Practical guide for your business
What steps need to be taken to achieve the objectives is one of the questions that business planning can help answer, reducing risks and uncertainties to a minimum.
At this stage, the future entrepreneur should seek to know in detail the market to be explored, the products or services to be marketed, the competition, the prices charged and the business strategies in order to transform their ideas into a sustainable and profitable business.
Where to start? We'll help. Click here for more information.
You can find information about:
Public support for investment and funding solutions for economic activity are structuring instruments in support of the business fabric, the importance of which is recognised by all.
Portal do Financiamento[Funding Portal]
The Portal do Financiamento [Funding Portal] allows companies to find, aggregated in a single place, several financing solutions with public support, directed in particular to SMEs, for the various phases of their activity and investment.
The information is structured according to the needs of the companies, their investment strategies (growth, expansion, export, capitalization, etc.), the business dimension or the sector of activity. The aim is to present the solutions, taking into account the investor profile and the characteristics of the business, as well as to identify the agents responsible for its operationalization.
The Portal do Financiamento [Financing Portal], available from the IAPMEI website, provides information on a wide range of solutions, such as Mutual Guarantee, Credit Insurance, Risk Capital, Business Angels, Co-Investment Funds, Real Estate Investment Funds, as well as tax incentives to investment and capitalization of companies.
Portal da competitividade [Competitiveness Portal]
The Portal da Competitividade [Competitiveness Portal], available from the Adc website, aims to facilitate companies and entrepreneurs in the search for investment support to strengthen productivity and national competitiveness.
It provides information on financial support, allowing access to application notices for Portugal 2020 and other EU funding opportunities, including information on business hosting infrastructures and technological infrastructures in Portugal, as well as national and international competitiveness support networks.
You can find information about:
When it comes to the financing the investment needed to set up your business, one of the main problems is where to get it, especially for those who do not have equity.
Here the future entrepreneur can get information about financing solutions with public support and support for starting his or her own business:
- Financing for SMEs, IAPMEI
- The Competitiveness Portal, ADC/CCIP
- TSupport for business creation and self-employment IEFP
Venture Capital and Business Angels (BA)
Venture Capital is a form of financing, through the use of equity capital, for a temporary period, providing companies with stable financial means for the development of their growth strategies. Applicable to start-up, expansion, modernisation and business innovation projects with a strategic dimension.
A Business Angel (BA) is an individual investor who invests a small portion of their wealth or savings in projects led by a strong team of entrepreneurs. BAs typically invest in innovative startups with accelerated growth potential.
For more information see:
- Financing Solutions with Public Support, IAPMEI, IP (Listing of Financing Solutions being updated)
- How venture capital works, Associação Portuguesa de Capital de Risco
Provides information, opportunity and resources to support start-ups or future start-ups.
Click here for more information.
Its aim is to stimulate the development of business projects by young people between the ages of 18 and 35 that are in the idea phase, through various support instruments made available over a period of up to 12 months of preparation of the business project.
See more information in StartUp Voucher, IAPMEI.
Financial institutions - a tool that allows you to search for the most suitable financing possibilities for your company, from the Your Europe website.
Support for the creation of cooperatives - the coopjovem is a programme to support cooperative entrepreneurship. It is aimed at supporting young people in the development of a business idea, facilitating the creation of self-employment.
Youth Associations - In the IPDJ, IP portal you will find several relevant information which we highlight:
You can find information about:
Opening the company alone or as partnership? In order to answer this question, the future entrepreneur must first of all know the characteristics and implications of each of the legal forms:
- Individual Entrepreneur
- Individual Limited Liability Establishment
- Sole proprietorship by shares
- General Partnership
- Private Limited Company
- Public Limited Company
- Limited partnership
- Cooperative
- Association
You can find information about:
- Registering the business online
- Registering at Empresa na Hora
- Registering the business in a traditional way
- Steps for creation of a cooperative
- Steps for the creation of an association
- Make changes in the business
Through ePortugal, the future entrepreneur can set up a private limited, single-person or joint-stock company online and, with the Empresa na Hora you can carry out the process in less than an hour, in one of the service desks in the country, in Espaços Empresa or in the Commercial Registry Offices. See here how to book your appointment and the information you will need to incorporate a company in Portugal.
Also, take the opportunity to browse ePortugal, the single point of contact for the performance of public services associated with the exercise of an economic activity.
Registering the business online
Empresa Online allows the creation of sole proprietorships by shares, quotas and public limited companies, using a digital certificate, such as the Citizen Card. Afterwards, you will be able to follow online your company's creation process through the Dossier Eletrónico da Empresa.
Companies whose capital is paid up using contributions in kind, i.e., where the shareholders' contributions to the share capital are not made in cash, cannot be incorporated through the Online Company.
If you need help during the process of setting up the company through the Empresa Online, you can consult the Frequently Asked Questions available on the ePortugal portal.
Registering at Empresa na Hora
At the desks of Empresa na Hora, it is possible to set up a sole proprietorships by shares, quotas and public limited companies, and the partners only have to hold all the necessary documents. In just under an hour, it is possible to follow up all the procedures necessary to incorporate a company in a single desk.
Registering the business in a traditional way
The creation of the company through this method implies a series of steps in different Entities and at different times, such as: the application for the Certificate of Admissibility, the deposit of the company's share capital, the preparation of the memorandum or articles of association, the submission of the statement of beginning of activity, the commercial registry and the registry with the Social Security.
Find a Commercial Registry Office
Steps for creation of a cooperative
Register a Cooperativa na Hora
Steps for the creation of an association
Creation and Operation of an Association - IRN
Associação na Hora - FAQ
Make changes in the business
If at any time you need to move your company's registered office, change its activity or change its by-laws, online services and information are available to help you.
For entrepreneurs looking for successfully tested businesses with more limited risks and with technical and administrative support in day-to-day management, franchising can be a good option.
Franchising is a business model that works in partnership. It allows a company with an experienced business format to assign to third parties, in exchange for financial compensation, the right to exploit its products or services, to use its trademark and also to implement its management methods.
Learn about business opportunities and franchisee experiences in Associação Portuguesa de Franchising (Portuguese Franchising Association).
Finding a store, an office or a warehouse is a fundamental task in the process of creating any company.
The ideal location depends on factors such as the area needed for the business, the target market, the financial capacity of the entrepreneur and the availability of space in the intended area.
Depending on these factors, the options are to buy, lease, build the company’s facilities from scratch or use available space in the community.
Below you will find a set of options:
- AICEP Globalparques
- Zonas Empresariais Responsáveis (ZER) (Responsible Business Areas)
- Renting spaces - Câmara do Comércio e Indústria (Chamber of Commerce and Industry)
- Virtual offices - Câmara do Comércio e Indústria (Chamber of Commerce and Industry)
- CCDRN
- CCDRA/NERA - Algarve Acolhe
- Rede Nacional de Incubadoras
- Other coworking spaces
- Tip: consult also the desired municipal authorities for information on business incubator in that region.
