Lisbon, July 6, 2026 (Lusa) - More than 64% of companies cite “excessive bureaucracy” as the biggest obstacle to accessing energy transition funding in Portugal, according to the study “Energy Transition Financing Models”, carried out by RAISE.
The study, which involved 100 organisations from various sectors and of different sizes, concludes that the energy transition is a priority for more than 80% of organisations, although only 69% have made actual investments over the last three years, according to the study published on Monday.
According to RAISE – a project co-funded by the European Commission’s LIFE-CET programme – this discrepancy is particularly evident among micro-enterprises and non-profit organisations, “which face greater difficulties due to limitations in scale and resources”.
Equity capital remains the main source of funding, used by 81% of organisations, particularly for small-scale projects worth less than €50,000. Nevertheless, the study identifies a future trend towards diversification of funding sources, with growing interest in dedicated credit lines and public funds.
Traditional areas of investment, such as energy efficiency, renewable energy and electric mobility, are beginning to be joined by emerging technologies, including energy storage and digitalisation. In the future, 71% of organisations say they will invest in at least three areas of the energy transition.
In addition to excessive bureaucracy, cited by 64% of organisations, the slow pace of project approval, highlighted by 51%, ranks among the main barriers to investment.
The study also identifies a “marked lack of awareness of alternative funding sources, given that 74% of organisations are unaware of, or do not use, alternative financing options such as energy service company (ESCO) models, renewable energy communities or crowdfunding”.
In the short and medium term, access to finance and the lack of a skilled workforce are cited as the most critical challenges for Portuguese organisations, they add.
RAISE-PT is a project co-funded by the European Commission’s LIFE-CET programme, with the aim of identifying and overcoming barriers to the investment required for the energy transition in Portugal. Coordinated by The Equator Company, formerly S317 Consulting, the consortium includes BCSD Portugal – the Business Council for Sustainable Development –, DECO – the Portuguese consumer protection watchdog – and RNAE – the Association of Energy and Environment Agencies.
The Equator Company’s managing director, Filipe de Morais Vasconcelos, stated that “Europe has committed to becoming the first carbon-neutral continent by 2050” and that “to turn this ambition into reality, substantial investment in sustainable energy is required”.
He noted that the study is intended to serve as a “strategic compass” for both the private and public sectors, arguing that the data highlights “the urgent need for administrative simplification, a reduction in red tape and shorter response times”.
The leader of BCSD Portugal, Filipa Pantaleão, highlighted “the central importance of collaboration” as one of the study’s strongest findings, emphasising the potential of projects developed in partnership to “achieve scale, reduce risk and accelerate innovation”.
DECO’s Director-General, Ana Tapadinhas, emphasised “the contribution of the RAISE project to citizens”, arguing that the energy transition “will only be truly successful if it places consumers at the heart of the solutions”.
For his part, the president of RNAE, Carlos Santos, noted that “the energy transition accelerates when we bring together regions, investment and knowledge within the same network of action”, adding that it is important to “ensure that solutions reach the grassroots level, where the transition truly takes place”.
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