New incentives for start-ups

If you have a startup or a small innovative company, there is a new incentive program that can help you grow. It is the Competitiveness Incentive System for Startups (SICS), created to support innovative businesses and boost entrepreneurship in Portugal.

This program is part of the Accelerate the Economy initiative and aims to stimulate the ignition, strengthening of investment, growth, and internationalization of the ecosystem of the most innovative national companies.

This is the right opportunity for Deep Tech companies — to generate disruptive innovation and attract and retain talent — and to encourage the transfer of knowledge from academia to the business sector, promoting the creation of companies whose founders come from Higher Education Institutions.

SICS is open to micro, small, and medium enterprises (SMEs), including startups, that meet the requirements of Law No. 21/2023, of May 25. The program covers the entire territory of mainland Portugal and applies to nearly all economic sectors, with some exceptions defined in Regulation (EU) 2023/2831.

Regarding available support, there are three types of incentives, all non-repayable:

• Deep Tech Voucher – support of €60,000 – to enable deep tech startups to participate in international programs and initiatives.
• Go to EIC Accelerator Voucher – funding of €10,000 – to support applications to phase 2 of the EIC Accelerator.
• Start from Knowledge Program – support of €30,000 – to promote the creation of startups in the academic environment and the transfer of scientific knowledge to the business sector.

Applications will be announced on the  ANI – Agência Nacional de Inovação website through public calls, with the entire process carried out online via an electronic form made available for this purpose.