When the entrepreneur decides to start the activity, will have to deal with a set of formalities. Depending on the activity chosen, there are requirements to be met in order to be authorised to carry out the activity.
What do I have to do? Where should I go? What documents should I submit? How much will it cost? How long will it take? These are some of the questions you will be facing at this stage.
Here you will find a diversified set of services to support economic activity that provide the answers you are looking for. You can start by doing simulations to learn the general and specific requirements of economic activity.
- Carry out simulations
- Obtain authorizations and licenses
- Submit your statement of beginning of activity online – Portal das Finanças
- Register legal persons in Social Security
See more information:
- Manual of Beginning of Activity, Portal das Finanças.
- Exemption and reduction of the payment of contributions, Instituto da Segurança Social.
- Payment of social contributions - rights, duties and penalties, Instituto da Segurança Social.
You can find information about:
Taxes and fees
From the moment they are incorporated until their extinction, companies are subject to tax obligations, namely the Corporate Income Tax (IRC), the Value Added Tax (VAT), Customs Duties, among others.
To find out what your company's tax obligations are, you can carry out a simulation here.
The Portal das Finanças (Finance Portal) seeks to facilitate the relationship between the State and companies in tax matters, while also allowing the electronic payment of major taxes.
Compliance with tax obligations online
Portal da Autoridade Tributária (Tax Authority Portal) has the services such as e-Fatura (e-Invoice), VAT, IRC, customs services, consultation of the tax situation, eTaxFree, among others.
Find out more about paying VAT in the EU.
Social contributions
When companies are incorporated, they are obliged to register with the Social Security and to register workers who start their activity at their service.
In its management component, employers are responsible:
- For the payment of contributions due to the social security system and for the payment of contributions due from employees at their service. In this sense, it is up to the employer to deduct the value of these contributions from the remuneration paid to the employees.
- For the monthly delivery of the value of social security contributions in the period from the 1st to the 15th day of the month following the month to which they relate.
The payment of contributions can be made in banking institutions, social security treasuries or by mail and the Table of Contributory Rates can be consulted online.
The submission of remuneration statements is made through a single access channel - Monthly Remuneration Statement (DMR) - which allows employers to submit, at the same time, the Remuneration Statements to the Social Security and the Monthly Remuneration Statement to the Tax and Customs Authority.
The Social Security also has information and services for:
To check your company's social security obligations, you can carry out a simulation here.
Occupational safety and health
Every company has the obligation to comply with a set of rules of hygiene, health and safety of workers and facilities, preventing occupational diseases or accidents at work.
To check your company's obligations in relation to working conditions, you can carry out a simulation here.
- Mandatory displays
- Occupational Safety and Health Mandatory Communications and Authorizations
- Perform diagnosis of working conditions
- Comply with self-protection measures
Related links
You can find information about:
- Recruitment and selection of workers
- Compliance with Social Security obligations
- Support and incentives for hiring
- Workplace accident insurance
- Related links
- Professional Internships in Companies
Hiring workers is a decision that has an impact on your business: you need to find the right people, comply with and respect the laws and consider the fixed monthly cost that hiring will entail.
Recruitment and selection of workers
You can use a recruitment company that will help you with all these issues. But if you're still starting your business or don't have the necessary capital for this type of investment, the Instituto do Emprego e Formação Profissional (Employment and Vocational Training Institute) offers free recruitment and selection services to meet the companies’ needs.
If you do not find the profile you are looking for or if there is a shortage of domestic labour in your sector of activity, find out how to find workers in other countries and how to recruit from abroad.
Compliance with Social Security obligations
After the employee recruitment phase, the company must register its employees with the Social Security. Monthly, it is responsible for the payment of social security contributions and for deducting this amount from the remuneration paid to employees.
Support and incentives for hiring
IEFP has several supports and incentives for hiring that consist of granting financial support to companies that sign employment contracts.
There are also other measures for exemption or reduction of contributions borne by the employer, under the responsibility of the Social Security Institute, IP.
Workplace accident insurance
It is compulsory to take out occupational accident insurance to protect workers during their professional activity and during their daily commute to work. Contact your insurance intermediary or, in case of doubt, request information from the Autoridade de Supervisão de Seguros e Fundos de Pensões (Insurances and Pension Funds Supervision Authority).
Related links
- Comissão para a igualdade no trabalho e no emprego (Committee for Equality in Work and Employment) - explores issues of employers' rights and duties and good practices on equality in work and employment, among others.
- Support for hiring people with disabilities
- Support measures for hiring disabled people / IEFP Supported Employment
Professional Internships in Companies
To ease the recruitment and integration of new staff, IEFP promotes Professional Internships.
You can find information about:
In the management of human resources, in addition to contractual and labour rights issues, the training, certification and retraining of professionals must be taken into account.
The qualification of human resources is one of the greatest guarantees of business success. It is also important to keep workers motivated, trained and geared to their needs.
Companies should systematically diagnose the training needs of their employees in order to detect possible shortcomings at individual or collective level, which may be of a technical, aptitude or behavioural nature.
Upon the final diagnosis, they shall draw up training plans, identifying the specific objectives, the competences to be acquired and the appropriate profiles of the trainees per course. Timing is an important factor, as it must be articulated with work activity.
Professional certification means the issue of a certificate attesting to compliance with the educational and other requirements of each profession or, in the case of attendance at and completion of training courses, attesting to professional skills or the equivalent of professional qualifications.
Learn more about recognition of professional qualifications.
The Instituto de Emprego e Formação Profissional (Employment and Vocational Training Institute) develops and promotes the following vocational training courses:
- Modular formations that can be designed together with the company
- Adult Education and Training Courses (EFA)
- Certification of competences (RVCC)
- Portuguese for everyone, if your company recruits foreign workers and they need to be qualified in the Portuguese language, increasing the capacity for expression and understanding of the Portuguese language and the knowledge of basic citizenship rights
- Pedagogical Training of Tutors (FPT) for people who in the company ensure the training process in a work context, generically, technicians and experienced professionals in a profession or function.
See also the training promoted by the Câmara do Comércio (Chamber of Commerce) that seeks to respond to the training needs of various areas within companies.
Skills of the manager or entrepreneur
Also keep in mind that training and updating the entrepreneur's knowledge and skills are critical to business success.
See the proposals:
- Academia PME, IAPMEI
- Formexport, aicep Portugal Global
- Training, Instituto Português da Qualidade (Portuguese Institute of Quality)
You can find information about:
Intellectual Property includes Industrial Property, Copyright and Related Rights and grants the right to the exclusive use of the respective technical, commercial and industrial information. Industrial Property aims to protect inventions, aesthetic creations (design) and signs used to distinguish products and companies in the market; while the Copyright Law aims to protect literary and artistic works.
