How we work: five steps, two decision points

The five steps

1. Form and first analysis. Free. You fill in the eligibility check. We read your case and check the points that can rule funding out from the start: whether there is a Portuguese company, the sector, the region, the size of the group and whether the investment has already begun. You get an answer by email within one working day.
2. Video call. Free. Fifteen to thirty minutes, in English, to understand the project and the people behind it, and for you to see who you would be working with. At the end we give you a frank recommendation.
3. Fit Analysis. Paid. Our first written deliverable: a short document that names the one to three programmes that fit your company, your project and your region, explains why each one fits, and says what to do next. If nothing fits, the document says so and explains why.
4. Eligibility Analysis. Paid. The formal check. We go through the requirements one by one, work out the support rates and the costs that qualify, list the calls and deadlines that matter, prepare the first application materials and, where it helps, ask the managing authority for a written opinion.
5. Application. Success fee. We prepare and file the application and follow it until the decision. The success fee is charged only if your application is approved. It is a percentage of the approved support, and the percentage is set out in the written proposal.

What you pay for the two written analyses is taken into account in the success fee for the same project, under the conditions in the proposal. In practice the analyses work as a deposit: you pay little to find out early, and what you paid counts if you go on and the application is approved.

The two decision points

Each paid analysis answers one question, and each one can end the process.

After the Fit Analysis: is there a programme for this project? If there is, we propose the Eligibility Analysis. If there is not, we stop. You leave with a written verdict and, when they exist, alternative routes such as tax credits or credit lines. You can come back if your situation changes.

After the Eligibility Analysis: does the company meet the formal requirements? Organised accounts, no debts to the Tax Authority or Social Security, SME status where the call demands it, and an investment that has not started. If it does, we go to the application. If it does not, you keep the dossier and a list of what would have to change.

A clear no at either point is part of what you pay for. You stop spending on a project that has no path, and you know why.

What happens in English and what happens in Portuguese

• In English: emails, the video call, the Fit Analysis, the Eligibility Analysis, the proposal and every update along the way.
• In Portuguese: the application itself and the documents filed on the official portals. The law and the portals leave no choice. You receive an English summary of what was filed, and we explain any request the authorities send back.

What we do not do

• We do not promise approvals. The decision belongs to the managing authority, IEFP, the Tax Authority or another public body. It depends on the budget of each call and on how your application ranks against the others.
• We do not start paid work on a handshake. Nothing is charged before you accept a written proposal.
• We are not lawyers or accountants. We do not provide legal, audit or certified accounting services. When your project needs them, we tell you, and you hire a qualified professional.

Frequently asked questions