Portugal Ventures, a venture capital firm that is part of the Banco Português de Fomento group, plans to invest between €200,000 –  € 1 million in non-technological and technological projects linked to tourism.

Projects needing investment must be submitted before 3rd July 2022.

Call Tourism intends to identify investment opportunities that will increase the competitiveness of Portugal’s tourist offer; enhance the tourist experience in Portugal; and improve the efficiency of businesses in the sector.

Depending of their nature, the projects’ characteristics divert in:

Non-technological

• • For hotel and similar projects, a municipal licence must have been issued by the date of submission;
  • Tourist entertainment activities related to cultural and landscape heritage;
  • Tourist experiences that encourage the exploration of new territories;
  • Activities linked to the use of endogenous resources and cultural space revitalization;
  • Innovative accommodation or that which directly promotes culture or the environment.

Technological

• Have a Minimum Viable Product (MVP), preferably with market feedback and some confirmed customers;
• Projects focusing on tradable goods or services that are part of international value chains;
• R&D-based projects resulting from an innovative process to create a new technology, process or thing, or which improve technologies or processes already available on the market;
• Projects based on disruptive technologies will be given priority;
• Projects with a clear strategy to protect and enhance intellectual property.

Incorporated companies or those to be incorporated, the projects of which must be an original idea of the founders, must have one or more of the following characteristics:

to be located in Portugal (mainland and islands);
have a multidisciplinary team that can meet the project management requirements;
contribute to the benefits associated with the SDGs – Sustainable Development Goals (ESG – Environmentally Sustainable Governance) by offering defined solutions.

More information about the initiative and Open Call for submissions available on the Call Tourism page (Portugal Ventures website).