Provision of Services under Portugal 2020

The IPC is accredited by Portugal 2020 to provide qualified services to SMEs through various types of simplified projects, commonly referred to as project-based “Vouchers”. The IPC also provides qualified services within the scope of individual corporate R&TD projects.

Project-based “Vouchers”

The Research Opportunities Vouchers aim to promote the evaluation and identification of specific technical problems that need to be addressed to strengthen the company’s competitiveness in terms of product and process improvement. Support-eligible services are the following:

– Identification of technical problems affecting products and processes, requiring R&D or technology transfer services contracting to be tackled, including the demonstration of technology not disseminated in the sector;

– Assessment of R&D opportunities and identification of a R&D strategy and action plan;

– Technical assistance for short-term recommendations implementation.

Services to be provided should involve technologies at a Technological Maturity Level equal to or less than 7 – prototype demonstration.

The Industry 4.0 Vouchers aim to carry out a diagnosis with a set of recommendations allowing companies to define an action plan for process digitalisation, product and process interconnectivity, and organisational model adjustment, using new technologies. Support-eligible services within this scope are the following:

– Diagnosis and implementation strategy of e-commerce processes;

– Diagnosis and implementation strategy of other processes associated with Industry 4.0.

The Trade Vouchers consist of producing diagnosis focused on the production of a set of recommendations allowing micro and SMEs to define an action plan leading to their business reinforcement capacity. Services to be provided should enhance business sustainability, market knowledge and the interface with relevant economic agents in external markets. Support eligible services within this scope  include assistance and consulting  for:

– Organisational innovation and management. Introduction of new methods or philosophies of work organisation, redesign and layout improvements, benchmarking actions, diagnosis and planning;

– Brand and design creation. Design of own brands at product and company level;

– Quality. Use of standards and technical specifications oriented to commerce, services, and restaurant sectors;

– Digital economy and ICT. Definition of business models aiming at the insertion of SMEs in digital economy allowing the implementation of client/supplier process dematerialisation,  contributing to their international promotion.