Investment & Fund Management

In 2019, the European Investment Fund (EIF) partnered with the Portuguese national promotional institution, Banco Português de Fomento (BPF), to launch the Portugal Growth programme, a EUR 100 million initiative aimed at supporting the growth and internationalization of mature Portuguese companies through enhanced access to private equity. Both the EIF and BPF contributed EUR 50 million each to this joint programme, which is projected to catalyze over EUR 300 million into funds and companies by attracting additional resources from private investors.

The EIF manages the Portugal Growth programme by investing in Portuguese private equity, growth capital, and mezzanine funds, including first-time funds. BPF plays a crucial role by providing local support and acting as a reference for fund managers looking to establish new funds focused on investments in Portugal. This initiative is part of a broader collaboration under the EIF-NPI Equity Platform, which aims to implement the Investment Plan for Europe in cooperation with EU National Promotional Institutions. The Portugal Growth programme builds on the EIF's extensive experience in the Portuguese market, including previous initiatives like the Portugal Venture Capital Initiative (PVCi).

The programme is designed to address the specific challenges faced by Portuguese companies in accessing growth capital, thereby facilitating their expansion and internationalization efforts.