AI for SMEs: how to digitalize support, marketing, and sales with Portugal 2030 funding

Artificial intelligence is changing the way companies support customers, generate opportunities, and organize their sales processes.

For a small or medium-sized business, adopting AI no longer means building a complex system from scratch. Today, it’s possible to use a conversational marketing platform to centralize contacts, automate replies, qualify leads, run campaigns, and follow up with customers across different channels.

Zapify is an omnichannel platform with artificial intelligence and automation that lets you manage conversations and campaigns across WhatsApp, Instagram, Messenger, RCS, and webchat.

Beyond improving support and boosting productivity, this kind of investment can, under certain conditions, fit into a project funded by Portugal 2030, particularly under the instruments aimed at SME qualification, digitalization, and competitiveness.

Eligibility is never automatic. It depends on the specific call, the company’s location, the nature of the investment, the contracting date, and the rules that apply to spending on software, implementation, integration, training, and outside services.

This article is relevant even if you run your business in Portugal without reading Portuguese fluently — eligibility depends on where the company operates, not on the language you speak.

What is Zapify?

Zapify is a conversational marketing platform built to help companies turn conversations into business opportunities.

Instead of managing messages received on WhatsApp, Instagram, Messenger, or the website separately, the company can bring contacts together in a single environment and build automatic processes to reply, route, and follow up with each customer.

The platform can be used for:

• AI-powered automated support;
• omnichannel conversation management;
• chatbots and virtual assistants;
• automatic lead qualification;
• segmented campaigns;
• follow-up automation;
• integration with CRM and other systems;
• recovering contacts who didn’t reply;
• bookings and quote requests;
• tracking sales performance.

The solution is configured to match each company’s processes, rules, services, and goals.

How can artificial intelligence improve an SME?

Support available 24 hours a day

Many customers reach out outside business hours or when the team is busy.

An AI assistant can give an immediate first reply, identify the reason for the contact, gather information, and route the conversation to the right department.

Automation doesn’t have to replace human support. It can handle the simpler requests and leave the team free for situations that require negotiation, technical knowledge, or personalized follow-up.

Automatic lead qualification

Not every contact has the same intent to buy.

Zapify can ask questions, gather information, and classify opportunities according to criteria the company defines, such as:

• service requested;
• location;
• budget;
• timeline;
• project size;
• urgency;
• customer profile.

That way, the sales team receives more organized opportunities and can focus on the contacts with the most potential.

Marketing and campaign automation

Communicating with customers doesn’t have to rely only on manual outreach.

The company can build campaigns and automatic sequences to:

• promote products or services;
• recover proposals that went unanswered;
• remind customers of bookings;
• reactivate past customers;
• send relevant information;
• follow up on opportunities;
• run seasonal campaigns;
• collect reviews.

Automation lets you communicate more consistently without a proportional increase in the team’s workload.

Integration between support, marketing, and sales

When contact channels aren’t integrated, it’s common to lose information, repeat questions, or forget opportunities.

An omnichannel platform can connect conversations to the systems a company already uses, including CRM, calendars, forms, and management tools.

The goal is to create a continuous process: the customer reaches out, gets identified, receives the right reply, gets qualified, and moves on to the next sales stage.

AI-supported replies and content

Artificial intelligence can also help the team prepare replies, look up information, and personalize communication.

An assistant can be configured with:

• product catalog;
• services;
• frequently asked questions;
• commercial policies;
• internal documents;
• prices and terms;
• service areas;
• procedures.

The quality of the result depends on the configuration, the data provided, and the supervision rules the company sets.

Which businesses can benefit from Zapify?

The platform can be adapted to different sectors, including:

• retail and commerce;
• real estate;
• tourism and hospitality;
• restaurants;
• health and wellness;
• training;
• professional services;
• repair shops and technical support;
• construction and maintenance;
• logistics;
• industry;
• blue economy businesses;
• e-commerce.

The starting point shouldn’t be the technology. It should be a concrete problem, such as slow response times, lost leads, lack of follow-up, or too many manual tasks.

