The competition, launched to support projects that promote the integration of immigrants through the active involvement of host communities over 12 to 18 months, received 286 applications from entities based in 73 municipalities. An external jury selected 16 projects in Greater Lisbon and the West, six in the North, three in the Alentejo, two in the Centre, and one in the Algarve.

Among the selected projects are initiatives related to learning Portuguese and its culture, integration into the job market, access to healthcare, housing, legal support, and intercultural mediation.

These initiatives include mobile responses in agricultural areas, mobile service units, multilingual digital platforms, professional training programs, affordable housing initiatives, and actions aimed at women, young people, and migrant families in vulnerable situations.

In its statement, the Calouste Gulbenkian Foundation highlighted that the initiative arises in a context where the number of foreigners residing in Portugal has more than doubled since 2021, and that by 2025, more than 1.5 million foreigners will reside in the country, representing 14.5% of the resident population.

The Foundation partnered with the Portuguese Bar Association to support projects that provide local legal assistance, including the planned creation of a pool of lawyers to provide legal support to migrants and, within the limits defined in the project, to Portuguese citizens in vulnerable situations.