SCRI.PT is a €350 million program for 2026 to 2029. €200 million of it is non-repayable production incentive money under RIPAC, and €150 million is a mutual guarantee credit line through Banco Português de Fomento. ICA runs it with Turismo de Portugal and the #PortugalMediaLab mission. It replaced the Fundo de Apoio ao Turismo e ao Cinema incentive (which ICA itself called the Cash Rebate) and the large-production cash refund.
The 25% base with a 30% cultural test tier, which the Portugal Film Commission's older cash rebate page still shows, comes from Ordinance 124-A/2024/1. The current numbers are below.
The two RIPAC streams side by side
| Medium budget | Large production | |
|---|---|---|
| Eligible spend in Portugal | €500,000 minimum (€200,000 for documentaries or no filming), under €2.5 million | €2.5 million or more per work or per season |
| Rate | 30% | 30% on the first €2 million, up to 25% above |
| Low-density territories, Azores, Madeira, crew with disabilities | 40% on those costs | 30% on those costs |
| Maximum grant | €1 million | €6 million per work, €3 million per episode, €6 million per project |
| Annual allocation | €15 million | up to €35 million |
| How it's awarded | Two competitive calls a year | Rolling, first come first served |
| Payment | Four instalments from contract signature | By end of April after completion |
ICA publishes the list of low-density municipalities in a Council of Ministers resolution linked from its incentives page. Check it before you lock locations. On the medium stream, the same day of shooting earns 40% in a listed municipality and 30% in Lisbon.
Worked example: $1,000,000 through the medium stream
At the ECB rate for 11 September 2026 (EUR 1 = USD 1.1592), $1,000,000 is €862,664. The shoot spends €650,000 in Portugal, of which €180,000 is above-the-line pay.
Start with the ATL cap. On the €650,000 budgeted Portuguese spend, the total ATL limit is 35% = €227,500 and each category is limited to 10% = €65,000. The limits apply to final eligible spend, so rerun this test when the cost report closes.
| ATL category | Claimed | Allowed |
|---|---|---|
| Principal actors | €90,000 | €65,000 |
| Director | €50,000 | €50,000 |
| Producers | €40,000 | €40,000 |
| Total | €180,000 | €155,000 |
Eligible spend is €470,000 BTL + €155,000 ATL = €625,000, still over the €500,000 minimum.
- If everything is shot around Lisbon: €625,000 x 30% = €187,500
- If €200,000 of it is spent in a listed low-density municipality: (€200,000 x 40%) + (€425,000 x 30%) = €80,000 + €127,500 = €207,500
Worked example: $5,000,000 through the large stream
$5,000,000 is €4,313,320. The production spends €3,200,000 of eligible costs in Portugal.
- First €2,000,000 x 30% = €600,000
- Remaining €1,200,000 x 25% = €300,000
- Grant: €900,000, well under the €6 million cap
ICA's wording is "up to 25%" on the excess, so treat €900,000 as the ceiling for that spend.
Applying and scoring
- Register the applicant company in ICA's register of film and audiovisual companies.
- Score the project on the cultural, cinematographic, and promotional value table. Most projects need 45 points with 18 in part A (cultural value). Foreign-initiated projects made through a Portuguese executive producer or an unofficial co-production need 20 points with 8 in part A. Projects with no filming in Portugal need 25 with 9.
- Show confirmed financing covering more than 50% of eligible spend and secured commercial exploitation.
- Submit on HAL. The medium stream's 2026 second call runs from 28 September at 10:00 to 12 October at 18:00 Lisbon time.
- Start principal photography within six months of applying.
Each review stage (analysis, hearing of interested parties, review of comments, committee decision) is set at ten working days. ICA expects about 40 working days between the close of a medium-stream call and the final decision.
Watch-outs
- The large stream pays after completion. A €900,000 grant arriving the April after delivery needs bridge financing. The Banco Português de Fomento guarantee line is set up to back production credit for RIPAC projects.
- Once a call's allocation runs out, projects with a positive score don't get the grant. They can still apply for the guarantee line.
- ICA's prospecting mission support pays up to €15,000 a mission (two per project) for a foreign director, producer, DP, or location manager to scout. If you later claim RIPAC, that money is counted in the final aid calculation.
Nearby options
Spain is the usual comparison for Iberian locations, and France for European co-productions with a Portuguese partner. Portuguese co-producers can also bring in treaty partners, which is covered in the co-production treaty entry. For how rebates compare with credits on cash flow, see film rebates vs tax credits.