7th Edition of the Promove Program supports 33 new projects to enhance the Interior

The 7th edition of Promove – The Future of the Interior, a program run by the ”la Caixa” Foundation, in partnership with the Foundation for Science and Technology (FCT) and in collaboration with BPI, awarded non-repayable grants totaling €6.4 million to a total of 33 projects and 20 innovative ideas, aimed at boosting the sustainable development of inland regions of Portugal.

The list of winners for the 2025 edition, which received a total of 125 applications, includes 14 mobilizing Research and Development (R&D) projects, 19 pilot projects, and 20 innovative ideas.

The projects supported are spread across the regions of Centro (13), Alentejo (13), Norte (6), and Algarve (1). Among the winners are, for example, projects that use Artificial Intelligence (AI) to create a multilingual digital archive documenting the stories of migrants and refugees; projects that promote natural and cultural heritage, such as the water mills of Guadiana; projects that promote products or by-products, such as the use of olive pomace to increase the climate resilience of cereals or facilitate wastewater management.

In this 7th edition, FCT contributed €1.3 million exclusively for the promotion of R&D projects that contribute to the development of inland regions, based on knowledge and innovation with a view to enhancing local resources and skills and strengthening qualified human resources.

Over seven editions, the Promove Program has mobilized more than €23.4 million in total investment (more than €6.3 million from FCT) to support the development of inland Portugal. Since 2019, 132 projects and 47 innovative ideas have been supported.

Read the summaries of the winning projects from the 7th edition of the Promove Programand learn about the ideas that contribute to the enhancement of the interior.

Applications for the 8th edition of the Promove Program will open on November 25, 2025, and will run until January 29, 2026.