The Portuguese government has announced the opening of the first 13 calls for proposals for Portugal 2030. These calls cover various areas, including training, health, railways, environment, information and communication, and technical assistance. The total funding available for these calls is approximately 400 million euros.

In the field of training and capacity building, the Regional Programmes in the North, Centre, Alentejo, and Algarve regions have opened applications for Professional Higher Technical Courses. These courses aim to enhance skills and meet the demands of the labour market.

The People 2030 Programme, specifically the Thematic Programme on Demography, Qualifications, and Inclusion, is focused on advanced training. It has opened applications to support PhD scholarships with a market-oriented approach. The program also supports initiatives that enhance the institutional capacity building of social partners in the Comprehensive Plan for Social Protection (CPCS).

Under the Sustainable 2030 Programme, which falls under the Climate Action and Sustainability Thematic Programme, applications have been opened for projects aimed at protecting and defending the coastline. These projects include actions to restore and safeguard the coastline.

In the railways sector, the Sustainable 2030 Programme has launched a call for tender for the renovation of the Vendas Novas Line, connecting the North and Alentejo Lines. This renovation will strengthen the rail connection between the Port of Sines and national logistics hubs, as well as Europe. Additionally, there is a notice for the acquisition of 10 electric railcars for regional lines.

Regarding health, the Lisboa 2030 Programme has issued a notice for hospital equipment, focusing on oncology, cardiology, and ophthalmology. The aim is to enhance the capacity of hospital services to address new epidemiological and demographic challenges.

Lastly, the Technical Assistance Programme, as well as the Alentejo 2030 and Algarve 2030 Programmes, have released notices in the area of technical assistance. These notices emphasise support for operations that promote the design of innovative communication methodologies within the scope of European funds, as well as proof-of-concept pilot actions.

After the initial 13 calls for proposals, the government of Portugal will proceed with the calls related to the COMPETE 2030 and Mar 2030 programs. The focus will be on opening applications for companies, particularly within the framework of the Incentive Schemes. These schemes will target productive innovation and internationalisation projects for small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs).

In order to facilitate the opening of these calls, the government has taken several steps, including the development of the regulatory building by publishing the Governance Model of the European Funds and the General Implementation Scheme for Portugal 2030. In recent weeks, the Programme Monitoring Committees have held meetings, attended by entities involved in coordination and management, as well as economic and social partners. During these meetings, the selection criteria were approved.

To provide greater predictability in accessing European funds, an annual plan of calls for proposals will be published in the next semester. This plan will inform potential beneficiaries about the available calls for proposals in the upcoming three quarters.

Portugal 2030 represents the implementation of the Partnership Agreement between Portugal and the European Commission, which outlines the major strategic objectives for the period from 2021 to 2027. The agreement involves a total investment package worth 23 billion euros. In addition to this amount, there is the 16.6 billion euros allocated to the Recovery and Resilience Plan, which will be invested in Portugal's economy until 2026. Together, these investments form a significant contribution to the country's economic development.