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Yunit Consulting has announced the opening of applications for the 8th edition of the Heróis PME Awards, maintaining its commitment to giving a voice and a stage to the resilience and innovation of Portuguese micro, small and medium-sized enterprises.
Yunit Consulting announces the opening of applications for the 8th edition of the Heróis PME Awards through the initiative's official website - https://heroispme.pt/ - thus maintaining the annual commitment to showcase the micro, small and medium-sized enterprises that are the protagonists of some of the country's most relevant stories of resilience and innovation. Created in 2016, this initiative has consolidated itself as a national movement that seeks to recognise and amplify real stories of business transformation, valuing the social and economic impact of Portuguese SMEs.
Over the last few editions, the award has seen remarkable growth, reflected above all in the 2025 edition, which reached an absolute record of 135 applications, a 52% increase compared to the previous year. The 2025 edition revealed a particularly significant distribution of applications throughout the national territory. The districts of Porto, Lisbon and Leiria stood out as the most represented, reflecting strong participation from regions where business density and economic dynamism are most intense. This geographical dynamism was accompanied by relevant sectoral diversity, with a special predominance in the areas of Technology and IT, Services and Industry, which presented the highest number of applications in 2025, illustrating the transversality of the "Heróis PME" movement in the economic fabric.
In 2026, companies will once again be able to apply in the Micro, Small and Medium Enterprise categories, as well as in the thematic areas of Digital Transformation, Internationalisation, Sustainability and Startup. Each application must be based on a real, verifiable story that demonstrates the overcoming of challenges, innovation and a positive impact on the community and the sector in which the company operates.
This year's initiative once again has the support of three institutional partners who have been following the project for several years: the Portuguese Chamber of Commerce and Industry, the Association of Portuguese Olympic Athletes and Startup Portugal. These partners participate in the evaluation processes, reinforcing the credibility and transparency of the selection path for the finalists. CNN Portugal joins as a communication partner, taking on the role of telling and amplifying these stories of overcoming challenges to the general public.
“This significant growth shows that Portuguese SMEs continue to believe in their value and in the importance of sharing their stories. There is a genuine desire to show the invisible work, to share stories that usually stay behind closed doors. Companies want to be heard and they want to inspire others. It is this desire to make themselves known that makes Heróis PME such a strong movement.” Bernardo Maciel, CEO of Yunit Consulting
“This significant growth shows that Portuguese SMEs continue to believe in their value and in the importance of sharing their stories. There is a genuine desire to show the invisible work, to share stories that usually stay behind closed doors. Companies want to be heard and they want to inspire others. It is this desire to make themselves known that makes Heróis PME such a strong movement.”
The importance of Heróis PME gains even more significance when framed within the national economic context. Indeed, SMEs continue to be the backbone of the Portuguese economy, representing 99.9% of non-financial companies, employing 77.9% of the workforce and generating 63.6% of the national GVA, according to the latest INE data for 2023.
In 2025, the Portuguese economy once again demonstrated resilience, with GDP growing by 1.9%, a figure confirmed by INE in the Annual National Accounts, released in February 2026. This growth was mainly driven by the acceleration of private consumption, the increase in employment (2.3%) and solid investment, despite the more uncertain international context. For 2026, the European Commission's forecasts point to an acceleration of GDP to 2.2%, sustained by robust domestic demand, a strong labour market and the peak execution of RRP funds, which should further boost business investment and the modernisation of the economic fabric.
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Last updated: 09/03/2026
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