EU Grants for Portugal: Complete Funding Guide for Portuguese Organizations [2026]
Portugal has secured over €490 million in competitive Horizon Europe projects and has access to €23 billion in PT2030 structural funds and a further €22.2 billion through the PRR recovery instrument. This guide covers every major EU funding route available to Portuguese companies, research institutions, and public bodies in 2026, including national support infrastructure, sector-specific opportunities, and the application process.
Portugal's Horizon Europe Performance
According to the Fundacao para a Ciencia e a Tecnologia (FCT), Portugal secured approximately €490 million in Horizon Europe competitive funding from 2021 through early 2026. This represents around 2.3% of total Horizon Europe funding allocated, placing Portugal above its economic weight in the programme.
The country's overall success rate of 39.3% in the current framework significantly exceeds the EU average of approximately 15.9%. For comparison, Portugal achieved a 25.7% success rate during Horizon 2020 (2014-2020), showing a clear upward trend.
Within Pillar I (Excellent Science, covering ERC, MSCA, and Research Infrastructures), Portugal captured approximately €92 million, representing 1.8% of total Pillar I funding. This already exceeds Portugal's 1.2% share recorded in the same instruments under Horizon 2020. The European Research Council alone has committed over €109 million to Portuguese researchers under the current cycle.
| Instrument | Portugal Funding | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Horizon Europe (all pillars) | ~€490M | 2.3% of total programme; source: FCT |
| Widening Participation component | €179.6M | Twinning, Teaming, ERA Chairs, COST |
| ERC (all grant types) | €109M+ | 14 Advanced Grant projects as of 2025 |
| Pillar I (ERC + MSCA + RI) | ~€92M | 1.8% of Pillar I; up from 1.2% in HE2020 |
National Support Bodies: ANI and FCT
Two agencies anchor Portugal's national support infrastructure for EU funding. Both offer free advisory services and are the first point of contact for any Portuguese organization considering a Horizon Europe application.
ANI - Agencia Nacional de Inovacao
ANI serves as the primary National Contact Point (NCP) host for Horizon Europe Pillars II and III, covering all six thematic clusters and the European Innovation Council. ANI's responsibilities include:
- Hosting NCPs for each Horizon Europe cluster, providing topic-specific advisory support to Portuguese applicants
- Coordinating Portugal's participation in the Enterprise Europe Network (EEN), which facilitates partner search across 60+ countries
- Managing Portugal's EUREKA National Project Coordinator role for bilateral and multilateral R&D partnerships outside Horizon Europe
- Coordinating the National Delegation and NCPs for the EU Digital Europe Programme
For companies and institutions preparing a Horizon Europe Pillar II or EIC application, contacting ANI's NCP for your cluster before submission is strongly recommended. NCPs can provide a pre-submission review and help identify consortium partners through EEN.
FCT - Fundacao para a Ciencia e a Tecnologia
FCT is Portugal's national research funding agency and hosts the NCPs for Horizon Europe Pillar I (ERC, MSCA, Research Infrastructures) and the Widening participation component. FCT also:
- Publishes detailed statistics on Portuguese participation in Horizon Europe on its Horizon Europe portal
- Coordinates Portugal's participation in the Sustainable Blue Economy Partnership (SBEP) co-funded calls
- Administers ERA Chairs and Twinning national co-funding in certain cases
- Runs national Marie Sklodowska-Curie co-funding programmes for researcher mobility
Portugal 2030 (PT2030): €23 Billion in Structural Funds
Portugal 2030 is the national programme implementing Portugal's Partnership Agreement with the European Commission, covering €23 billion in EU structural and investment funds for 2021-2027. Unlike Horizon Europe (which is directly managed by the Commission), PT2030 funds are managed nationally through 12 operational programmes.
| Fund | Allocation | Primary Focus |
|---|---|---|
| ERDF (European Regional Development Fund) | €11.5B | Innovation, SME support, digital, energy transition |
| ESF+ (European Social Fund Plus) | €7.5B | Employment, education, social inclusion |
| Cohesion Fund | €3.4B | Transport infrastructure, environment |
| Just Transition Fund (JTF) | €200M | Coal and carbon-intensive region transition |
| EMFF (Maritime, Fisheries and Aquaculture) | €400M | Blue economy, fisheries, aquaculture |
Over €11 billion in PT2030 funds has been made available for applications. Calls are published through IAPMEI (for business incentive programmes) and through the individual managing authority for each operational programme. Applications are submitted through the national SI (Sistema de Incentivos) portal.