Searches
- Search for trademarks (by name, phonetics, by process number, by owner, by product or service and by non-conventional trademarks)
- Search brands by images
- Search for a patent (by process number, by entity or owner, by title and by abstract content)
- Search design (by process number, by entity or owner, by title and by abstract content)
- Search design by images
Registries
- Register a trademark (trademarks, logos, collective association or certification marks, designations of origin, geographical indications and rewards)
- Register a patent (patents, provisional patent applications and utility models)
- Register a design (drawings or models)
- Make multiple registries - for professionals/companies
- Access services for copyright management
Related links
- Instituto Nacional de Propriedade Industrial (National Industrial Property Institute)
- Sociedade Portuguesa de Autores (Portuguese Society of Authors)
- Selling Products in the EU
You can find information about:
The implementation of a standardized management system constitutes an added value for any company, by establishing a Policy and Strategic Objectives, involving the entire organization in the satisfaction of its customers and other identified stakeholders, in accordance with the guiding requirements of the adopted reference standard.
The certification of this management system will provide the desired public recognition of its effective operation, providing an added value to the credibility of the certified entity and a potential competitive advantage, when applicable.
Specifically, the operationalization of a QMS, e.g., is a strategic decision of the company that aims to provide recognition and satisfaction of customers, improvement of image, access to new markets, reduction of operating costs through improved operational performance and a new culture with awareness and motivation of employees.
For a company to obtain certification it is necessary the formal recognition by a certification body, an independent and accredited external entity, that this company has an implemented management system that follows the standards explained.
- Directory of entities accredited to make certifications, Instituto Português da Acreditação [Portuguese Accreditation Institute
- SPQ – Portuguese Quality System, Instituto Português da Qualidade [Portuguese Quality Institute]
- Standardization - Portuguese Quality Institute/National Standardisation Body
- Partner Entities/ Sectoral Standardization Bodies/ List of ONS (Entities/Institutes/Associations of recognized technical/scientific competence, in specific areas) - Portuguese Quality Institute
- Catalogue of national, European and international standards - Portuguese Quality Institute / Standardisation
The SME Leader status is a seal of reputation associated with solidity and economic-financial performance that allows distinguished companies to relate to their surroundings - suppliers, customers, the financial system and national and regional authorities - on a basis of trust that facilitates the development of their business. At the international level, this recognition constitutes a factor of differentiation and a guarantee of the solidity and suitability of companies.
The SME Excellence status is awarded to SME Leaders that present higher performance levels, creating increased visibility conditions for these companies.
The Certificação PME (SMB Certification) is a service that, by electronic means only, certifies the fulfillment of the criteria of micro, small and medium-sized companies by national businesses.
It is aimed at micro, small and medium-sized companies that want to prove that they have the respective position, and to entities of the Public Administration, or registered with it, that are required to demand proof of the PME statutes for the purposes of administrative procedures (attribution of funds or other forms of positive discrimination to these companies).
Learn more about SME Certification, IAPMEI
SME Leader and SME Excellence status, IAPMEI
The products and services that businesses offer or provide must be safe and meet the purposes for which they are intended, comply with legally established standards and the quality described must reasonably meet consumer expectations.
Information for consumers shall be presented in a clear and comprehensible manner.
Consumers have the right to make a complaint if they are not satisfied with the product or service.
Find out what you need to do to ensure your company's compliance with consumer law.
- Consumer rights
- Guarantees for consumers
- Consumer contracts
- Defective products
- Dispute resolution with customers
- Data protection
- Consumer legislation
Through the “Comunicar ao Consumidor” platform identify the consumer information labels needed to carry out your business.
You can get support on all issues related to consumer rights through the Direção-Geral do Consumidor (Directorate General for the Consumer).
During the company's life cycle, several situations may occur that require changes in its legal aspects.
For example, changing the name of your company may involve some measures, such as applying for a Certificate of Admissibility of the name, searching for possible names for the company, writing the deed and communicating changes to the Finance and Social Security services.
Similarly, changing the registered office, the company's activity, the articles of association or the bylaws requires a number of procedures.
See here more information and the available services that will help you.
Maintaining of a business project requires its managers to be attentive to the multiple and diverse movements in the market in which they operate. There are some tools and processes that can help you in the arduous task of staying informed about the various economic indicators and studies that are being published.
The consultation of these information tools, whether directly or indirectly related to the business in question, is unavoidable for those who want a successful business project.
There are many tools that can help an entrepreneur in the management of his/her business project, namely the various Indicators and Economic Studies published by regulators, public bodies and other entities, which make known the reality of the market, suggesting the latest trends and allowing to establish a strong business strategy. See here the management support.
Entities such as the European Central Bank, the Bank of Portugal, Euronext Lisbon, the Securities Market Commission and even Eurostat and the National Institute of Statistics, among many others, should be included in the "Favourites" list of a business manager.
The Gabinete de Estratégia e Estudos do Ministério da Economia (Office of Strategy and Studies of the Ministry of Economy) provide, on a daily basis, updated economic indicators, publications, studies and interactive maps that can help you in your business.
Benchmarking
Benchmarking is a method used by companies to improve their management, through continuous and systematic surveys, comparisons and analyses of practices, processes, products and services provided by other companies, usually recognized as representatives of best practices.
The process generates important information so that companies know different ways of dealing with similar situations and problems and, in this way, helps them improve their own work processes and determine best practices for a particular process or product.
Aware of the potential of benchmarking as a management support tool, IAPMEI provides entrepreneurs with a wide range of information on Benchmarking and Good Practices and through the Portuguese Benchmarking Index.
There are several means that companies can use as an expansion strategy. The most direct way is through export.
But keep in mind that business expansion depends on its life cycle stage. If the company has not yet reached certain standards to operate in foreign markets, it makes no sense to immediately start investing in the export of products or services. Exporting involves taking a greater risk.
Start with small steps:
- Use the Internet to advertise and communicate your business;
- Invest in your own website and use social media to market your products or services;
- Invest in good market research before developing a new product or service;
- Stay up to date on the key trends in your industry.
The challenge of expanding your business is to stay one step ahead of market changes, predict how customer needs will evolve or how innovative technologies will be integrated.
See more tips and guidelines on how to invest in the internationalization of your business and also on export documents.
Corporate Social Responsibility is the voluntary integration of good pratices - social, environmental, labour and economic - in their daily operations and in interaction with all stakeholders. It is a way of contributing to society in a positive way and managing the impacts of the company's activity in the environment in which it operates.
When making decisions, a socially responsible organization takes into account, the community and the environment in which it operates. Some argue that organisations, as an engine of economic, technological and human development, are only fully realised when they consider in their activities respect for human rights, investment in personal development, environmental protection, the fight against corruption, compliance with social standards and respect for the values and ethical principles of the society in which they operate.
Learn about initiatives to promote Social Responsibility.
If your company is having difficulty making payments, in a financial crisis or in an imminent insolvency situation, seek help to take corrective action before it is too late.
You can use the following tools to balance your company's finances:
- Carry out a financial self-diagnosis - a tool that allows a diagnosis of the economic and financial situation of the company.
- Contacting a Business Restructuring Broker (MRE) - allows you to obtain qualified technical assistance.