Which funding programs can support a project with Zapify?

SICE — SME Qualification

SICE — Qualificação das PME is, as a rule, one of the instruments most compatible with projects that include Zapify.

This funding targets business capacity-building operations aimed at qualifying and digitalizing SME business models. In previous calls, supported areas included process automation, artificial intelligence applications, CRM, chatbots, virtual assistants, offer personalization, and information systems.

A project can present Zapify as part of a strategy for:

• digital transformation of support;
• implementing an omnichannel platform;
• marketing and sales automation;
• introducing a chatbot or virtual assistant;
• automatic contact qualification;
• integrating WhatsApp with sales processes;
• improving customer service;
• creating automated campaigns;
• integration with CRM and other systems.

The case is stronger when the company demonstrates a real change to its processes, not just the standalone purchase of a license.

Individual operations

In individual operations, the SME itself applies and develops a qualification or digitalization project.

Previous calls covered SMEs in the North, Center, Lisbon, Alentejo, and Algarve regions, although territorial conditions and funding programs can change with each call.

Joint operations

Joint operations are usually promoted by business associations or other aggregating entities and involve several SMEs.

The call published in 2025 for joint operations expressly covered digitalization, process automation, artificial intelligence, CRM, chatbots, and virtual assistants.

For a company taking part in a project of this kind, Zapify could come in as the technology solution integrated into the digitalization plan.

COMPETE 2030 and regional programs

Depending on location, size, and project characteristics, funding may fall under COMPETE 2030 or the regional programs Norte 2030, Centro 2030, Lisboa 2030, Alentejo 2030, and Algarve 2030.

COMPETE 2030’s goals include strengthening digitalization, innovation, growth, and SME competitiveness.

The company should check the specific call to confirm:

• eligible region;
• sector of activity;
• minimum investment size;
• support rate;
• eligible expenses;
• application dates;
• contracting conditions;
• required indicators and targets.

SICE — Productive Innovation

Zapify can also fit into a broader productive innovation project, as long as it isn’t presented as a standalone investment.

It can make sense when the company is significantly changing its operation, creating a new support, sales, or service delivery model, and integrating the platform into a broader operational transformation.

In this context, Zapify can serve as a component of:

• a new digital channel;
• a new sales model;
• automating the operation;
• expanding support capacity;
• integration between systems;
• a significant service improvement.

Fit always depends on the specific call and the role the solution plays in the overall investment.

PESSOAS 2030 and digital training

Under PESSOAS 2030, a Zapify license would hardly be the main investment.

There can, however, be a complementary fit when the project includes training employees in digital skills, artificial intelligence, customer service, automation, or digital marketing.

The program includes goals tied to lifelong learning and strengthening digital skills.

In this case, support would tend to focus on training and capacity-building, not necessarily on the full cost of the platform.

MAR 2030

MAR 2030 may be relevant for companies connected to fishing, aquaculture, seafood processing, or other activities covered by the program.

There are dedicated calls for these sectors, and some projects may include digitalization, commercialization, or innovation components.

A company in this sector could use Zapify to improve customer communication, automate orders, support commercialization, or manage contacts. Eligibility will still depend on the specific call and the applicant’s economic activity.

Sustentável 2030

Sustentável 2030 is mainly geared toward energy, decarbonization, environment, the circular economy, and mobility.

For that reason, it’s not usually the best fit for a conversational marketing platform.

Zapify could only appear as a secondary component of a larger project, if the call accepted that expense and there was a clear link to the operation’s objectives.

How to properly present a project with Zapify?

An application tends to be stronger when it presents the platform as part of a structured strategy.

One possible framing:

Implementing a digital transformation strategy for support, marketing, and sales through an omnichannel platform with artificial intelligence, process automation, contact qualification, automated campaigns, and integration with the company’s systems.

The company should avoid limiting the description to “monthly Zapify subscription.”