IAPMEI: The Gateway for SMEs and Startups
IAPMEI (Instituto de Apoio as Pequenas e Medias Empresas e a Inovacao) is the primary implementing body for business-oriented PT2030 incentives. Key IAPMEI-administered instruments include:
- SI Inovacao Empresarial - investment incentives for productive innovation and technology adoption for SMEs in operation
- SI Empreendedorismo Qualificado e Criativo - support for qualified entrepreneurship in SMEs operating less than two years
- StartUP Voucher - supports technology-based startup creation by young graduates, with a 2025-2026 round open through August 2025
- Vouchers for Startups (digital and tech products) - supports new digital product development with completion deadlines extended to June 2026
PRR - Plano de Recuperacao e Resiliencia: €22.2 Billion
Portugal's Recovery and Resilience Plan is funded through NextGenerationEU and carries a total allocation of €22.2 billion. The PRR implements 44 reforms and 117 investments, with a hard deadline of 31 December 2026 for all final payments.
A February 2025 reprogramming maintained the total value at €22,216 million while reallocating €1.463 billion across areas, with 60% directed toward Health, Business, and Science. Key PRR distribution:
- 41.2% of funds are allocated to climate objectives (up from 37.9% in the original plan)
- 21.1% dedicated to digital transition
- Reinforced investment in the Health, Business, and Science dimensions following the 2025 reprogramming
Widening Participation: Portugal's Competitive Edge
Portugal is classified as a Widening country under Horizon Europe, meaning it has access to dedicated funding instruments designed to reduce the R&D performance gap between EU member states. Portugal has already secured €179.6 million from this component since 2021.
The key Widening instruments available to Portuguese organizations are:
Networking grants connecting Portuguese research institutions with at least two leading European R&D organizations in the same research field. Project value: up to €1.5 million over three years. Coordinated in Portugal by FCT.
Co-funding to create or modernise centres of excellence in Portugal through strategic partnerships with leading institutions. Designed for long-term institutional capacity building.
Funding to recruit top-tier international researchers to lead a research team at a Portuguese institution, with the aim of elevating the host institution's research performance.
Low-barrier networking grants for pan-European research cooperation. Portugal's COST participation is strong across natural sciences, engineering, and social sciences. Free to propose or join an existing Action.
Portugal's Strongest Sectors for EU Funding
Portugal's geographic position, research strengths, and national policy priorities create distinct competitive advantages in several areas of EU funding.
Portugal has the largest Exclusive Economic Zone in the EU and is a founding participant in the Sustainable Blue Economy Partnership (SBEP), which pools funding from 36 organizations across 23 countries.
Portugal has an estimated 15 GW of wave energy potential. The EU Innovation Fund awarded €40 million to the VianaWave project, a 10 MW pre-commercial wave farm off Portugal's northern coast.
Portugal hosts a Portugal Blue Digital Hub focused on ocean sustainability, and has strong participation in the Enterprise Europe Network for digital innovation partnerships.
Portuguese universities, particularly in Lisbon and Porto, have developed competitive track records in ERC grants, with 14 Advanced Grant projects funded as of 2025.
Portugal's agri-food sector benefits from both Horizon Europe Cluster 6 calls and dedicated PT2030 rural development support, with particular strength in wine, cork, and Mediterranean agriculture.
Portugal's biomedical research community has established partnerships with leading European institutions, supported by national co-investment from FCT and growing ERC participation in health topics.
EIC and the Portuguese Startup Ecosystem
Portugal's startup ecosystem, anchored in Lisbon, Porto, and Braga, has grown rapidly since the launch of the Startup Portugal initiative and the creation of dedicated incubator and accelerator infrastructure. For startups and scale-ups, the European Innovation Council (EIC) is the primary direct EU funding route.
