The Vouchers for Startups program, launched in November 2022 with €90 million from the Recovery and Resilience Plan (RRP), is under investigation for potential fraud. Startup Portugal identified several suspicious cases where applicants may have tried to fraudulently secure public funds and reported these to IAPMEI.
The authorities are now reviewing these cases, with legal procedures underway. While the number of suspects and the amounts involved remain undisclosed, the program has only approved 21% of the 5,000 applications received by February, awarding €31.5 million in incentives. Many applications were rejected for lacking the required "green component"—a focus on energy efficiency or pollution reduction.
The government has proposed scaling back the program, reducing its goals from supporting 8,600 businesses to 5,600 due to slow progress and complaints from applicants. This change is expected to cut the program’s financial impact by €50 million.
Related News