Part 2: Portugal 2030 Funding Opportunities Snapshot with Luis Escudeiro
Why Timing, Structure, and Strategy Matter More Than Ever
Continued from part one of this three-part series, the IPBN sat down with Luis Escudeiro of IPBN member company ACT Solutions to find out more about 2030 incentives and what this means for investment.
One of the most common mistakes businesses make when exploring funding opportunities in Portugal is waiting too long to seek advice.
What does timing have to do with it? When should you get started?
According to Luis Escudeiro, timing can often determine whether a project is eligible — or whether key opportunities have already been lost before the process even begins.
“Many companies start looking at grants after they have already made key decisions, signed contracts, started investments or hired staff,” he explains. “In several programmes, this can create eligibility issues.”
For this reason, Luis emphasises that strategic planning should begin as early as possible — ideally before binding investment decisions are made.
“The strongest projects are usually the result of early planning, proper structuring and a clear understanding of how the project fits within the programme’s objectives.”
"In many cases, the difference between a successful application and a missed opportunity is not the project itself, but the quality of the preparation and strategic guidance behind it."
This is where many companies underestimate the complexity of the process.
“There is also a misconception that the process is purely administrative. It is not,” Luis says. “A strong application requires a coherent investment strategy, a clear technical narrative, financial robustness, alignment with programme objectives and a well-structured implementation plan.”
What is considered innovative and why does it matter?
Increasingly, Portuguese and EU funding frameworks are prioritising projects aligned with innovation, digitalisation, sustainability, qualified employment, regional development, and international growth.
But importantly, “innovation” does not necessarily mean deep technology or laboratory research.
“In many incentive frameworks, innovation can relate to new or significantly improved products, services, processes, business models, digital tools, organisational methods, sustainability practices, customer experiences or creating new knowledge.”
This creates significant opportunities for companies across a broad range of sectors — provided the project is structured properly.
Luis also notes that some of the strongest applications combine multiple dimensions strategically.
“The strongest projects are usually those that combine several of these dimensions, for example a tourism project with sustainability and digitalisation, a startup with qualified hiring and product innovation, or a manufacturing company investing in modernisation, export capacity and energy efficiency.”
Other important factors
Another important consideration is geography.
Portugal’s funding landscape increasingly favours investment outside Lisbon and Porto, particularly in eligible low-density territories where higher funding rates and additional regional support may apply.
But Luis cautions against choosing a location based solely on incentives.
“The best results usually come when the location strengthens the business model,” he says, “for example by supporting access to local resources, tourism demand, production capacity, talent, community integration or regional identity.”
As competition for incentives intensifies, strategic preparation is becoming one of the biggest differentiators between projects that secure support — and those that miss out.
Click here to read part three of the series with Luis Escudeiro!
