Support to Gas Intensive Industries

In accordance with Decree-Law No. 30-B/2022, of April 18th, the incentive system "Support to Gas Intensive Industries" was approved, aiming to strengthen the liquidity of companies most affected by the sharp increases in natural gas prices.

As soon as the call opens, companies that, disregarding of their legal form, primarily carry out an economic activity within the scope of SICAE, may submit applications, with the exception of those that are part of the sectors of:

• Production of energy;
• Refining of petroleum derivatives;
• Fisheries and aquaculture;
• Primary production of agricultural products and forests;
• Processing and trade in agricultural products listed in Annex I of the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union and processing and trade in forest

To apply, companies must:

• Be legally incorporated on 1/1/2021;
• Have an industrial establishment in mainland territory;
• Possess positive equity as of 12/31/2021;
• Develop activities:
  • In a sector or subsector identified in an ordinance issued by the members of the Government responsible for the areas of finance and the economy and the sea (to be published with the notice); or
  • In the manufacturing sector, providing a declaration in which it demonstrates that it is an energy-intensive company, within the meaning of the first part of point a) of paragraph 1 of article 17 of Council Directive 2003/96/EC, of 27 October 2003, and, cumulatively, demonstrate that the costs of acquiring natural gas amount to at least 2% of the value of production* in the reference period, which runs from 1/1/2021 to 12/31/2021; 
• Submit a statement stating the number of natural gas units purchased by the company from external suppliers as a final consumer, on average, in the reference period (between 1/1/2021 and 12/31/2021);
• Submit a statement about the increase in the price paid by the company per unit of natural gas consumed (EUR/MWh) calculated by the difference between the unit price paid by the company in a given month and the double (200%) of the unit price paid by the company, on average, in the reference period (between January 1, 2021 and December 31, 2021).

*The value of production means turnover, including subsidies directly linked to the price of the product, adjusted for changes in stocks of finished products, work in progress and goods and services purchased for resale, less the acquisition of goods and services for resale.

Support will be granted in non-refundable subsidies, with an incentive rate of 30%, covering the difference between costs incurred in 2021 and those incurred in 2022. Support has a maximum limit per company of EUR 400,000.

With an allocation of EUR 160 M, the call aims to support at least 3000 companies.

During the granting period of support, counted from the date of submission of the application, and in the 60 working days following the submission of the final payment, the beneficiary may not:

• Distribute profits and dividends, in any form, namely by way of withdrawal on account;
• Terminate employment contracts under the terms of collective dismissal, dismissal due to the extinction of the job, or dismissal due to inadequacy, or initiate the respective procedures;
• Cease the activity.