What's at stake
Portugal 2030 is the main EU funding framework for Portugal in the 2021–2027 period, with over €3 billion in structural funds. For 2026, the annual call plan includes 220 calls with a total envelope of €3.9 billion, distributed throughout the year.
In 2025, calls worth €935 million were launched. The jump to €3.9 billion in 2026 represents a significant acceleration — and a final window for many companies to access these funds before the cycle closes.
Key programmes for AI and digitalisation
Within COMPETE 2030 (the operational programme for competitiveness), the main incentive systems for SMEs are:
- SICE — Incentive System for Business Competitiveness: €544 million. Focus on sustainable growth and SME competitiveness, including digitalisation investments
- SIID — Incentive System for Research and Development: €123.9 million. Support for adoption of advanced technologies, including AI, automation and data analytics
- SIAC — Collective Action Support System: €20 million. Collective digitalisation and decarbonisation projects
National target: Portugal 2030 sets the goal that 90% of SMEs should have at least a basic level of digital intensity by 2030. In 2025, Portugal was at 11.5% business AI adoption (Eurostat).
The PRR as a complement
Besides Portugal 2030, the PRR (Recovery and Resilience Plan) continues to fund business digital transition. With a total allocation of €22.2 billion (after reprogramming), the PRR dedicates 21.1% to digital transition.
The most relevant measures for SMEs looking to invest in AI include:
- "AI in SMEs" line: €100 million for AI solution adoption
- "Reindustrialise" line: €150 million for AI, robotics, IoT and digital twin solutions in industry
- Industry 4.0 component (C16-i04): support for data analytics, automation and artificial intelligence
How to access
Portugal 2030 calls are published on portugal2030.pt and the COMPETE 2030 website (compete2030.gov.pt). Each call has specific eligibility criteria, application deadlines and co-financing rates.
In general terms, SMEs can expect:
- Co-financing rates between 40% and 75%, depending on company size and region
- Non-repayable grants in most programmes
- Eligible expenses including software acquisition, technical consultancy, staff training and equipment
What to combine
Portugal 2030 and PRR supports can be combined with other instruments:
- SIFIDE II — tax deduction of up to 82.5% on R&D expenses (including AI)
- Digital Training Voucher — up to €750 per person for digital skills training (IEFP)
- EDIHs — free technical support through European Digital Innovation Hubs
The key is not to see these instruments in isolation. An SME can use Portugal 2030 to fund AI agent implementation, SIFIDE II to deduct the development, and the Training Voucher to upskill the team — all within the same project.
Need guidance?
D'One helps map which supports apply to your case and frame your AI investment with available incentives.
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