Apoiar Mais Programme
A funding line for social-impact projects aligned with Santa Casa’s statutory aims.
The Apoiar Mais Programme is a financial support line of Santa Casa da Misericórdia de Lisboa aimed at supporting projects with positive social impact, aligned with SCML's statutory aims, through a structured process of application, assessment, decision and contracting, grounded in criteria of transparency, rigour and a focus on results.
With Apoiar Mais, Santa Casa da Misericórdia de Lisboa reinforces its social commitment, contributing (even) more actively to a society that is More dignified, More inclusive and More advanced.
A society built in the present, with an eye on the future.
Applications closed
About Apoiar Mais
With Apoiar Mais, Santa Casa is taking a new step in the way it supports the community, taking on a more strategic, close and results-oriented approach.
This model comes from the wish to go further on social impact, strengthening Santa Casa's ability to stay closer to those in need, to support more effective responses and to contribute consistently to social transformation.
By structuring and clarifying the criteria, processes and objectives for awarding support, SCML aims to enhance the value generated by each supported project.
Apoiar Mais reflects an evolution from traditional support to a logic of strategic philanthropy, prioritising:
- alignment with clear social priorities;
- closeness to the organisations on the ground;
- transparency, rigour and fairness in decision-making;
- results monitoring and continuous learning.
Apoiar Mais reinforces Santa Casa's long-standing commitment to good causes, placing the focus not just on financial support, but on creating lasting social value, with real impact on the lives of people and communities.
Apoiar Mais launched with a pilot Open Call aimed at supporting projects in three areas of intervention.
Intervention areas in this edition
Projects aimed at improving the quality of education, tackling school dropout, supporting children and young people with learning difficulties, supporting educational success and lifelong learning. Also included are professional capacity-building initiatives that support employability, entry into the job market and professional re-training.
Projects that uphold fundamental rights and support the social inclusion of people in situations of exclusion or poverty — namely children, young people, families and older adults in socially or financially vulnerable situations, homeless people, migrants, refugees and ethnic minorities.
Projects working on prevention and health promotion, with a particular focus on mental health, aimed at populations in socio-economically vulnerable situations.
After this phase — and if the expected results are achieved — a more structural programme will be put in place, with increased financial allocations and additional intervention areas in subsequent calls.
Frequently asked questions
These FAQ do not replace consultation of the Call Notice, the Conditions of Participation and the Support Award Regulations of Santa Casa da Misericórdia de Lisboa, which take precedence in case of conflict.
Applicant entities are responsible for ensuring timely access to the platform and the submission of the application within the deadline. We recommend not leaving the submission to the last day. Technical situations attributable to the applicant are not grounds for accepting applications after the deadline.
Requests for clarification should be sent exclusively to the email address indicated in the Notice. Responses are provided in writing and in a generic form; no personalised clarifications on specific applications are provided.
No. The clarifications are interpretative only and do not replace or alter the provisions of the Notice, the Conditions of Participation or the applicable Regulations, which prevail in case of conflict.
After successful submission, the platform generates a submission confirmation. We recommend that the applicant entity keep this confirmation for its records.
The duration of projects is defined by the applicant entity in the application form, within the maximum limits set in the Call Notice. The proposed duration is subject to appraisal during the assessment process, and the final duration of the project is set at the contracting stage.
Non-compliance with obligations may lead to the termination of the contract, the full or partial return of the support awarded and exclusion from future applications, as set out in the Conditions of Participation.
The formalisation of the support depends on the express acceptance of the conditions communicated and on the signing of the applicable contractual instrument. If the entity does not accept those conditions, the support is not formalised.
Requests for clarification should be sent to the email address apoiarmais@scml.pt. We recommend consulting the Notice, the Conditions of Participation and the application form available on SCML’s website beforehand.
The deadline for submitting applications to this edition of the Apoiar Mais Programme runs from 15 January to 15 February 2026, as set out in the Call Notice. Only applications submitted within this period will be considered. Any change or extension of the deadline will be duly communicated by SCML through its official channels.
The deadline ends at 23:59 (mainland Portugal time) on the last day indicated in the Call Notice. After that time, it is no longer possible to submit applications through the platform.
Applications not submitted by the deadline and time limit are not considered, regardless of their state of completion.
No. Applications submitted outside the deadline are not accepted, unless SCML provides official communication to the contrary.
The application is only considered valid when duly submitted through the platform. Simply filling in or saving the form does not amount to submission.
No. After submission, the application cannot be changed or completed at the applicant’s initiative. Responsibility for the correctness and completeness of the information submitted lies entirely with the applicant entity.
No. After submission, the application cannot be changed by the applicant. SCML may, if it sees fit, request clarifications or additional documentation to validate the information submitted. The absence, invalidity or insufficiency of information or documentation may lead to the rejection of the application.