It’s important to demonstrate:

Current problem

For example:

• contacts left unanswered;
• support scattered across several channels;
• slow response times;
• lack of sales follow-up;
• manual processes;
• low conversion;
• no centralized information.

Process change

The application should explain what will be different after implementation.

Examples:

• centralizing support;
• creating automated replies;
• qualifying contacts;
• routing by team;
• CRM integration;
• campaign automation;
• performance measurement.

Measurable goals

The project can set targets such as:

• reducing average response time;
• increasing the percentage of leads followed up;
• increasing conversion;
• reducing manual work hours;
• increasing support capacity;
• improving customer satisfaction;
• increasing the number of bookings or proposals.

Implementation and integration

The company should identify the necessary services, such as:

• configuration;
• integration with systems;
• flow design;
• preparing the knowledge base;
• testing;
• training;
• follow-up;
• optimization.

Things to check before contracting

Approval of an application should never be assumed.

Before contracting, subscribing, or paying, the company should confirm:

• whether the call allows expenses incurred before the application;
• whether subscription software is eligible;
• for how long the license can be supported;
• whether implementation is eligible;
• whether integrations and consulting are accepted;
• whether there are limits on outside services;
• whether multiple quotes are required;
• what the contracting rules are;
• whether the company meets the financial and tax criteria.

The client submits the application through the Balcão dos Fundos (Funds Portal), usually with support from a consultant or promoting entity. Zapify can join the project as the technology solution provider, unless additional application-support services are contracted.

Does Zapify handle the application?

Zapify provides and implements the technology solution.

The incentive application must be submitted by the beneficiary company or the promoting entity, or both together.

When needed, Zapify can provide technical materials to support project preparation, such as:

• solution description;
• commercial proposal;
• implementation components;
• technical objectives;
• integrations;
• training plan;
• features;
• expected results.

The eligibility and approval decision always belongs to the program’s managing entities.

Why implement AI now?

Even when there’s no suitable open call, preparing the company for artificial intelligence can bring immediate benefits.

The organization can start by:

1. mapping contact channels;
2. identifying repetitive tasks;
3. analyzing where opportunities are lost;
4. defining indicators;
5. organizing information and documents;
6. designing the new support process;
7. preparing an implementation plan.

When a suitable funding call comes up, the company will already have a more mature project that’s easier to justify.

Conclusion

Artificial intelligence can help an SME reply faster, support customers across channels, qualify leads, automate campaigns, and improve sales performance.

Zapify brings these capabilities together on an omnichannel platform for WhatsApp, Instagram, Messenger, RCS, and webchat.

Portugal 2030 funding, especially SICE — Qualificação das PME, can be an opportunity to fold Zapify into a structured digital transformation project. There are also possible fits under joint operations, productive innovation, digital training, and sector-specific programs, depending on the company’s profile and the available call.

Eligibility should be confirmed before any contracting.

Want to find out how to apply artificial intelligence to your company’s support, marketing, and sales? Talk to Zapify and prepare your digital transformation project.

Frequently asked questions

Can Zapify be supported by Portugal 2030?

There can be a fit when Zapify is part of an eligible digitalization, qualification, or innovation project. Approval depends on the call, the expenses, the contracting date, and the company’s characteristics.

Which funding programme is the best fit?

SICE — Qualificação das PME is generally the most compatible fit, especially for projects involving AI, automation, CRM, chatbots, and digital transformation.

Can a monthly license be eligible?

It depends on the call’s rules. Some calls may limit recurring expenses or set maximum eligibility periods. The company should confirm before contracting.

Does Zapify only work on WhatsApp?

No. Zapify integrates WhatsApp, Instagram, Messenger, RCS, and webchat into an omnichannel support and marketing strategy.

Does Zapify build AI-powered chatbots?

Yes. The platform can be used to create AI assistants, automate replies, qualify contacts, and route conversations.

Does Zapify submit the application?

The application is submitted by the company or the promoting entity. Zapify can provide the proposal and technical description of the solution to be included in the project.