- Extrajudicial Company Recovery Scheme (RERE) - this is an extrajudicial process that allows companies to negotiate with their creditors, with the purpose of entering into a corporate restructuring agreement in order to make it viable and maintaining the activity.
- Special Revitalisation Process (PER) - this is a process in which negotiations will be held with the creditors of the company in crisis in order to agree on a plan for the restructuring of the company.
You can find information about:
- National business opportunities
- Business opportunities in the European Union
- International business opportunities
National business opportunities
If you want to keep up with national and sectorial business opportunities (for example, in the Defense Sector), check the website for Agência da Competitividade e Inovação and, within the scope of social economy, check the website for Cooperativa António Sérgio para a Economia social (CASES).
On the Portal Base, the public procurement portal, you will find centralised information on public procurement in Portugal. This is a virtual space where the elements related to the training and execution of public contracts are advertised, thus allowing their monitoring. The aim of this portal is to ensure greater rigour, transparency and competitiveness in public procurement and to contribute effectively to the rationalisation of spending and the reduction of bureaucracy in public procurement processes.
Business opportunities in the European Union
The Jacques Delors European Information Centre (CIEJD), through the "Business Opportunities in the EU" project, provides privileged information on the opening of tenders and other business opportunities launched by European Union (EU) institutions and bodies.
The Supplement to the Official Journal of the European Union, displays information on the public notices issued in the Member States of the European Union. See also the official websites of the EU institutions and bodies.
Enterprise Europe Network is the world's largest network supporting SMEs and startups with international ambitions.
Created by the European Commission, the Network currently has more than 600 partner entities in more than 60 countries, bringing together approximately 3,000 local experts.
In Portugal, the Enterprise Europe Network is formed by a group of public and private entities that are part of a consortium, EEN-PORTUGAL, led by IAPMEI.
The main goal of EEN-PORTUGAL is to help Portuguese companies, particularly small and medium-sized enterprises and startups, to become more innovative and competitive in international markets by providing them with strategic information and support services.
In a logic of integration of skills and under the principles of think small first (SME) and one stop shop, the 11 entities that constitute the EEN-PORTUGAL consortium are close partners with SMEs. Among the services made available to SMEs and their stakeholders, the following should be highlighted:
- organisation of brokerage events and business missions abroad;
- submission of cooperation opportunities for Portuguese companies in the European Commission's database (POD-Partnering Opportunities Database);
- facilitation of matching associated to expressions of interest from Portuguese companies on cooperation opportunities presented by foreign companies and expressions of interest received from foreign companies on cooperation opportunities presented by Portuguese companies;
- facilitation of cooperation agreements between Portuguese companies and foreign companies, both at the commercial, technological and research levels, including cooperation under the Horizon 2020 Programme.
To learn more access https://www.een-portugal.pt
International business opportunities
The Gabinete de Estudos e Relações Internacionais do Ministério das Finanças (GPEARI) provides Portuguese companies that export goods and services or are interested in investing in developing or transition countries with international business opportunities generated from multilateral or bilateral financing.
If you are a foreign entrepreneur interested in investing in Portugal, browse aicep Portugal Global at Invest in Portugal.
Complementary information on Business Opportunities | Portugal Exports
You can find information about:
Public support for investment and funding solutions for economic activity are structuring instruments in support of the business fabric, the importance of which is recognised by all.
Portal do Financiamento[Funding Portal]
The Portal do Financiamento [Funding Portal] allows companies to find, aggregated in a single place, several financing solutions with public support, directed in particular to SMEs, for the various phases of their activity and investment.
The information is structured according to the needs of the companies, their investment strategies (growth, expansion, export, capitalization, etc.), the business dimension or the sector of activity. The aim is to present the solutions, taking into account the investor profile and the characteristics of the business, as well as to identify the agents responsible for its operationalization.
The Portal do Financiamento [Financing Portal], available from the IAPMEI website, provides information on a wide range of solutions, such as Mutual Guarantee, Credit Insurance, Risk Capital, Business Angels, Co-Investment Funds, Real Estate Investment Funds, as well as tax incentives to investment and capitalization of companies.
Portal da competitividade [Competitiveness Portal]
The Portal da Competitividade [Competitiveness Portal], available from the Adc website, aims to facilitate companies and entrepreneurs in the search for investment support to strengthen productivity and national competitiveness.
It provides information on financial support, allowing access to application notices for Portugal 2020 and other EU funding opportunities, including information on business hosting infrastructures and technological infrastructures in Portugal, as well as national and international competitiveness support networks.
Regardless of the legal form of the business, it is important to close the accounts in the right way. Record every business transaction made by the company until the end and remember that you must keep all accounting records for 10 years.
The IRS (for natural persons) or the IRC (for legal persons) must cease in the Finance Department. You can do this through the online services of the Portal das Finanças (Finance Portal), by submitting the declaration of cessation of activity. Learn more about this service at:
- Cessation of activity manual – Portal das Finanças
- Manual for the submission of the cessation of activity by electronic means – Portal das Finaças
The Social Security services must communicate the termination of their activity and that of their employees. This communication must be made by the 10th day of the month following the closure of the company.
Also check that you have to report the closure of your economic activity. Search your area of activity in ePortugal and consult the available services to communicate the closure of activities to the competent authorities.
The dissolution of a company is a change in the legal situation that is characterized by its entry into liquidation. In this sense, the legal personality of the company shall be retained until the closure of the liquidation.
The first phase of the company's dissolution consists in the marking of the public deed in a Notary's Office, which is only necessary in cases where there are real estate assets. In other situations, the deed is waivered and it is only mandatory to submit the minutes of the resolution of dissolution by the General Meeting of Shareholders, which prove the approval by a qualified majority of the share capital and in which the company's representatives are appointed.
The company goes into liquidation as soon as the deed of dissolution has been executed.
In the following 15 days, the entrepreneurs must proceed with the changes in the Finance services and, in the following ten days, the partners must communicate these changes to the Social Security.
Subsequently, the entrepreneurs still have a period of two months to make the Commercial Registry of the Dissolution, with a liquidation period of two years extendable by one more, upon decision of the partners.
At the end of the proceedings, minutes should be drawn up of the closure of the liquidation and approval of the accounts. The sharing of immovable property requires a public deed and the respective registry must be requested from the respective Land Registry Office.
At this time, it is necessary to proceed with the Commercial Registry of the Closing of the Liquidation, for which the entrepreneurs need a minutes of approval of accounts. Afterwards, the partners must declare the cessation of activities to the Finance and Social Security services.
The first stage of the bankruptcy procedure is to assess the economic situation of the company. On the one hand, it may be insolvent, i.e. it may be unable to meet some of its obligations due to lack of financial means and access to credit, i.e. its assets are insufficient to meet its liabilities. On the other hand, the company may be going through a period of financial difficulties that prevent it from complying with its obligations.
Bankruptcy proceedings can be filed by the company itself 60 days after it has failed to comply with at least one relevant obligation that would render it unable to resolve the generality of its duties.
