€2m for Alentejo start-ups. One innovative company could take the lot
Call ALT2030-2026-57 covers 75% of investment by micro and small companies under three years old built on R&D or specialist knowledge. Grants are capped at €1m per project, doubled for innovative firms, which means a single application could use up the whole budget. Deadline 26 February 2027.
Apply / Learn moreAlentejo 2030, the EU-funded regional programme, has opened a €2 million call for young companies built on research or specialist know-how. It covers 75% of the investment as a non-repayable grant, and applications are open until 26 February 2027.
The interesting bit is in the ALT2030-2026-57 call document itself. Each project can receive up to €1 million, and that ceiling doubles for companies that qualify as innovative. Two million euros is the entire budget of the call.
Our sums
At a 75% rate, reaching the €2m ceiling takes roughly €2.67m of eligible spending. One innovative company with a project that size would take the whole pot. For everyone else the €1m cap equates to about €1.33m of investment, and two projects like that would exhaust it.
That doesn’t mean it will happen. Most start-ups in the region spend far less. It does mean the list of winners could be short, and that ranking matters. Applications are scored, sorted and funded from the top down until the money runs out. Ties are broken by the exact time of submission.
Who can apply
Micro and small companies no more than three years into trading, investing in the Alentejo. The business has to come out of R&D or carry a strong knowledge component, including technology- and creativity-heavy sectors, and it has to fit the region’s smart-specialisation priorities.
The fine print worth reading twice:
- keep at least one paid, degree-level job filled by someone who is tax-resident in the Alentejo;
- have at least one person on the payroll, shown by the latest Social Security return;
- a financial autonomy ratio of at least 0.15, or, for brand-new firms, equity equal to 20% of eligible costs;
- one application per company, for projects of up to 24 months.
To count as innovative, a company needs either an external expert’s assessment confirming real technological risk, or R&D spending of at least 10% of its operating costs.
What it pays for
Machinery and IT equipment, software, patents and licences, plus engineering services, studies, audits, marketing plans and architectural projects. The money is a grant paid against actual costs, with an initial advance of up to 10%.
How and when
Applications go through the Balcão dos Fundos portal, from 30 October 2026 to 26 February 2027, with a decision due within 60 working days of the close. If your company is elsewhere and the project is R&D, there’s also a separate €13m call for SMEs from the Centro region to the Algarve with different rules.
Quick answers
Can a company set up this year apply? Yes, as long as someone is on the payroll and the equity test is met.
Is it a loan? No. It’s a grant covering 75% of eligible costs.
Can I start spending before I apply? Only costs incurred after the application is submitted are eligible.
Illustration: Tugadaily
