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The final version of the Portugal 2030 Partnership Agreement, as well as the first formal versions of the Operational Programmes, were finally submitted to the European Commission at the beginning of June. The respective negotiation process with the European Commission now follows, which should culminate in their approval and full operationalisation.
Analysing the information made available so far, it is clear that the thematic domain of greatest relevance for companies, Innovation and digital transition, aims, above all, to support digitalisation, innovation, research and development (R&D), and the internationalisation of companies, with a strong focus on topics such as digital transition, decarbonisation, energy efficiency, circular economy, and sustainability.
In fact, within the scope of innovation, the implementation of pilot projects and innovative territorial approaches in areas funded by European funds is foreseen, demonstrating efficiency and effectiveness results in public policies.
In other words, whether through the information shared so far or through what has been the discourse of Government members, it is foreseeable that the main Incentive systems oriented towards the business sector will remain the same or very similar in their form: Productive Innovation, R&D, Internationalisation, and Qualification. However, if it is expected that the form will not undergo major changes, companies can count on increasingly demanding competitions regarding sectoral policies, where topics such as industry 4.0 and digital transition, environmental sustainability and circular economy, decarbonisation and energy transition will be increasingly the focus, in order to ensure an effective transition of the national business fabric to a new operating paradigm.
Thus, the concentration of European funds support in a limited number of strategic domains and intervention typologies is foreseeable, in order to maximize their impact on the economic, social, environmental, and territorial dimensions, avoiding the dispersion of support and stimulating a more efficient mobilisation of resources.
If in Portugal 2020 the alignment with sectoral policies, in some cases, was already relevant, it is expected that, in Portugal 2030, alignment with these policies and with the strategic objectives defined jointly with the European Union, will assume even more importance, potentially becoming eligibility criteria in some cases and, in almost all, significantly impacting the project's merit score, as well as the possible incentive value.
Therefore, it is important that companies, when proceeding with applications for their investment projects, ensure that their investment plan and the objectives and goals to be achieved are duly framed and aligned with these themes. But, above all and perhaps most importantly, because these topics (digital transition, decarbonisation and/or energy efficiency) are critical today, it is therefore fundamental that companies place them as a central theme of their agenda, in order to ensure their competitiveness in the global market and the ability to face the challenges that the short and medium-term future poses to them.
From a more operational perspective, it is expected that at a bureaucratic level there will be a simplification of the process and respective application procedures, namely in the access conditions, forms and, not least, in the project execution process (contracting, payment requests, interaction with managing entities).
Procedurally, it is expected that Portugal 2030 will not only reduce costs associated with management and deadlines, reflected in a reduction in programming levels, but also allow for reducing the procedural intermediation chain, eliminating steps that do not add value, allowing the option for simplified costs and, not least, reducing and simplifying the interactions of promoters with the system.
Finally, Portugal 2030 promises an application of European funds centred on the results to be achieved, based on their contracting, deepening the mechanisms of appropriation and accountability of beneficiaries, through the consolidation of practices aiming to condition incentives to the effective achievement of results.
This "promise" further highlights the importance, regardless of the incentive system they intend to apply for, of companies rigorously structuring their projects in all dimensions, carrying out detailed planning of the same, managing to demonstrate the company's capacity to execute the project, its coherence and reasonableness, as well as its relevance given the dimension, current situation, and strategy of the company.
In conclusion, it is fundamental that companies prepare their applications in advance in order to maximise the potential support they may benefit from to leverage their investment projects.
For more information, schedule a no-obligation meeting with our specialists at: 21 330 72 02, or send your questions to: contacto@yunit.pt
Eduardo Silva - Technical Director | Yunit Consulting
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