Instituto do Cinema e do Audiovisual (ICA Portugal)

Overview

The Instituto do Cinema e do Audiovisual (ICA) is the Portuguese government agency responsible for supporting the development, production, and promotion of Portuguese cinema and audiovisual works. Established in its current form in 2007, ICA operates under the framework of Decree-Law No. 25/2018 and is headquartered in Lisbon. In February 2026, the Portuguese government created the SCRI.PT programme (Programa de Financiamento da Industria do Audiovisual e do Cinema) through Decree-Law No. 57/2026, consolidating all film and audiovisual production incentives under a single framework with a total budget of EUR 350 million for 2026 through 2029. ICA manages this programme in cooperation with the #PortugalMediaLab task force and Turismo de Portugal.

SCRI.PT combines two instruments: RIPAC (Regime de Incentivos a Producao Audiovisual e Cinematografica), which allocates EUR 200 million in non-repayable production incentives over four years, and a Mutual Guarantee Scheme for production credit, which provides EUR 150 million through Banco Portugues de Fomento. The programme replaced the former cash rebate and cash refund schemes, merging them into a unified incentive regime with common definitions, beneficiary requirements, and eligibility criteria.

ICA also operates the Portugal Film Commission, runs selective funding competitions for Portuguese-language productions, and manages the register of film and audiovisual companies that applicants must be registered in to qualify for RIPAC incentives.

SCRI.PT Production Incentives (RIPAC)

RIPAC comprises two financial incentive tiers, both offering non-repayable grants to qualifying productions.

Large-Scale Production Incentive

ICA analyses applications within 10 business days. The Selection Committee then has a further 10 business days to issue a decision.

Medium-Budget Production Incentive

Payment is made in four instalments: 10% at commencement of eligible expenditure, up to 40% and then up to 30% during production and post-production, and the balance (up to 20%) after definitive assessment. Each instalment is payable within 10 business days against certified evidence of prior expenditure.

Territorial Bonuses

The 2026 ordinance introduced territorial bonuses not available under the previous framework. Expenditure in low-density territories and the Autonomous Regions (Madeira and the Azores) attracts enhanced rates: 40% under the medium-budget incentive and 30% under the large-scale incentive. The same enhanced rates apply to expenditure relating to crew members with disabilities.

Cultural Assessment

All applications undergo a 100-point cultural assessment: Part A (Cultural Value) worth 60 points and Part B (Creative and Technical Cooperation) worth 40 points. The former cultural test has been replaced by this structured assessment table.

Mutual Guarantee Scheme

SCRI.PT includes a EUR 150 million Mutual Guarantee Scheme for Audiovisual and Film Production Credit, established by Banco Portugues de Fomento in cooperation with ICA, Turismo de Portugal, and #PortugalMediaLab. Available to all productions supported under RIPAC, the scheme also grants access to RIPAC applicants that receive a positive evaluation but cannot receive incentive funding due to budget exhaustion, provided they meet the remaining eligibility requirements.

Selective Funding Competitions

Beyond RIPAC, ICA runs annual selective funding competitions for Portuguese-language productions. The 2026 competition categories include:

• First Feature Films (Fiction): Total fund of EUR 2,800,000, maximum EUR 700,000 per project, up to 80% funding rate
• New Talent and First Works: Reserved allocation within production categories for fiction features, fiction shorts, documentaries, and animation shorts
• Audiovisual and Multimedia: Support for audiovisual and multimedia productions
• Audience Development in Schools: Film education programmes
• Festival Exhibition and Alternative Circuits: Support for festival programming and alternative exhibition
• Internationalisation: Support for Portuguese cinema promotion at international festivals and markets
• Ad Hoc Programme: Complementary initiatives contributing to sector development
• Luso-Brazilian Protocol: Co-production support under the Portuguese-Brazilian co-production agreement

Full competition details, regulations, and application portals are published at ica-ip.pt/pt/concursos/2026. The general regulation governing all ICA financial support programmes was approved by Decree-Law No. 707/2026 on June 5, 2026, and is available at diariodarepublica.pt.

Eligibility for RIPAC Incentives

To qualify for RIPAC incentives, applicants must be:

• Corporate taxpayers resident in Portugal
• Non-resident entities with a permanent establishment in Portugal
• Companies headquartered in another EU or EEA member state, provided they establish a company or branch with tax status in Portugal

All applicants must be registered in ICA's register of film and audiovisual companies. The Portugal Film Commission (operated by ICA) provides location scouting support and guidance for international productions considering Portugal as a filming destination, including support for prospecting missions under the medium-budget incentive.

Portuguese Cinema and Lusophone Co-Production

Portugal's arthouse cinema tradition includes directors such as Manoel de Oliveira, who directed films until his death at 106, and contemporary filmmakers including Miguel Gomes (Arabian Nights, Tabu), Joao Pedro Rodrigues, and Pedro Costa. ICA selective funding supports this tradition alongside more commercially oriented production.

Portugal's colonial history and contemporary relationships with Brazil, Cape Verde, Angola, Mozambique, and other Portuguese-speaking countries create co-production opportunities within the Lusophone world. The Luso-Brazilian Protocol provides a dedicated co-production pathway, and ICA facilitates co-productions with Lusophone African countries. Portugal also participates in EURIMAGES, the EU MEDIA Programme, and the Ibermedia Programme (which covers Iberian-Latin American co-productions).

Portugal's membership in both the European Union and the Community of Portuguese Language Countries (CPLP) gives Portuguese co-production a geographic reach that most small European countries cannot match. A Portuguese-Brazilian or Portuguese-Mozambican co-production can access financing from both countries' national agencies alongside RIPAC incentives, creating combined support that exceeds what either country provides alone.

What Filmmakers Should Know

For international producers, Portugal's RIPAC incentive offers 30% reimbursement on eligible expenditure with a relatively low minimum threshold (EUR 500,000 for medium-budget, EUR 2.5M for large-scale). The rolling application process for large-scale productions means projects can apply at any time, subject to available funding. The territorial bonus for low-density regions and the Azores/Madeira can push the effective rate to 40% for medium-budget productions shooting outside major urban centres.

For Portuguese filmmakers, ICA selective grants provide development and production support that sustains Portugal's arthouse tradition. The first feature film competition offers up to EUR 700,000 per project at an 80% funding rate, making it one of the more generous first-feature schemes in Europe. Understanding the 100-point cultural assessment helps filmmakers position their projects effectively.

The full SCRI.PT programme documentation, including the implementing ordinance (Portaria No. 265-A/2026/1) and the Portugal Film Commission's programme summary, is available at portugalfilmcommission.com/en/script. Legal analysis of the ordinance is available from Morais Leitao.

See Also

For the Spanish film funding context that Portuguese cinema often co-produces with, see ICAA Spain / Spanish Directors Association in this directory. For European co-production funding, see EURIMAGES in this directory. For estimating production budgets that incorporate RIPAC incentive reimbursement, use the Indie Film Budget Calculator and the Ad Spend Break-Even Calculator to model distribution economics for Portuguese-language releases.