Supports internationalisation projects that aim at creating an environment favourable to the operation of Portuguese enterprises within the global market, by: promoting the image of Portugal abroad; associating the country and its offer to the concepts "quality", "innovation" and "differentiation"; favouring a better knowledge of the markets and stimulating joint initiatives for the approach to and presence in those markets.

Beneficiaries

• Bodies and entities of the Public Administration, within the Ministry of Economic Affairs and Innovation;
• Other public bodies and entities, to be defined by an Order from the Minister for Economic Affairs and Innovation, based on a proposal from the Executive Director of PRIME;
• Sector, regional and/or national business associative structures, classified under EAC 91110, or any other equivalent business associative structures and non-profit organisations; in any case, their associates shall develop or intend to develop mainly activities falling within the framework of economic measures targeting the expansion of the various economic sectors, set out in Decree-Law no. 70-B/2000, of 5 May;
• Federations and confederations of the abovementioned associative structures.

Activity Sectors

Industry, Building Industry, Energy, Transport, Tourism, Commerce and Services.

Eligibility Requirements

For the Promoter

As regards sector, regional and/or national business associative structures classified under EAC 91110, or any other equivalent business associative structures and non-profit organisations, as well as federations or confederations of these associative structures:

• To be legally established by the date of project submission;  
• To have organisational structures adequate to project requirements;
• To have fulfilled all obligations related to taxes, social security and the incentive paying agencies;
• To have an organised accounting system, according to the applicable legislation;
• To have a balanced economic and financial situation, verified by the demonstration of positive liquid results through the balance sheet referred to the end of the financial year preceding the date of the application, or through a midterm balance sheet, subsequent to the end of the previous financial year but anterior to the date of application, and duly certified by a Certified Public Accountant (ROC);
• To fulfil all the regulations governing European Social Fund (ESF) support, whenever the project includes an investment in vocational training.

For the Project 

• To contribute to the carrying out of the economic policy objectives, namely as regards the promotion of the internationalisation of the Portuguese economy and the image of Portugal;
• To match the external promotion strategy established by the managing entity, in accordance with the economic policy guidelines, especially as to target markets, sector approaches and type of actions to be developed;
• To exclude all expenses incurred into before the date of application, except for advances linked to down-payments related to the project up to 50% of the cost of each acquisition, disbursed less than one year before;
• To have a maximum life span of two years, beginning on the investment start-up date, except in duly justified cases authorized by the Minister for Economic Affairs and Innovation;
• To demonstrate having ensured the project financing sources;
• To fulfil all the regulations governing ESF support, whenever the project includes an investment in vocational training;
• Projects shall have a plan for the dissemination of knowledge and results achieved through the project, ensuring that no potential recipient interested in the project's outcomes will be excluded;
• Projects shall be launched within 6 months of the date of notification of support granting, after which the support granting decision will lapse, except for cases in which the beneficiary is not at fault provided they were previously justified and accepted by the managing entity.

Eligible Expenses

• Technical assistance and consultancy in Portugal and abroad, studies, research and field work associated with the implementation of the project, namely in knowledge areas beyond the competencies or capacities of the beneficiaries, as well as the acquisition of specialised information critical to project development;
• Travelling and stays necessary for project development;
• Preparation of information materials, promotion and dissemination activities, including advertising campaigns in Portugal and abroad;
• Organisation of seminars or any other similar meetings related to project objectives, in Portugal or abroad;
• Rental, in Portugal or abroad, of promotional facilities or equipment that prove to be vital for the implementation of project objectives; 
• Assembling, disassembling and decoration of promotional facilities in Portugal and abroad;
• Transportation of sample boards and information and promotion materials;
• Acquisition of computer systems and equipment vital for project development and duly justified;
• Contracting of general and technical services of local support in Portugal and abroad, whenever considered indispensable for the implementation of project objectives;
• Development, registration and international launching of specific trademarks;
• Market prospecting missions and visits to Portugal to get to know the available offer;
• Setting-up and start-up of joint structures abroad, namely the temporary renting of show-rooms and promotional facilities; 
• Expenses resulting from the intervention of certified public accountants, related to asserting the financial implementation of the projects;
• Whenever the project concerns vocational training or has an associated vocational training component, the eligible expenses will be those established in the legislation governing support by the European Social Fund (ESF).

Non-Eligible Expenses

• Acquisition of furniture and motor vehicles or other transport material; 
• Food, daily allowances and attendance fees;
• Acquisition of second-hand goods;
• Acquisition of land-property, buildings or facilities;
• Charges related to financial operations, fees and exchange losses, and any other exclusively financial expenses; 
• Deductible VAT, except when disbursed by entities that cannot claim the reimbursement of the tax paid on the acquisition of goods and services.

Selection Criteria

Projects intended to develop articulated market approaches, including collective actions involving knowledge, presence or demonstration within those markets

This projects shall be evaluated according to the following criteria:

• Criterion A – adequacy of the project to external promotion objectives and policies, namely as regards target markets, sector approaches and type of activities to be developed;
• Criterion B – internal coherence of project initiatives, verified namely by the integration level of project actions and their articulation level within the field or sector to which they belong;
• Criterion C – project focus on actions related to direct contact with demand.

Actions aimed at publicising the image of Portugal and projects for trademark promotion

These projects shall be evaluated according to the following criteria:

• Criterion A – Relevance of the actions or promotional and/or informative events, and their impact on the global image of the Portuguese offer in external markets.
• Criterion B – Integrated performance in the support to actions and events to be developed in the target-markets.
• Criterion C – Project suitability to the communication strategy for Portugal’s image.

The final score is calculated according to the following formula:

  Final Score = 0,4A + 0,3B + 0,3C

Projects with a final score lesser than 50 points or having 0 points in any one of the criteria shall be deemed as non-eligible.

Vocational training projects, as well as the vocational training components linked to projects

This projects shall be evaluated according to the following criteria:

• Criterion A – adequacy of the training objectives associated to the strategy identified by the promoter;
• Criterion B – adequacy of training actions to the trainees' profile, to the contents, the duration and the proposed training methodologies.

Submission of Applications

The submission of applications shall be non-stop.

Although the submission of applications is non-stop, the Minister for Economic Affairs and Innovation, following a proposal by PRIME Executive Director, may issue an Order instituting a period of submission by stages, with specific budgetary allocations, thematic areas and selection criteria, in accordance with the guidelines for public economic policy.

Applications shall be submitted to the coordinating bodies, through a specific form accompanied by all the documents relevant to the analysis and evaluation of the project.

Applications to this Measure are now suspended (Ministerial Order no. 19624-B/2006, of 25 September).

Bodys in Charge

Coordinating Body

ITP – Portuguese Tourism Board, for tourism projects.

ICEP Portugal, for all other projects.

GPF – Coordinating Office for Partnerships and Vocational Training of GGPRIME, for vocational training projects and for vocational training components associated to other projects.

Geographical Area

Mainland Portugal and the Autonomous Regions.