A delegation from the Polytechnic of Setúbal (IPS) is in Angola until July 31 to take part in the closing activities of the pilot phase of Envolver – Project to Support Access to Financing, which has been running in Angola since 2021.

The project, funded by the European Union, aims to strengthen the Angolan business ecosystem and is led by INAPEM – the National Institute for the Support of Small and Medium-sized Enterprises, with IAPMEI and IPS as technical partners.

Throughout these days of work, the IPS delegation will be in charge of several conferences to close the project, namely in Huambo, Liboto, Lubango and Luanda, where certificates will be handed out for the latest training actions and the results of the work carried out over the last four years will be presented.

As a technical partner in the first phase of the project, IPS was actively involved in developing digital tools, training methodologies and operational models to support the formalization and financing of micro, small and medium-sized enterprises (MSMEs).

With a multidisciplinary team involving around 40 teachers from four of its five higher education institutions, IPS contributed directly to the design and implementation of training activities, validation of instruments and technical support for incubators and entrepreneurs. In total, more than 3.700 human resources were trained, including INAPEM technicians, staff from the financial system, the judicial community, incubators and entrepreneurs from all over the country.

At the end of this cycle, a Financial Support Program (PAF) pilot project was implemented, which allowed the model designed to be applied to 13 incubators and more than 20 business projects, testing the instruments and procedures created during the project.

In recognition of the work done, IPS will continue to collaborate in the second phase of the Envolver project, now as a specialized technical entity. The new stage, which runs until 2028, will focus on three main priorities, namely formalizing and boosting the National Network of Certified Incubators (RNI); consolidating the Financial Support Programme (PAF); and expanding the RNI to new incubators, regions and sectors, with a view to creating a more inclusive and effective ecosystem.

This institutional cooperation between Angola and Portugal has made it possible to apply tools and methodologies tested in higher education in a real-life context, adapting them to the specific needs of the Angolan business community. For the IPS, which is committed to innovation, capacity building and sustainable economic development, the Envolver project is an example of the effective impact of applied science and international cooperation for development, contributing directly to strengthening the competitiveness of MSMEs and to economic transformation in Angola.