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STEP - Productive Innovation - Energy
Incentives

STEP - Productive Innovation - Energy

Opened Until 04-01-2027

Non-refundable grants up to 70% for productive investment in clean technologies and STEP energy transition

🏷️
 
Typology
Productive Investment in Critical Technologies (STEP)
🏢
 
Beneficiaries
Micro, SME and Large Enterprises
📍
 
Geographical Area
NUTS II Norte, Centro and Alentejo
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Support Rate
Up to 70% Non-refundable Grant (ERDF)
🎯
 
Budget Allocation
100 Million € (ERDF)

 

General Incentive Objective

 

Stimulate innovative corporate investment and transform the economic specialization profile, fostering critical technology manufacturing and value chains reinforcement in clean and net-zero technologies through:

→Manufacturing of end-products and net-zero technologies in energy and climate sustainability.
→Production of key components and specialised machinery primarily used to manufacture critical clean technologies.
→Production or recovery of critical raw materials and provision of specialized critical associated services.

 

Supported Typologies

 

Eligible interventions cover initial investments or initial investments in favor of new economic activities, including setting up new facilities, diversifying output into entirely new products/services, or fundamental transformation of overall manufacturing processes in clean and resource-efficient domains.

→Creation of a new manufacturing or productive establishment.
→Diversification of facility output towards products or services not previously produced.
→Fundamental change in the overall production process of the establishment.

 

Eligible Expenses

 
✓Tangible assets: acquisition of new machinery and equipment (excluding fossil-fuel powered systems) and IT hardware with software.
✓Intangible assets: acquisition of patents, operating licences, proprietary or unpatented technical know-how, and software.
✓Building construction, refurbishment works, and civil engineering (eligible for SMEs only, capped at 35% of total eligible expenditure).
✓Specialised consulting services for SMEs: engineering, architecture designs, feasibility studies, marketing plans, and audits.
✓Reports and technical studies on the Do No Significant Harm (DNSH) Principle up to €15,000 (SMEs only).
✓Statutory auditor (ROC) or certified accountant intervention for payment claim validations up to €5,000 (SMEs only).

 

Funding & Support Structure

 
 
Support Rate
Up to 70% (Non-refundable Grant)
 
Total Budget
100,000,000.00€
Top-ups / Bonuses:
+Micro and Small Enterprises: 60% to 70% (regional base rate + 10% STEP top-up)
+Medium Enterprises: 50% to 60% (regional base rate + 10% STEP top-up)
+Large Enterprises: 40% to 50% (regional base rate + 10% STEP top-up)
+Eligible investment per project: Minimum €3,000,000 and Maximum €25,000,000

 

Eligible Beneficiaries

 
✓Enterprises of any size (Micro, SMEs, and Large Companies) with organized accounting systems.
✓Evidence of balanced economic and financial standing, ensuring the company is not in financial difficulty (pre-project year 2025).
✓Commitment of at least 25% of eligible expenditure financed through equity capital prior to first payment.
✓Investment projects physically executed within NUTS II Norte, Centro, or Alentejo regions.

 

Call & Application Dates

 

Single-phase competitive call for proposal submission via Balcão dos Fundos:

›
Opening Date
30/09/2026
Closing Date
04/01/2027 (17:00 Lisbon time)

 

 
 
Financial Incentives

Is your company investing in Clean Technologies and Energy Transition?

Secure non-refundable grants of up to 70% for productive investments between €3M and €25M. Maximize your STEP Energy application with the specialized team at Yunit Consulting.

 

Key Notice Rules

 
📄
Mandatory English Technical Annex
Requirement to submit a Technical Annex drafted in English (max 25 pages), proving the cutting-edge/innovative nature or reinforcement of EU critical supply chains.
🔬
Technology Readiness Level (TRL 8+)
The underlying technologies must have reached mature development for commercial and industrial deployment, generally corresponding to TRL 8 or higher.
🚫
Strict Exclusion of Fossil Fuels
Acquisition of equipment or machinery utilizing fossil fuels as an energy source is strictly non-eligible under this call.
🌱
Do No Significant Harm (DNSH) Principle
Operations must comply with EU environmental goals and provide a formal self-assessment of the DNSH principle prior to project closure.
🔢
Maximum of 2 Applications per Beneficiary
Each promoter may submit up to 2 distinct project applications, provided they constitute technically and functionally separate projects (max €25M each).
💶
Eligible Investment Limits
Total eligible expenditure must be between €3,000,000 and €25,000,000 per application.

 

📄 Notice Fact Sheet
Notice Reference COMPETE2030-2026-12
Publication Date 30/09/2026
Programme Innovation and Digital Transition Programme (COMPETE 2030)
Programme Priority 2C-Energy Transition - STEP
Specific Objectives 2.9 - Support investments contributing to Strategic Technologies for Europe Platform (STEP) - Clean Technologies
Managing Authority Managing Authority of COMPETE 2030 (supported by IAPMEI for SMEs and AICEP for Large Companies)

Knowledge

Portugal's vision for 2030 for the Strategic Technologies Platform (STEP)
Blog

Portugal's vision for 2030 for the Strategic Technologies Platform (STEP)

06 01 2026

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