The Social Innovation Fund (SIF) is a public policy instrument to boost impact investment in Portugal. It aims at fostering and supporting social innovation and social entrepreneurship initiatives that offer innovative, impactful and sustainable solutions to tackle societal problems.
WHAT IS THE SIF?
Created as a public investment fund, the Social Innovation Fund (SIF) aims at fostering and supporting social innovation and social entrepreneurship initiatives (SISEI) that offer innovative, impactful and sustainable solutions to tackle social problems.
The SIF is one of the instruments implemented by public initiative Portugal Social Innovation, which aims at fostering Social Entrepreneurship and stimulating the Impact Economy. It is funded by financial allocations from the European Social Fund and National Funds and focuses on two types of financial instruments: financing (debt) and co-investment (equity).
Debt instrument is used to finance social sector organisations and SMEs that implement social innovation and social entrepreneurship initiatives, in partnership with Banks and Mutual Guarantee Societies.
Equity instrument is intended to support investment projects in SMEs that promote these impact initiatives, having as co-investment partners venture capitalists, business angels and other individual or collective private investors.
Drawn on a strategy for developing a more inclusive and sustainable economy, SIF will work in areas with strong potential for innovation in meeting unmet societal needs, aligning, within the scope of its areas of activity, with the UN Sustainable Development Goals .
SIF is intended to help keep up with the global trend of growth and maturing of the impact investment market.
The SIF DEBT application period ended on June 30, 2023.
The SIF EQUITY application period ended on December 31, 2023.
SIF DEBT
Bank loans with better conditions in a partnership with Banks and Mutual Guarantee Societies
APPLICATIONS CLOSED
SIF EQUITY
EQUITY AND QUASI-EQUITY LINE
Co-investment in SME’s with
private investors
APPLICATIONS CLOSED
SISEI ACCREDITATION
To be eligible for SIF DEBT or SIF EQUITY projects must be accredited by the Portugal Social Innovation Mission Unit (EMPIS).
This accreditation confirms that the project your organisation is undertaking is a Social Innovation and Social Entrepreneurship Initiative (SISEI).
After filling in the application form, the accreditation must be included with your application.
NEWS
ColorADD -Lisbon installs the first traffic lights in the world for colorblind people
Lisbon is the first city in the world to install traffic lights adapted to people who are colorblind. The project results from a partnership between Emel, ETRA and ColorADD – Color Identification System, a company supported by SIF – Social Innovation Fund, managed by Banco Português de Fomento. The new traffic lights are identified withContinue reading
SIF invests in ColorADD
The ColorADD – Color Identification System project is the new investment of the SIF- Social Innovation Fund, managed by Banco Português de Fomento. An operation in partnership with the Bem Comum Fund and COREangels Impact, which resulted in a total investment amount of 375,000 €, of which 225,000 € were invested by the SIF. ColorADDContinue reading
SIF invests in knok healthcare
On the eve of the start of Banco Português de Fomento, it is with great satisfaction that we announce the investment in Knokcare, which represents the last investment of SIF – Social Innovation Fund under the management of PME Investimentos. Knok is a portuguese startup with a global presence in the development of technology andContinue reading