EIC Instruments for Portuguese Startups
Portuguese startups can apply directly to EIC instruments managed at the EU level. ANI hosts the NCP for EIC and can advise on proposal positioning:
| EIC Instrument | 2026 Budget | Max Support | TRL |
|---|---|---|---|
| EIC Accelerator Open | €414M | €2.5M grant + equity up to €15M | TRL 5-9 |
| EIC Pathfinder Open | €166M | Up to €4M | TRL 1-3 |
| EIC Transition | €100M | Up to €2.5M | TRL 3-6 |
| EIC STEP Scale-Up | €900M total | €10-30M equity | TRL 8-9 (scale-up) |
The EIC Accelerator Open has five submission windows in 2026: 4 March, 6 May, 8 July, 2 September, and 4 November. For a detailed comparison of EIC instruments, see our guide on EIC Accelerator vs EIC Pathfinder vs Eurostars.
National-Level Startup Support
Several national instruments complement EIC funding and are managed through IAPMEI and Startup Portugal:
- StartUP Voucher 2025-2026 - supports young graduates creating technology-based companies, with a focus on positive SDG impact
- Vouchers for Startups (digital products) - supports development of new digital and technological products, with extended deadlines into June 2026
- SI Empreendedorismo Qualificado - investment incentives for qualified entrepreneurship in SMEs under two years of operation
- SME Fund 2025 (EU Intellectual Property Office initiative) - up to €7,050 for IP protection in Portugal including trademark and patent applications
How to Apply for EU Grants as a Portuguese Organization
The application route depends on the type of EU funding. Direct EU funding (Horizon Europe, EIC, ERC, LIFE, Digital Europe) is submitted through the EU Funding and Tenders Portal. Indirect funding (PT2030, PRR) is submitted through national Portuguese portals.
Use GrantsFinder or the EU Funding and Tenders Portal to search active calls. For PT2030 and PRR calls, monitor IAPMEI, portugal2030.pt, and the relevant managing authority. National calls often have shorter notice periods than EU-level calls.
Before investing time in a proposal, contact ANI (for Horizon Europe Pillars II-III, EIC, Digital Europe) or FCT (for Pillar I, Widening). NCPs provide free eligibility checks, proposal feedback, and can connect you with consortium partners through the EEN partner search database.
For direct EU funding, each participating organization needs a validated PIC (Participant Identification Code) from the EU Funding and Tenders Portal. For PT2030 calls, register on the national SI portal. Allow 2-3 weeks for PIC validation before a deadline.
Most Horizon Europe collaborative grants require at least three independent legal entities from three different EU member states or associated countries. ANI and FCT NCPs can facilitate introductions through EEN. Begin partner search at least 4-6 months before a call deadline.
All Horizon Europe proposals are evaluated on Excellence, Impact, and Implementation criteria (each scored 0-5, passing threshold typically 3 per criterion). The Impact section is consistently the weakest in rejected proposals. Submit through the EU Funding and Tenders Portal before the call deadline; late submissions are automatically rejected.
Frequently Asked Questions
How much EU funding has Portugal received through Horizon Europe?
As of early 2026, Portugal has secured approximately €490 million in competitive R&D projects through Horizon Europe (2021-2027), representing around 2.3% of total programme funding. Additionally, Portugal captured €179.6 million from the dedicated Widening participation component. These figures are published by the Foundation for Science and Technology (FCT) and are updated regularly as new projects are awarded.
What is Portugal's success rate in Horizon Europe?
Portugal's overall success rate in Horizon Europe reached 39.3% under the current framework programme, according to FCT data. This figure reflects the share of evaluated Portuguese-led or Portuguese-participated proposals that received funding, and significantly exceeds the EU average of approximately 15.9%. The rate improved from 25.7% recorded in the Horizon 2020 period (2014-2020).
What is PT2030 and who is eligible to apply?
PT2030 (Portugal 2030) is the national programme implementing €23 billion in EU structural funds for the 2021-2027 period, distributed across ERDF (€11.5 billion), ESF+ (€7.5 billion), Cohesion Fund (€3.4 billion), Just Transition Fund (€200 million), and EMFF (€400 million). Eligible applicants include companies (including SMEs and startups), research institutions, municipalities, NGOs, and public bodies, depending on the specific call. Applications are submitted through national managing authorities and IAPMEI portals.
What is the PRR and how does it differ from PT2030?