The application requires the submission of the information and documentation set out in the form and in the Conditions of Participation. The application form is the operational reference for the information to be provided, with the Conditions of Participation always prevailing in case of doubt.
The process comprises the stages of application submission, admission or preliminary rejection, final selection by the jury, decision by SCML’s Mesa (Board) and formalisation of the support.
Yes. As part of the assessment process, SCML may request additional information whenever this is deemed necessary for the proper appraisal of applications.
The assessment criteria include, among others, alignment with SCML’s statutory aims, contribution to social well-being, project sustainability, the quality of previous delivery, the degree of innovation, the ability to leverage other support, and the potential number of beneficiaries, as set out in the Conditions of Participation.
Results are communicated to the applicants by email and may also be published on SCML’s website.
Support is paid in instalments, up to a maximum of three, which may include an advance of up to 25% of the approved amount. The applicant must include in the form a proposed payment plan, which will be reviewed and may be adjusted at the contracting stage.
No. Payment is made in phases, depending on the project’s delivery and on the verification of the contracted results.
Indirect costs, the valuation of voluntary work, expenditure not directly related to the project or considered non-essential, as well as deductible or recoverable VAT, among others, are not eligible. Support for application preparation expenses and capacity-building is subject to the limits set out in the Conditions of Participation.
VAT is only eligible where it constitutes an actual cost for the entity — that is, where it is not deductible or recoverable.
Supported entities must deliver the project as approved, use the support exclusively for the intended purposes, meet the contracted targets, submit reports and evidence of delivery, cooperate with the project’s monitoring, and comply with the communication rules set by SCML.
No. The programme is intended exclusively for legal persons.
No. For-profit entities and entities associated with for-profit organisations are not eligible.
Projects developed in partnership may be submitted. The applicant entity always assumes full responsibility for the application, project delivery and compliance with the obligations associated with the support; the role of each partner entity must be clearly identified.
Each entity may submit only one application in this edition of the programme.
Participation as a partner must comply with the eligibility and non-impediment rules set out in the Conditions of Participation. The application must clearly identify each entity’s role and the associated costs; no situation of double funding is admissible.
Projects in the initial phase of delivery may apply, provided they meet the requirements set out in the Conditions of Participation. Only expenditure incurred during the project’s delivery period — and, exceptionally, up to one month before the approval decision, provided it is duly justified — is eligible. Expenditure incurred outside these periods is not eligible for funding.
The financial support per project has a minimum and maximum value defined in the Call Notice, up to a ceiling of €10,000. The programme’s overall allocation is up to €60,000, with support envisaged for a limited number of projects.
Apoiar Mais does not allow double funding of the same operation or the same costs. Other sources of funding are admissible, provided they fund distinct costs, duly identified in the application. The applicant entity must declare, on its honour, the absence of double funding.
Applications are submitted exclusively through the electronic form available on SCML’s website. Applications submitted by other means will not be accepted.
The application must be submitted in its entirety in Portuguese.
The Apoiar Mais Programme is a financial support line of Santa Casa da Misericórdia de Lisboa aimed at supporting projects with positive social impact, aligned with SCML’s statutory aims, through a structured process of application, assessment, decision and contracting, grounded in criteria of transparency, rigour and a focus on results.
The programme aims to strengthen coherence, fairness and efficiency in SCML’s awarding of financial support, promoting a more standardised, auditable and impact-oriented approach that values well-structured projects with measurable results.
Apoiar Mais is aimed at projects with positive social impact that are clearly aligned with SCML’s statutory aims and with the areas of intervention defined in the Notice. It is particularly suited to initiatives with well-defined objectives, consistent methodology, a coherent budget and the capacity to deliver within the planned timescale. Generic, poorly structured projects, or those that do not clearly demonstrate their contribution to the defined target audiences, tend not to be selected, even when formally eligible.
Projects are valued that demonstrate knowledge of the context in which they work, a clear link between objectives, activities, budget and expected results, as well as a consistent approach to results and impact evaluation. SCML also values projects delivered in coordination with other entities, where that collaboration adds coherence, effectiveness or reach to the proposed intervention.
Projects that fall outside the defined intervention areas, that are not delivered in the eligible geographical area, that lack a minimum level of planning, or that do not meet the formal and substantive requirements set out in the Conditions of Participation do not fit the Apoiar Mais Programme. The programme is not intended to support individuals or one-off initiatives without a structured framework.
In this edition of the Apoiar Mais Programme, projects in the areas of Education and Capacity-building, Social Inclusion and Mental Health and Health Prevention are eligible, as set out in the Notice.
In this edition, only projects delivered in the Lisbon Metropolitan Area are eligible.
Applications can be submitted by Social Economy entities, non-governmental organisations or other private-law legal persons without profit motive (or legally equivalent), provided they have been legally constituted for at least two years, are headquartered and operating in Portugal, are up to date with tax and social security obligations and have no legal impediments.