In addition to the company, creditors can also initiate bankruptcy proceedings against a company that is economically unable to solve its financial problems, in the event of its owners fleeing or leaving the business registered office, or in a situation of dissipation or loss of assets. Also, for all the above reasons, the Public Prosecutor's Office may open bankruptcy proceedings against a company.
The court for the situation of the establishment where the company has its registered office or carries out its main activity shall be the one responsible for the bankruptcy proceedings. However, where there is none, the competent court shall be that of the domicile or registered office of the debtor businessman.
In order for the bankruptcy proceeding to proceed, a written petition must be filed. This is followed by the phases of service, opposition, in which all those serviced have ten days to lodge an opposition or justify their claims, the order to proceed with the action, trial, sentence and, finally, opposition by stays of execution.
Once declared bankrupt by judgment, the liquidator may liquidate the assets within a period of six months.
What steps need to be taken to achieve the objectives is one of the questions that business planning can help answer, reducing risks and uncertainties to a minimum.
At this stage, the future entrepreneur should seek to know in detail the market to be explored, the products or services to be marketed, the competition, the prices charged and the business strategies in order to transform their ideas into a sustainable and profitable business.
Where to start? We'll help. Click here for more information.
You can find information about:
Public support for investment and funding solutions for economic activity are structuring instruments in support of the business fabric, the importance of which is recognised by all.
Portal do Financiamento[Funding Portal]
The Portal do Financiamento [Funding Portal] allows companies to find, aggregated in a single place, several financing solutions with public support, directed in particular to SMEs, for the various phases of their activity and investment.
The information is structured according to the needs of the companies, their investment strategies (growth, expansion, export, capitalization, etc.), the business dimension or the sector of activity. The aim is to present the solutions, taking into account the investor profile and the characteristics of the business, as well as to identify the agents responsible for its operationalization.
The Portal do Financiamento [Financing Portal], available from the IAPMEI website, provides information on a wide range of solutions, such as Mutual Guarantee, Credit Insurance, Risk Capital, Business Angels, Co-Investment Funds, Real Estate Investment Funds, as well as tax incentives to investment and capitalization of companies.
Portal da competitividade [Competitiveness Portal]
The Portal da Competitividade [Competitiveness Portal], available from the Adc website, aims to facilitate companies and entrepreneurs in the search for investment support to strengthen productivity and national competitiveness.
It provides information on financial support, allowing access to application notices for Portugal 2020 and other EU funding opportunities, including information on business hosting infrastructures and technological infrastructures in Portugal, as well as national and international competitiveness support networks.
You can find information about:
When it comes to the financing the investment needed to set up your business, one of the main problems is where to get it, especially for those who do not have equity.
Here, the future entrepreneur can obtain information on financing and support for setting up his/her own business:
- Financing for SMEs, IAPMEI
- Technical Support for the Creation and Consolidation of Projects, IEFP
- Support for Business Creation, IEFP
- Support for Self-Employment Creation, IEFP
- Investe Jovem, IEFP
Financing
Venture Capital and Business Angels
Venture Capital is a form of financing, through recourse to equity capital, for a temporary period, providing companies with stable financial means for the development of their growth strategies. Applicable to start-up projects, expansion, modernization and business innovation with a strategic dimension.
The Business Angel (BA) is an individual investor who invests a small portion of his wealth or savings in projects led by a strong team of entrepreneurs. BAs typically invest in innovative startups with accelerated growth potential.
For more information see:
- Financing Solutions with Public Support, IAPMEI, IP (Listing of Financing Solutions being updated)
- How venture capital works, Associação Portuguesa de Capital de Risco
Provides information, opportunity and resources to support start-ups or future start-ups.
Click here for more information.
Its aim is to stimulate the development of business projects by young people between the ages of 18 and 35 that are in the idea phase, through various support instruments made available over a period of up to 12 months of preparation of the business project.
See more information in StartUp Voucher, IAPMEI.
Tools
Financial institutions - a tool that allows you to search for the most suitable financing possibilities for your company, from the Your Europe website.
Support for the creation of cooperatives - the coopjovem is a programme to support cooperative entrepreneurship. It is aimed at supporting young people in the development of a business idea, facilitating the creation of self-employment.
Youth Associations - In the IPDJ, IP portal you will find several relevant information:
You can find information about:
Opening the company alone or as a partnership? In order to answer this question, the future entrepreneur must first of all know the characteristics and implications of each of the legal forms:
Individual Companies
- Individual Entrepreneur
- Individual Limited Liability Establishment
- Sole proprietorship by shares
Collective Companies
- General Partnership
- Private Limited Company
- Public Limited Company
- Limited partnership
- Cooperative
- Association
You can find information about:
- Registering the business online
- Registering at Empresa na Hora
- Registering the business in a traditional way
- Steps for creation of a cooperative
- Steps for the creation of an association
- Make changes in the business
Through ePortugal, the future entrepreneur can set up a private limited, single-person or joint-stock company online and, with the Empresa na Hora you can carry out the process in less than an hour, in one of the service desks in the country, in Espaços Empresa or in the Commercial Registry Offices.
Also, take the opportunity to browse ePortugal, the single point of contact for the performance of public services associated with the exercise of an economic activity.
Registering the business online
Empresa Online allows the creation of sole proprietorships by shares, quotas and public limited companies, using a digital certificate, such as the Citizen Card. Afterwards, you will be able to follow online your company's creation process through the Dossier Eletrónico da Empresa.
Companies whose capital is paid up using contributions in kind, i.e., where the shareholders' contributions to the share capital are not made in cash, cannot be incorporated through the Online Company
If you need help during the process of setting up the company through the Empresa Online, you can consult the Frequently Asked Questions available on the ePortugal portal.
Registering at Empresa na Hora
At the desks of Empresa na Hora, it is possible to set up a sole proprietorships by shares, quotas and public limited companies, and the partners only have to hold all the necessary documents. In just under an hour, it is possible to follow up all the procedures necessary to incorporate a company in a single desk.
Registering the business in a traditional way
The creation of the company through this method implies a series of steps in different Entities and at different times, such as: the application for the Certificate of Admissibility, the deposit of the company's share capital, the preparation of the memorandum or articles of association, the submission of the statement of beginning of activity, the commercial registry and the registry with the Social Security.
Find a Commercial Registry Office
Steps for creation of a cooperative
Register an Cooperativa na Hora
Steps for the creation of an association
Steps for the creation of an association
Make changes in the business
If at any time you need to move your company's registered office, change its activity or change its by-laws, online services and information are available to help you.
For entrepreneurs looking for successfully tested businesses with more limited risks and with technical and administrative support in day-to-day management, franchising can be a good option.
Franchising is a business model that works in partnership. It allows a company with an experienced business format to assign to third parties, in exchange for financial compensation, the right to exploit its products or services, to use its trademark and also to implement its management methods.
Learn about business opportunities and franchisee experiences in Associação Portuguesa de Franchising (Portuguese Franchising Association).
Finding a store, an office or a warehouse is a fundamental task in the process of creating any company.