The PRR (Plano de Recuperacao e Resiliencia) is Portugal's national Recovery and Resilience Plan funded through the EU's NextGenerationEU instrument, with a total allocation of €22.2 billion. Unlike PT2030 structural funds (which run through the full 2021-2027 period), the PRR has a hard spending deadline of 31 December 2026. The PRR focuses on green transition, digital transformation, and economic resilience, with approximately 41.2% of funds dedicated to climate objectives and 21.1% to digital transition.
What is ANI and how does it help Portuguese organizations apply for Horizon Europe?
ANI (Agencia Nacional de Inovacao) is Portugal's national innovation agency and the primary National Contact Point (NCP) host for Horizon Europe Pillars II and III. ANI provides free advisory services including proposal review, partner search facilitation, and access to the Enterprise Europe Network (EEN). ANI also coordinates Portugal's participation in the EUREKA network and the Digital Europe Programme. Portuguese applicants should contact ANI before submitting a Horizon Europe proposal.
What is Widening participation in Horizon Europe and how does Portugal benefit?
Widening participation is a dedicated component of Horizon Europe that provides additional funding to countries with lower R&D investment and Horizon success rates, including Portugal. Specific instruments include Twinning (up to €1.5 million for institutional networking with leading European research organizations), Teaming for Excellence (co-funding to create or upgrade centres of excellence), ERA Chairs (to attract top international researchers), and COST Actions. Portuguese organizations benefit from dedicated budget lines not open to all EU countries, giving them a competitive advantage.
Which sectors give Portugal the best chance of EU grant success?
Portugal's strongest competitive positions in EU funding are ocean and blue economy research (supported by FCT's participation in the Sustainable Blue Economy Partnership), renewable and marine energy (with a 15 GW estimated wave energy potential and active offshore wind development), agri-food and sustainable agriculture, digital transformation, and biomedical research. Projects in these sectors tend to align well with both Horizon Europe cluster priorities and PT2030 thematic calls.
Does GrantsFinder cover Portuguese-specific EU funding calls?
GrantsFinder searches the EU Funding and Tenders Portal, which lists all direct EU funding calls open to Portuguese organizations, including Horizon Europe, EIC, ERC, MSCA, LIFE, and Digital Europe. For PT2030 and PRR calls (managed nationally), applicants should consult the official Portugal 2030 portal (portugal2030.pt) and IAPMEI. GrantsFinder's AI matching is most valuable for identifying the right Horizon Europe calls before investing time in a full proposal.
Find EU Grants Matching Your Portuguese Project
Portugal's EU funding landscape spans Horizon Europe, PT2030, and the PRR, with dozens of active calls at any point. Identifying the right call for your project across all these instruments requires reading hundreds of pages of topic descriptions and programme guides.
GrantsFinder uses AI-powered similarity search against the EU Funding and Tenders Portal to match your project description to relevant open calls in seconds, returning ranked matches with relevance scores, topic summaries, and direct links to official call documentation.
For a broader overview of Horizon Europe 2026-2027, see our Horizon Europe 2026-2027 Complete Guide. For guidance on the EU grant application process, see EU Grants 101: A Comprehensive Guide.
Match Your Project to EU Funding Calls
Describe your project in plain language and GrantsFinder returns the most relevant EU funding opportunities with relevance justifications. Free to use, no account required.
Related Articles
Horizon Europe 2026-2027: The Complete Guide to EUR 14 Billion in EU Research Funding
Comprehensive guide to the Horizon Europe 2026-2027 Work Programme. Covers all clusters, EIC, ERC, MSCA, Widening, budgets, deadlines, and how to apply for EUR 14 billion in EU research and innovation funding.
Read articleEU Funding for SMEs and Startups: Your Complete Guide
Comprehensive guide to EU funding for SMEs and startups, covering EIC Accelerator, Horizon Europe SME instruments, InvestEU, and regional funds.
Read articleEU Grants 101: Free Beginner's Guide to €1.8 Trillion in Funding [2025]
Complete beginner's guide to EU grants in 2025. Learn about grant types, eligibility, application process & proven strategies. Access €95B+ in Horizon Europe funding.
Read articleReady to find your next EU grant?
Let GrantsFinder help you discover the perfect funding opportunities for your project.
Get started for free