PARES 3.0: New €11 million call for proposals launched for the refurbishment of shelters

Order no. 7230/2026 Published: New PARES 3.0 call with an €11 million budget will support the transition and urgent refurbishment of social responses for children and young people at risk. Institutions have until 10 September to submit their applications. 

Order no. 7230/2026 has been published, officially approving the new call for applications for the Programme for the Expansion of the Social Equipment Network (PARES 3.0), focusing exclusively on the social response of Residential Care Homes for children and young people.

With a budget allocation of 11 million euros, this joint initiative by the Office of the Secretary of State for Social Security and the Office of the Secretary of State for Social Action and Inclusion aims to provide a firm response to the urgent need to upgrade and reconfigure residential care in the country. The main objective is to definitively move away from the traditional institutional and massified model, progressing towards structures with family-like dynamics that are perfectly integrated into the community.

A System Saturated by Demand

This new call under the PARES 3.0 programme does not emerge by chance; it is, in fact, the operational and financial arm of a profound structural shift in the Portuguese State's vision for child protection. The publication of this public tender stems directly from the urgency to comply with the Action Plan of the Single Strategy for the Rights of Children and Young People 2025-2030, approved late last year, which placed the "Right to Grow Up in a Family Environment" at the top of the country's political and social agenda.

Historically marked by massified responses, the sector now faces the challenge of definitively eradicating the so-called "institutional hallmarks" that compromise the individuality and sense of belonging of children at risk. The Government has committed to dismantling the bureaucratic logic of old care institutions, transforming them into humanised, decentralised spaces that are seamlessly integrated into local communities.

It is precisely within this transition scenario that the call plays a critical role. More than a mere subsidy package, this funding has been designed as a driver for change, forcing the physical and operational conversion of current Temporary Care Centres (CAT) and Children and Youth Homes (LIJ). The clear objective is to transition these structures into the updated Residential Care Home model, ensuring that public investment results in social responses capable of providing individualised care and genuinely family-like life experiences.

The impact of Resolution 128/2026: where is the opportunity?

For Private Institutions of Social Solidarity (IPSS) and equivalent entities already operating on the front line of child protection, the opening of this call translates into a strategic window of opportunity built upon three main pillars:

1. Modernisation: The programme finances up to 80% non-repayable grants for urgent adaptation works, refurbishment, and the replacement of obsolete equipment. This allows entities to renew their fixed assets and raise safety standards without suffocating their cash flows.
2. Guaranteed long-term revenue: By requiring that 100% of the intervened places are covered by cooperation agreements with Social Security, the call introduces an important financial shield. For the management of these organisations, this requirement completely eliminates the risk of under-occupancy and ensures stability in operational cash flows.
3. Extended and comprehensive funding: The incentive model goes beyond pure infrastructure expenses (walls and repairs). To mitigate secondary costs that usually weigh heavily on budgets, the programme sets additional allocations of 10% for furnishing and acquiring mobile equipment, and a further 10% destined to cover architectural services, engineering specialities, and active site supervision.

The Execution Challenge and Next Steps

Despite the attractive co-financing rate, promoting entities will face an absolute race against time, starting right at the preparation stage. The application period is short — from 15 June to 10 September — and the call requires, at the very moment of submission, technical projects and supporting municipal documents, such as licences or prior notifications. Knowing the usual bureaucracy of municipalities in Portugal, obtaining these assessments will be the programme's biggest bottleneck. Therefore, assessing your institution's eligibility today is the only step that guarantees enough time to gather the documentation and avoid immediate disqualification of the project.