The ideal location depends on factors such as the area needed for the business, the target market, the financial capacity of the entrepreneur and the availability of space in the intended area.
Depending on these factors, the options are to buy, lease, build the company’s facilities from scratch or use available space in the community.
Below you will find a set of options:
- AICEP Globalparques
- Zonas Empresariais Responsáveis (ZER) (Responsible Business Areas)
- Renting spaces - Câmara do Comércio e Indústria (Chamber of Commerce and Industry)
- Virtual offices - Câmara do Comércio e Indústria (Chamber of Commerce and Industry)
- ANJE incubation centres
- ANJE virtual incubation centres
- Space4U - Co Work Solidário (Space4U – Solidary Co Work)
- Other coworking spaces
- Tip: consult also the desired municipal authorities for information on business incubator in that region.
When the entrepreneur decides to start the activity, will have to deal with a set of formalities. Depending on the activity chosen, there are requirements to be met in order to be authorised to carry out the activity.
What do I have to do? Where should I go? What documents should I submit? How much will it cost? How long will it take? These are some of the questions you will be facing at this stage.
Here you will find a diversified set of services to support economic activity that provide the answers you are looking for. You can start by doing simulations to learn the general and specific requirements of economic activity.
- Carry out simulations
- Obtain authorizations and licenses
- Submit your statement of beginning of activity online – Portal das Finanças
- Register legal persons in Social Security
See more information:
- Manual of Beginning of Activity, Portal das Finanças.
- Exemption and reduction of the payment of contributions, Instituto da Segurança Social.
- Payment of social contributions - rights, duties and penalties, Instituto da Segurança Social.
You can find information about:
Taxes and Fees
From the moment they are incorporated until their extinction, companies are subject to tax obligations, namely the Corporate Income Tax (IRC), the Value Added Tax (VAT), Customs Duties, among others.
To find out what your company's tax obligations are, you can carry out a simulation here.
The Portal das Finanças (Finance Portal) seeks to facilitate the relationship between the State and companies in tax matters, while also allowing the electronic payment of major taxes.
Compliance with tax obligations online
Portal da Autoridade Tributária (Tax Authority Portal) has the services such as e-Fatura (e-Invoice), VAT, IRC, customs services, consultation of the tax situation, eTaxFree, among others.
Find out more about paying VAT in the EU.
Social Contributions
When companies are incorporated, they are obliged to register with the Social Security and to register workers who start their activity at their service.
In its management component, employers are responsible:
- For the payment of contributions due to the social security system and for the payment of contributions due from employees at their service. In this sense, it is up to the employer to deduct the value of these contributions from the remuneration paid to the employees.
- For the monthly delivery of the value of social security contributions in the period from the 1st to the 15th day of the month following the month to which they relate.
The payment of contributions can be made in banking institutions, social security treasuries or by mail and the Table of Contributory Rates can be consulted online.
The submission of remuneration statements is made through a single access channel - Monthly Remuneration Statement (DMR) - which allows employers to submit, at the same time, the Remuneration Statements to the Social Security and the Monthly Remuneration Statement to the Tax and Customs Authority.
The Social Security also has information and services for:
To check your company's social security obligations, you can carry out a simulation here.
Occupational Safety and Health
Every company has the obligation to comply with a set of rules of hygiene, health and safety of workers and facilities, preventing occupational diseases or accidents at work.
To check your company's obligations in relation to working conditions, you can carry out a simulation here.
- Mandatory displays
- Occupational Safety and Health Mandatory Communications and Authorizations
- Perform diagnosis of working conditions
- Comply with self-protection measures
Related Links
You can find information about:
- Recruitment and selection of workers
- Compliance with Social Security obligations
- Support and incentives for hiring
- Workplace accident insurance
- Related links
Hiring workers is a decision that has an impact on your business: you need to find the right people, comply with and respect the laws and consider the fixed monthly cost that hiring will entail.
Recruitment and selection of workers
You can use a recruitment company that will help you with all these issues. But if you're still starting your business or don't have the necessary capital for this type of investment, the Instituto do Emprego e Formação Profissional (Employment and Vocational Training Institute) offers free recruitment and selection services to meet the companies’ needs.
If you do not find the profile you are looking for or if there is a shortage of domestic labour in your sector of activity, find out how to find workers in other countries and how to recruit from abroad.
Compliance with Social Security obligations
After the employee recruitment phase, the company must register its employees with the Social Security. Monthly, it is responsible for the payment of social security contributions and for deducting this amount from the remuneration paid to employees.
Support and incentives for hiring
The IEFP has several supports and incentives in which it is possible to request the exemption or reduction of the payment of the contribution rate, for example, by hiring long-term unemployed or young people looking for their first job.
Workplace accident insurance
It is compulsory to take out occupational accident insurance to protect workers during their professional activity and during their daily commute to work. Contact your insurance intermediary or, in case of doubt, request information from the Autoridade de Supervisão de Seguros e Fundos de Pensões (Insurances and Pension Funds Supervision Authority).
Related links
- Comissão para a igualdade no trabalho e no emprego (Committee for Equality in Work and Employment) - explores issues of employers' rights and duties and good practices on equality in work and employment, among others.
- Support for hiring people with disabilities
In the management of human resources, in addition to contractual and labour rights issues, the training, certification and retraining of professionals must be taken into account.
The qualification of human resources is one of the greatest guarantees of business success. It is also important to keep workers motivated, trained and geared to their needs.
Vocational training
Companies should systematically diagnose the training needs of their employees in order to detect possible shortcomings at individual or collective level, which may be of a technical, aptitude or behavioural nature.
Upon the final diagnosis, they shall draw up training plans, identifying the specific objectives, the competences to be acquired and the appropriate profiles of the trainees per course. Timing is an important factor, as it must be articulated with work activity.
Professional certification
Professional certification means the issue of a certificate attesting to compliance with the educational and other requirements of each profession or, in the case of attendance at and completion of training courses, attesting to professional skills or the equivalent of professional qualifications.
Learn more about recognition of professional qualifications.
Formative offer
The Instituto de Emprego e Formação Profissional (Employment and Vocational Training Institute) develops and promotes the following vocational training courses:
- Modular formations that can be designed together with the company;
- Adult Education and Training Courses (EFA);
- Certification of competences (RVCC);
- Portuguese for everyone, in case your company recruits foreign workers, this program increases the ability to understand and express the Portuguese language and knowledge of basic citizenship rights;
- Pedagogical Training of Tutors (FPT) for people who in the company ensure the training process in a work context, generically, technicians and experienced professionals in a profession or function.
See also the training promoted by the Câmara do Comércio (Chamber of Commerce) that seeks to respond to the training needs of various areas within companies.
Also keep in mind that training and updating the entrepreneur's knowledge and skills are critical to business success.
See the proposals:
- Academia PME, IAPMEI
- Formexport, aicep Portugal Global
- Training, Instituto Português da Qualidade (Portuguese Institute of Quality)
You can find information about:
Intellectual Property includes Industrial Property, Copyright and Related Rights and grants the right to the exclusive use of the respective technical, commercial and industrial information. Industrial Property aims to protect inventions, aesthetic creations (design) and signs used to distinguish products and companies in the market; while the Copyright Law aims to protect literary and artistic works.
