Application deadline: 30 April 2026
Two new funding calls have been launched under Portugal 2030 to support industry-driven R&D and innovation projects focused on the development and manufacturing of critical technologies aligned with the Strategic Technologies for Europe Platform (STEP).
These calls create opportunities for collaboration between Portuguese companies, academia, research institutions, and international partners, including teams from The University of Texas at Austin (UT Austin) within the framework of the UT Austin Portugal Program.
Projects should aim to accelerate the development of strategic technologies with strong industrial impact while strengthening Europe’s technological leadership and competitiveness.
Official Announcements
STEP – I&D&I Empresarial | Energy
STEP – I&D&I Empresarial | Digital and Biotechnology
The Calls in a Nutshell
a) STEP I&D&I Empresarial – Energy
Call reference: COMPETE2030-2026-1
Total budget: €86,250,000
Budget for the International Partnerships (UT Austin, CMU, MIT): €8,625,000
This call supports projects focused on developing critical technologies for clean, efficient energy systems, including solutions that advance carbon neutrality and sustainable energy production.
*Funding under Portugal 2030 is available only for Portuguese consortia. Participation of UT Austin teams is supported through the UT Austin Portugal Program budget at UT.
b) STEP I&D&I Empresarial – Digital and Biotechnology
Call reference: MPr-2026-2
Total budget: €153,000,000 (€150M COMPETE2030 + €3M PO Algarve)
Budget for the International Partnerships (UT Austin, CMU, MIT): €15,300,000
This call supports projects in areas such as:
- Digital technologies, including those contributing to the objectives of the EU Digital Decade 2030
- Deep-tech innovation
- Biotechnologies, including molecular biotechnology, pharmaceuticals, and biotechnology applied to agriculture
*Funding under Portugal 2030 is available only for Portuguese consortia. Participation of UT Austin teams is supported through the UT Austin Portugal Program budget at UT.
Funding Opportunities for Collaborations with UT Austin
Both calls include dedicated budget allocations for projects involving the American partner universities of the FCT International Partnerships, including The University of Texas at Austin (UT Austin).
These allocations aim to reinforce international collaboration and support the development of strategic technologies with strong industrial and societal impact.
For projects involving UT Austin teams, participation by UT researchers will be directly funded through the UT Austin Portugal Program budget at UT, while Portuguese partners will be funded through the current calls. Applications must be led and submitted by Portuguese consortia.
During the application stage, the UT Austin PI must provide the Portuguese consortium with a written commitment from their university specifying:
- The complementarity of competencies between Portuguese and U.S. teams
- The shared responsibility of the U.S. partner teams in project activities and in achieving the expected results
- The additional funding components of the project, particularly those supported by U.S. universities or other funding sources within the partnership agreements
Project proposals must therefore present an integrated vision of collaboration between Portuguese teams and teams from UT Austin.
Project Format and Eligibility
Projects must be submitted in copromotion, involving:
- Companies of any size, and/or
- Entities from the Portuguese R&I system (ENESII)
Projects are expected to focus on advanced technological maturity levels (TRL ≥ 6) and, within a 36-month timeframe, aim to:
- Develop and manufacture critical technologies
- Strengthen European strategic value chains
- Contribute to the competitiveness and technological autonomy of the European Union
Within the scope of R&D investments, the following activities are also eligible:
- Industrial Research (TRL 4)
- Experimental Development (TRL 5–8)
Strategic Context
The STEP calls are part of the Strategic Technologies for Europe Platform (STEP), launched by the European Commission on 1 March 2024 to strengthen Europe’s technological leadership in digital technologies, clean technologies, and biotechnology.
Through coordinated investment, the initiative seeks to enhance European competitiveness, strategic autonomy, and industrial capacity, while reinforcing critical technology value chains across the continent.
Support and Contacts
Queries on Call Rules and Funding in Portugal
Linha dos Fundos
Phone: +351 800 10 35 10 (09:00–18:00 | toll-free)
Email: linhadosfundos@linhadosfundos.pt
Programa Inovação e Transição Digital (COMPETE 2030)
Email: info@compete2030.gov.pt
Queries on UT Austin Collaboration and Matchmaking
For support with matchmaking with UT Austin researchers, or for questions regarding participation and funding rules for UT Austin teams, please contact Marco Bravo
at bravo@austin.utexas.edu and copy the e UT Austin Portugal Program Office in Portugal (research@utaustinportugal.org).
Application Deadline
30 April 2026
FAQs
(These FAQs mainly concern UT Austin’s participation in projects submitted by Portuguese consortia to this call).
Yes, we’ll be glad to help you find the best match for you. You should contact us at our offices in Portugal (research@utaustinportugal.org) and at UT (Marco Bravo – bravo@austin.utexas.edu). When reaching out to our team, provide us with a brief description of your project idea, your research interests and/or the research expertise you are looking for.
The UT Austin team must have a PI and a Co-PI, both tenured or tenure-track faculty at UT Austin, who will be responsible for the project at UT Austin. Full-time senior researchers from UT Austin may also act as PI or Co-PI, as long as they have a PI status, which should be indicated in the confirmation statement.
There is no limit to the number of projects for which one particular PI at UT Austin may apply.
The PI at UT must provide the PI in Portugal with the following documentation prior to proposal submission:
A written commitment from UT Austin explicitly stating:
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the complementarity of competencies between the participating teams (national and U.S. teams);
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the co-responsibility of the U.S. partner teams in the project activities and in the achievement of results;
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the other funding components of the project, namely those under the responsibility of UT Austin or from other funding sources within the framework of the partnership agreements.
UT will finance the UT Austin PI and Co-PI with up to $1 Million (USD) per project ($333,000 /year for a 3 year project).
- UT Austin: eligible: research-related direct costs (graduate student salaries, research materials, travel); non-eligible: faculty salary + equipment purchase. When projects selected for funding under this call are notified by the Portuguese sponsor, UT Austin teams partnering with awarded Portuguese consortia will be contacted to provide a more detailed budget according to a UT standard budget form. In addition to eligible expenses, UT Austin PIs should include indirect costs at 38% of total direct costs.
Yearly progress reports, project presentations informing about progress, and a final project report are mandatory.
