FRAMEWORK

At the heart of the vision for Europe is the goal of leadership in technology, innovation and economic competitiveness, which is why the development of strategies linked to Research and Innovation has been increasingly evident, favouring the same smart specialisation within territories' competences and opportunities framework.

In Portugal, Innovation and Competitiveness increasingly arise from interactions between economic and non-economic agents, where infrastructures, resources and skills are brought together to develop new solutions in national and international demand.

Centres for Technology and Innovation (CTIs) are Portuguese Research and Technology Organisations (RTOs) dedicated to the production, dissemination and transmission of knowledge, aimed at companies and economic value creation, contributing to the pursuit of public policy objectives, within the framework of priority specialisation areas, whether national or of the regions in which they operate.

See the 2023 CTI Annual Report:

RECOGNITION PROCESS

With a view to reinforcing these strategies and the importance of these intermediary organisations, the opportunity to broaden and consolidate the Interface Institutions Network was identified as one of the most relevant reforms, which presupposed the review and standardisation of the legislative and regulatory framework of the entities that make up the Technological Interface System.

This opportunity falls under the Recovery and Resilience Programme (RRP), more specifically under component C5 - Investment and Innovation, where a new recognition of entities such as Technology and Innovation Centres is proposed.

In accordance with Decree-Law no. 126-B/2021, of December 31^st, the legal regime for Centres for Technology and Innovation (CTIs) is established, a designation that intends to consolidate these previously identified and supported organisations, acknowledging their strategic value for the country, as well as establishing a series of assumptions such as recognition, monitoring and financing.

Complementary to the above mentioned Decree-Law, Ministerial Order no. 53/2022 was issued on January 24^th, establishing the procedures and conditions for the submission of applications for recognition as a Centre for Technology and Innovation (CTI).

Once the legal and regulatory framework is completed, it is important to proceed with the call for tenders for the recognition of entities as CTIs, for the purposes of future granting of public core funding, aiming, with this document, to clarify fundamental elements in such application procedure.

Thus, the National Innovation Agency, S. A. (ANI, S. A.), through the last notice of application, made public that the tender procedure for recognition as a center of technology and innovation (CTI) was open.

The recognition process is now finished.

RELATED DOCUMENTS

• Recovery and Resilience Plan

Legislation

• Decree Law No. 126-B/2021, December 31 - Establishes the legal regime for Centres for Technology and Innovation and complements the legal regime for Collaborative Laboratories
• Council of Ministers Resolution No. 186/2021, December 29 - Approves the public investment program in research and development for 2021-2030
• Decree-Law No. 63/2019, May 16 - Establishes the legal regime for institutions engaged in scientific research and development
• Regulation (EU) 2021/241 of the European Parliament and of the Council, February 12, 2021 - Creates the Recovery and Resilience Mechanism
• European Commission Communication 2021/C58/01 - Technical guidance on the application of the "no significant harm" principle under the Regulation establishing a Recovery and Resilience Mechanism
• European Commission Communication (2014/C198/01), 27 June, replaced by Commission Communication 2022/C 414/01, 28 October - Framework for State aid for research, development and innovation
• Commission Regulation (EU) 651/2014 - General Block Exemption Regulation (GBER)
• C(2023) 1712 final ANNEX - Annex to the Communication from the Commission approving the contents of the draft Commission Regulation amending Regulation (EU) No 651/2014

Recognition Process

• Order No. 53/2022, January 24 - Establishes the procedures and conditions for submitting applications for recognition as a Centre for Technology and Innovation 
• Dispatch no. 12688/2022, November 2 - Complete list of entities recognized as Technology and Innovation Centers
• Notice of presentation of applications for recognition as a CTI
• Application and Evaluation Support Guide
• FAQ - Related to the process of recognition as a CTI
  

Funding

• 3rd Republication of Notice No. 03/C05-i02/2022: Call for "Expressions of Interest" by CTIs to the RRP core funding program
• 2nd Republication of Notice No. 03/C05-i02/2022: Call for CTIs to submit "Expressions of Interest" for the RRP core funding program
• 1st Republication of Notice No. 03/C05-i02/2022: Call for CTIs to submit "Expressions of Interest" for the RRP core funding program
• Notice No. 03/C05-i02/2022: Call for CTIs to submit "Expressions of Interest" for the RRP core funding program

Project Implementation

• FAQ - Referring to Notice No. 03/C05-I02/2022
• Mission Interface Platform User Guide
• Guide for the completion of KPI
• Agreed Records Report - Mission Interface
• Mission Interface's Technical and Financial Execution Manual - V1 (05-07-2023)
• Mission Interface's Technical and Financial Execution Manual - V2 (16-01-2024)
• Prevention and management of the risk of double funding - Final Beneficiaries of the Interface Mission
• Fraud risk prevention and management - Final Beneficiaries of the Interface Mission

Communication

• Communication Guide for the Final Beneficiaries of the Interface Mission
• Centre fo Technology and Innovation logo and standards manual
• Mission Interface's logo and standards manual
• ANI's logo and standards manual