimed at qualifying SMEs in immaterial areas with the aim of promoting SME competitiveness and responsiveness in the global market are eligible for support:

• Organizational Innovation, Management and Logistics;

• Digitalization and Digital Transformation, Cybersecurity and data protection;

• Capacity building for the development of products, services and processes;

• Quality and Certification;

• Creation of brands and design, except for periodic changes and other changes of a cyclical and seasonal nature;

• Protection of industrial property;

• Transfer of knowledge and technology;

• Sustainability and eco-innovation.

Eligible entities

The SI Qualification of SMEs - Individual Operations is intended to support the individual operations of Micro, Small and Medium-sized Enterprises (SMEs) of any nature and in any legal form, with regularized accounts.

Funding

The funding rate can be up to 50% for the Portuguese regions, with the exception of Lisbon where the rate is 40%.

Projects with a minimum investment value of 200,000 euros are eligible.

Geographical application

Companies in mainland Portugal can apply.

Eligible costs

Eligible projects include expenditure on:

• Acquisition of software and equipment related to the project;

• Creating and/or adapting the business model by investing in AI (Artificial Intelligence) applications for forecasting trends or personalizing offers, in tools and techniques for collecting, processing and analysing large volumes of data, in Digital Transformation;

• Adoption of tools and practices capable of detecting, identifying and responding to cyber threats aimed at protecting company data and systems;

• Acquisition of specialized equipment and services;

• Consultancy in the various intangible areas;

• Incorporation of ESG (Environmental, Social and Governance) principles into the company;

• Costs of obtaining quality and other certifications;

• Hiring human resources for the project;

• Obtaining, validating and defending patents and other industrial property registration costs;

• Salary costs for hiring 2 human resources with a level of qualification equal to or greater than level 6 with a maximum salary base of 2250 euros during the project.