• GAMMA Community Platform will support four  strategic areas: educational development, environment, community and entrepreneurship;
• The program’s name is inspired by Vasco de Gama and the “gamma factor”, a symbol of social impact;
• Applications will be open between October 15, 2022 and January 15, 2023, and projects will be publicly presented to the jury at the Innovation Event;
• Winners will then be voted on by the populations of the two municipalities in a model similar to ‘participatory budgeting’.

Lisbon – Tuesday, October 11, 2022 – Start Campus, the company responsible for developing the SINES mega data center, has launched the GAMMA Community Platform, an annual initiative that will support community projects in Sines, Portugal and Santiago do Cacém, Portugal.

 In the first edition of the program, 100 thousand euros will be allocated to projects that bring concrete benefits to the community of the region that hosts Start Campus operations. People, organizations or companies with proposals for transformative projects focused on local communities can apply for this support.

The program’s name is inspired by Vasco de Gama, a historical figure born in Sines, and the “gamma factor” of business, a symbol of social impact. The goal of Start Campus in creating the GAMMA Platform is to empower community members to be leaders in regional development by supporting local initiatives that reflect four pillars of investment: educational development, environment, community, and entrepreneurship.

The new program was presented during the Sea Fair in Sines by Fabiola Bordino, Director of Sustainability at Start Campus, who stated on the occasion that “we aim to leave a positive impact on the region by promoting economic growth and prosperity through collaboration with local organizations and entrepreneurs, residents, and other stakeholders to understand and support their vision for the future of this community.

“The design of this program is the result of an active dialogue with the community of Sines and Santiago do Cacém, and is the result of a previous consultation carried out in recent months with non-governmental organizations, companies and civil society institutions,” he adds.

Applications to the GAMMA Community Platform are free and can be made on the Start Campus website between October 15, 2022 and January 15, 2023. 

After this period, the highest scoring projects will be presented to the judges during an Innovation and Interview Event where qualified applicants will have the opportunity to present their ideas. Afterwards, the projects will be subject to a public and community poll in a model similar to the participatory budget in practice in some municipalities in the country.

The project with the most votes will then be awarded up to 90% funding. Additional bidders may receive funding based on the remaining budget available for this year. Recipients will be announced on the platform and celebrated at a ceremony in Sines at the end of April.

In addition to funding the winning projects, Start Campus will also provide technical support to ensure their execution on the ground and for the benefit of the community. All selection phases will be carried out using clearly defined scoring criteria.