Searches
- Search for trademarks (by name, phonetics, by process number, by owner, by product or service and by non-conventional trademarks)
- Search brands by images
- Search for a patent (by process number, by entity or owner, by title and by abstract content)
- Search design (by process number, by entity or owner, by title and by abstract content)
- Search design by images
Registries
- Register a trademark (trademarks, logos, collective association or certification marks, designations of origin, geographical indications and rewards)
- Register a patent (patents, provisional patent applications and utility models)
- Register a design (drawings or models)
- Make multiple registries - for professionals/companies
- Access services for copyright management
Related links
- Instituto Nacional de Propriedade Industrial (National Industrial Property Institute)
- Sociedade Portuguesa de Autores (Portuguese Society of Authors)
- Selling Products in the EU
You can find information about:
The implementation of a standardized management system constitutes an added value for any company, by establishing a Policy and Strategic Objectives, involving the entire organization in the satisfaction of its customers and other identified stakeholders, in accordance with the guiding requirements of the adopted reference standard.
The certification of this management system will provide the desired public recognition of its effective operation, providing an added value to the credibility of the certified entity and a potential competitive advantage, when applicable.
Specifically, the operationalization of a QMS, e.g., is a strategic decision of the company that aims to provide recognition and satisfaction of customers, improvement of image, access to new markets, reduction of operating costs through improved operational performance and a new culture with awareness and motivation of employees.
For a company to obtain certification it is necessary the formal recognition by a certification body, an independent and accredited external entity, that this company has an implemented management system that follows the standards explained.
- Directory of entities accredited to make certifications, Instituto Português da Acreditação [Portuguese Accreditation Institute
- SPQ – Portuguese Quality System, Instituto Português da Qualidade [Portuguese Quality Institute]
- Standardization - Portuguese Quality Institute/National Standardisation Body
- Partner Entities/ Sectoral Standardization Bodies/ List of ONS (Entities/Institutes/Associations of recognized technical/scientific competence, in specific areas) - Portuguese Quality Institute
- Catalogue of national, European and international standards - Portuguese Quality Institute / Standardisation
The SME Leader status is a seal of reputation associated with solidity and economic-financial performance that allows distinguished companies to relate to their surroundings - suppliers, customers, the financial system and national and regional authorities - on a basis of trust that facilitates the development of their business. At the international level, this recognition constitutes a factor of differentiation and a guarantee of the solidity and suitability of companies.
The SME Excellence status is awarded to SME Leaders that present higher performance levels, creating increased visibility conditions for these companies.
The Certificação PME (SMB Certification) is a service that, by electronic means only, certifies the fulfillment of the criteria of micro, small and medium-sized companies by national businesses.
It is aimed at micro, small and medium-sized companies that want to prove that they have the respective position, and to entities of the Public Administration, or registered with it, that are required to demand proof of the PME statutes for the purposes of administrative procedures (attribution of funds or other forms of positive discrimination to these companies).
Saiba mais sobre Certificação PME, IAPMEI.
The products and services that businesses offer or provide must be safe and meet the purposes for which they are intended, comply with legally established standards and the quality described must reasonably meet consumer expectations.
Information for consumers shall be presented in a clear and comprehensible manner.
Consumers have the right to make a complaint if they are not satisfied with the product or service.
Find out what you need to do to ensure your company's compliance with consumer law.
- Consumer rights
- Guarantees for consumers
- Consumer contracts
- Defective products
- Dispute resolution with customers
- Data protection
- Consumer legislation
Through the “Comunicar ao Consumidor” platform identify the consumer information labels needed to carry out your business.
You can get support on all issues related to consumer rights through the Direção-Geral do Consumidor (Directorate General for the Consumer).
During the company's life cycle, several situations may occur that require changes in its legal aspects.
For example, changing the name of your company may involve some measures, such as applying for a Certificate of Admissibility of the name, searching for possible names for the company, writing the deed and communicating changes to the Finance and Social Security services.
Similarly, changing the registered office, the company's activity, the articles of association or the bylaws requires a number of procedures.
See here more information and the available services that will help you.
Maintaining a business project requires its managers to be attentive to the multiple and diverse movements in the market in which they operate. There are some tools and processes that can help you in the arduous task of staying informed about the various economic indicators and studies that are being published.
The consultation of these information tools, whether directly or indirectly related to the business in question, is unavoidable for those who want a successful business project.
There are many tools that can help an entrepreneur in the management of his/her business project, namely the various Indicators and Economic Studies published by regulators, public bodies and other entities, which make known the reality of the market, suggesting the latest trends and allowing to establish a strong business strategy. See here the management support.
Entities such as the European Central Bank, the Bank of Portugal, Euronext Lisbon, the Securities Market Commission and even Eurostat and the National Institute of Statistics, among many others, should be included in the "Favourites" list of a business manager.
The Gabinete de Estratégia e Estudos do Ministério da Economia (Office of Strategy and Studies of the Ministry of Economy) provide, on a daily basis, updated economic indicators, publications, studies and interactive maps that can help you in your business.
Benchmarking
Benchmarking is a method used by companies to improve their management, through continuous and systematic surveys, comparisons and analyses of practices, processes, products and services provided by other companies, usually recognized as representatives of best practices.
The process generates important information so that companies know different ways of dealing with similar situations and problems and, in this way, helps them improve their own work processes and determine best practices for a particular process or product.
Aware of the potential of benchmarking as a management support tool, IAPMEI provides entrepreneurs with a wide range of information on Benchmarking and Good Practices and through the Portuguese Benchmarking Index.
There are several means that companies can use as an expansion strategy. The most direct way is through export.
But keep in mind that business expansion depends on its life cycle stage. If the company has not yet reached certain standards to operate in foreign markets, it makes no sense to immediately start investing in the export of products or services. Exporting involves taking a greater risk.
Start with small steps:
- Use the Internet to advertise and communicate your business;
- Invest in your own website and use social media to market your products or services;
- Invest in good market research before developing a new product or service;
- Stay up to date on the key trends in your industry.
The challenge of expanding your business is to stay one step ahead of market changes, predict how customer needs will evolve or how innovative technologies will be integrated.
See more tips and guidelines on how to invest in the internationalization of your business and also on export documents.
Consulte mais dicas e orientações sobre como apostar na internacionalização do seu negócio e também sobre documentos de exportação.
Corporate Social Responsibility is the voluntary integration of good practices - social, environmental, labour and economic - in their daily operations and in interaction with all stakeholders. It is a way of contributing to society in a positive way and managing the impacts of the company's activity in the environment in which it operates.
When making decisions, a socially responsible organization takes into account, the community and the environment in which it operates. Some argue that organisations, as an engine of economic, technological and human development, are only fully realised when they consider in their activities respect for human rights, investment in personal development, environmental protection, the fight against corruption, compliance with social standards and respect for the values and ethical principles of the society in which they operate.
