“This support represents the effort that the business association made in favor of businesspeople, entrepreneurs and small and medium-sized companies in the Santarém region”, the president of the Business Association of the Santarém Region – Nersant, based in Torres Novas, told Lusa and with around three thousand associates.
For Pedroso Leal, who highlighted the effort of the team dedicated to entrepreneurship in monitoring these projects, “the achievement of these funds means that they are invested in the region and means that the business community is attentive and continues to be attentive to what the needs and possibilities of obtaining support”.
Nersant, as an accredited monitoring entity for Empreende XXI and qualified to “support and submit applications from the region free of charge”, was, according to the representative, a central player in this process.
At issue is a program that supports up to 200 thousand euros, and with a financing rate of 85%. Among the new projects are companies created less than six months ago.
Eligible expenses under Empreende XXI include investments relevant to the implementation of the business, such as in machinery and equipment, furniture and IT equipment, as well as expenses with works to adapt and remodel facilities, acquisition of vehicles and working capital related to the project, up to 50% of eligible investment.
“We are looking very closely at SMEs, at protocols with new entrepreneurs, at startups, and, therefore, it is necessary to pay attention to our information and, naturally, compete for these notices so that money is invested in the district of Santarém”, said Pedroso Leal.
The association continues to make available to businesspeople a set of notices that are being released and that allow them not only to enhance, qualify and modernize their projects, but also to obtain significant community support.
Nersant has been struggling with financial difficulties, and a motion of confidence in the current management was approved this month.
Pedroso Leal, elected in August 2023, had already told Lusa that he had found “an association in debt”, which “has a set of debts of some importance, some guaranteed by mortgage, others not, and which naturally worry any manager”.
At the end of January, Nersant approved the strategic lines and a budget of 1.9 million euros (ME) for 2024.
Pedroso Leal said he intends to use the association’s capital, which is represented by real estate values valued at 8 ME. This asset “can be sold or mortgaged”, if necessary, as is the case of the Nersant fair pavilion, in Torres Novas, “valued by Finance at 1.9 ME”, which would allow debts with delays to be resolved immediately. .
On March 20, at a general meeting with 69 members, the director, in addition to taking stock of the intention to sell the pavilion, which still has no buyer, presented an initiative that he described as “vitally important for the future”.
“This is a project to rejuvenate the urban area adjacent to the association’s exhibition pavilion, in Torres Novas”, with a mortgage on the land, and “proposed with the intention of creating a Senior Academy for Businesspeople”, explained the representative.
Nersant’s general meeting ended with the approval, by majority, with five abstentions, of a vote of confidence in the current management, with Pedroso Leal appealing for unity.
“At this time, it is essential that we remain united as a business community, committed to the growth and development of our region. Together, we will overcome obstacles and reach new heights of success,” he concluded.
w/LUSA
Tags: Nersant announces community support million euros SMEs waudio
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