Startup Voucher is a measure of StartUP Portugal – National Strategy for Entrepreneurship, and is an efficient support for intelligent, inclusive and sustainable growth of the Portuguese economy, which has been specializing and internationalizing.
It is part of the “Promotion of Entrepreneurial Spirit” support area and aims to foster the emergence of new entrepreneurs and businessmen, who promote innovative responses to the various challenges of society, through the dynamization, empowerment and awareness of the entrepreneurship ecosystem.
HOW?
It stimulates the development of business projects that are at the idea stage, and that are promoted by young people between the ages of 18 and 35.
A set of articulated measures is created to favour young entrepreneurs in their entrepreneurial project as a way of entering active life, making available several financial and technical support instruments, during the maximum period of 12 months, equivalent to the time of preparation of the business project.
WHERE?
This measure is intended for projects benefiting the North, Centre, Alentejo and Lisbon areas (NUT II). They may be located outside these areas, provided that they benefit the economy of these regions.
WHEN?
The submission period for StrartUP Voucher 2019 is taking place between 26 July 2019 and 26 November 2020 in four stages:
• – Until 26 November 2019,
• – Until 26 March 2020
• – Until 26 July 2020
• – Until 26 November 2020
SUPPORT INSTRUMENTS
The Startup Voucher has several typologies:
Grant: in the monthly amount of 691.70 euros, allocated for the development of the business project and for a maximum period of 12 months (up to a maximum of two scholarships per business project may be allocated);
Mentoring: Access to a network of mentors providing guidance to promoters;
Monitoring of the project by an accredited entity;
Intermediate evaluation award: award of 1500€ to projects that obtain a positive intermediate evaluation according to the fulfilment of the objectives of each phase;
Achievement prize: 2000€ to the achievement of the business project, through the creation of a company with the incorporation of a commercial company, provided that this occurs after the first 6 months of participation in the programme and up to 6 months after the maximum 12 months of participation in the Startup Voucher.
CONDITIONS OF ENTITLEMENT
In order to access Startup Vouchers, young entrepreneurs must meet the following cumulative requirements:
• To be between 18 and 35 years old
• To have Portuguese nationality or reside in Portugal
• Not benefiting from a grant for the same purposes
• To have no other source of income
• Not having a company already established
As for the projects, they also have a set of requirements with which they must comply. Thus, projects falling into the following categories are eligible for the programme:
• Projects of innovative and qualified entrepreneurship that promote innovative responses to social and societal challenges, contributing to the change in the productive profile of the economy, through the creation of companies with qualified human resources, developing activities in sectors with strong growth and/or sectors with higher intensity of technology and knowledge, or that value the application of R&D results in the production of new goods and services
• Innovative and creative entrepreneurship projects that promote innovative responses to social and societal challenges, and include the activities of cultural and creative industries, which make use of creativity, cultural knowledge and intellectual property the resources to produce marketable and internationalizable goods and services of social and cultural significance. Examples are: performing and visual arts, cultural heritage, crafts, cinema, radio, television, music, publishing, educational and entertainment software and other software, computer services, new media, architecture, design, fashion and advertising
Note: social and societal challenges are considered:
1. Health, demographic change and well-being
2. Food security, sustainable agriculture and forestry, research
3. Continuous, non-polluting and efficient energy
4. Intelligent, ecological and integrated transport
5. Climate action; ambient, resource and raw material efficiency
6. Europe in a world of change: inclusive, innovative and weighted societies
7. Secure societies: defending Europe’s freedom and security and its citizens
