22nd edition of the Poliempreende competition

22nd edition of the Poliempreende competition

August 31 to September 4, 2026

All day

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Poliempreende is the largest entrepreneurship initiative of the polytechnic higher education network in Portugal. It is a national competition aimed at promoting an entrepreneurial culture, stimulating the development of innovative ideas, and encouraging the creation of companies based on academic projects.

Main Objectives

• Foster Entrepreneurship: Encourage students, graduates, and faculty to transform abstract ideas into viable business projects.
• Support Business Creation: Provide tools and skills for business ideas to be implemented in the real market (generating self-employment and jobs).
• Knowledge Transfer: Connect the scientific and technological knowledge developed in polytechnic institutes to the business fabric.

Applications for the 22nd edition of the Poliempreende Competition at the University of Algarve are now officially open. The initiative, promoted by CRIA – Division of Entrepreneurship and Technology Transfer, aims to inspire creativity, stimulate the entrepreneurial spirit, and support the creation of new knowledge-based companies, contributing to the economic and social development of the region.

Poliempreende is a national business idea competition in polytechnic higher education, organized annually by a network of institutions that includes polytechnic institutes and non-integrated higher schools. The competition takes place in two phases:

• Regional phase, where each institution organizes training and support actions for entrepreneurship, selecting the best local projects;
• National phase, where regional winners compete before a national jury that distinguishes the three best projects in the country.

At the University of Algarve, applications are open until May 18. The three best projects from the regional phase will have access to support services to develop and implement their business ideas. The winning project will represent UAlg in the national final, which will take place from August 31 to September 4, also at the University of Algarve, where a prize of up to €10,000 is at stake.

The initiative at UAlg is driven by CRIA – Division of Entrepreneurship and Technology Transfer, which challenges the academic community to turn good ideas into future businesses.

More information here.