Learn about initiatives to promote Social Responsibility.
If your company is having difficulty making payments, in a financial crisis or in an imminent insolvency situation, seek help to take corrective action before it is too late.
You can use the following tools to balance your company's finances:
- Carry out a financial self-diagnosis - a tool that allows a diagnosis of the economic and financial situation of the company.
- Contacting a Business Restructuring Broker (MRE) - allows you to obtain qualified technical assistance.
- Extrajudicial Company Recovery Scheme (RERE) - this is an extrajudicial process that allows companies to negotiate with their creditors, with the purpose of entering into a corporate restructuring agreement in order to make it viable and maintaining the activity .
- Special Revitalisation Process (PER) - this is a process in which negotiations will be held with the creditors of the company in crisis in order to agree on a plan for the restructuring of the company.
You can find information about:
- National business opportunities
- Business opportunities in the European Union
- International business opportunities
National business opportunities
If you want to be aware of national business opportunities, consult the websites of the Agência para a Competitividade e Inovação (Agency for Competitiveness and Innovation) and the António Sérgio Cooperative for the Social Economy (CASES).
On the Portal Base, the public procurement portal, you will find centralised information on public procurement in Portugal. This is a virtual space where the elements related to the training and execution of public contracts are advertised, thus allowing their monitoring. The aim of this portal is to ensure greater rigour, transparency and competitiveness in public procurement and to contribute effectively to the rationalisation of spending and the reduction of bureaucracy in public procurement processes.
Business opportunities in the European Union
The Jacques Delors European Information Centre (CIEJD), through the "Business Opportunities in the EU" project, provides privileged information on the opening of tenders and other business opportunities launched by European Union (EU) institutions and bodies.
The Supplement to the Official Journal of the European Union displays information on the public notices issued in the Member States of the European Union. See also the official websites of the EU institutions and bodies.
International business opportunities
The Gabinete de Estudos e Relações Internacionais do Ministério das Finanças (GPEARI) provides Portuguese companies that export goods and services or are interested in investing in developing or transition countries with international business opportunities generated from multilateral or bilateral financing.
If you are a foreign entrepreneur interested in investing in Portugal, browse aicep Portugal Global at Invest in Portugal.
Complementary information on Business Opportunities | Portugal Exports
You can find information about:
Public support for investment and funding solutions for economic activity are structuring instruments in support of the business fabric, the importance of which is recognised by all.
Portal do Financiamento[Funding Portal]
The Portal do Financiamento [Funding Portal] allows companies to find, aggregated in a single place, several financing solutions with public support, directed in particular to SMEs, for the various phases of their activity and investment.
The information is structured according to the needs of the companies, their investment strategies (growth, expansion, export, capitalization, etc.), the business dimension or the sector of activity. The aim is to present the solutions, taking into account the investor profile and the characteristics of the business, as well as to identify the agents responsible for its operationalization.
The Portal do Financiamento [Financing Portal], available from the IAPMEI website, provides information on a wide range of solutions, such as Mutual Guarantee, Credit Insurance, Risk Capital, Business Angels, Co-Investment Funds, Real Estate Investment Funds, as well as tax incentives to investment and capitalization of companies.
Portal da competitividade [Competitiveness Portal]
The Portal da Competitividade [Competitiveness Portal], available from the Adc website, aims to facilitate companies and entrepreneurs in the search for investment support to strengthen productivity and national competitiveness.
It provides information on financial support, allowing access to application notices for Portugal 2020 and other EU funding opportunities, including information on business hosting infrastructures and technological infrastructures in Portugal, as well as national and international competitiveness support networks.
Regardless of the legal form of the business, it is important to close the accounts in the right way. Record every business transaction the company makes until the end and remember that you must keep all accounting records for 10 years.
The IRS (for natural persons) or the IRC (for legal persons) must cease in the Finance Department. You can do this through the online services of the Portal das Finanças [Finance Portal], by submitting the declaration of cessation of activity. Learn more about this service at:
- Cessation of activity manual – Portal das Finanças
- Manual for the submission of the cessation of activity by electronic means – Portal das Finaças
The Social Security services must communicate the termination of their activity and that of their employees. This communication must be made by the 10th day of the month following the closure of the company.
Also check that you have to report the closure of your economic activity. Search your area of activity in ePortugal and consult the available services to communicate the closure of activities to the competent authorities.
The dissolution of a company is a change in the legal situation that is characterized by its entry into liquidation. In this sense, the legal personality of the company shall be retained until the closure of the liquidation.
The first phase of the company's dissolution consists in the marking of the public deed in a Notary's Office, necessary only in cases where there are real estate assets. In other situations, the deed is waivered and it is only mandatory to submit the minutes of the resolution of dissolution by the General Meeting of Shareholders, which prove the approval by a qualified majority of the share capital and in which the company's representatives are appointed.
The company goes into liquidation as soon as the deed of dissolution has been executed.
In the following 15 days, the entrepreneurs must proceed with the changes in the Finance services and, in the following ten days, the partners must communicate these changes to the Social Security.
Subsequently, the entrepreneurs still have a period of two months to make the Commercial Registry of the Dissolution, with a liquidation period of two years extendable by one more, upon decision of the partners.
At the end of the proceedings, minutes should be drawn up of the closure of the liquidation and approval of the accounts. The sharing of immovable property requires a public deed and the respective registry must be requested from the respective Land Registry Office.
At this time, it is necessary to proceed with the Commercial Registry of the Closing of the Liquidation, for which the entrepreneurs need a minutes of approval of accounts. Afterwards, the partners must declare the cessation of activities to the Finance and Social Security services.
The first stage of the bankruptcy procedure is to assess the economic situation of the company. On the one hand, it may be insolvent, i.e. it may be unable to meet some of its obligations due to lack of financial means and access to credit, i.e. its assets are insufficient to meet its liabilities. On the other hand, the company may be going through a period of financial difficulties that prevent it from complying with its obligations.
Bankruptcy proceedings can be filed by the company itself 60 days after it has failed to comply with at least one relevant obligation that would render it unable to resolve the generality of its duties.
In addition to the company, creditors can also initiate bankruptcy proceedings against a company that is economically unable to solve its financial problems, in the event of its owners fleeing or leaving the business registered office, or in a situation of dissipation or loss of assets. Also, for all the above reasons, the Public Prosecutor's Office may open bankruptcy proceedings against a company.
The court for the situation of the establishment where the company has its registered office or carries out its main activity shall be the one responsible for the bankruptcy proceedings. However, where there is none, the competent court shall be that of the domicile or registered office of the debtor businessman.
In order for the bankruptcy proceeding to proceed, a written petition must be filed. This is followed by the phases of service, opposition, in which all those serviced have ten days to lodge an opposition or justify their claims, the order to proceed with the action, trial, sentence and, finally, opposition by stays of execution.
Once declared bankrupt by judgment, the liquidator may liquidate the assets within a period of six months.