1. Which entities can apply for the INOV Contacto - International Internship Program?
• Portuguese companies with offices abroad in strategic countries for Portugal;
• Multinationals with a significant presence or of high strategic interest for Portugal;
• International organisations and entities strategic for Portugal, in terms of investment and internationalisation.
2. What financial responsabilities does the host entity have?
cover any costs related to business travel, including accommodation during the internship abroad.
To ensure and support a housing solution whenever the entity hosts an internship in Portugal and the intern is moved from his/her area of residence for more than 50km, before his departure to the host country.
Whenever the monthly allowance received by the intern during the internship abroad is not enough for the standard of living conditions in the host country, the entity will have to provide a solution or propose an alternative destination.
Apart from the above mentioned, host entities have no other financial obligations. However, the availability to support any extra costs, such as:
• The extension of the internship period for another few months, when applicable;
• Supplementary allowance if necessary;
• Housing and / or meals support;
• Professional certification;
3. Is the internship paid for?
Yes. Depending on the country where the internship takes place, the intern will receive:
a) Constant remuneration throughout the internship period equivalent to the monthly amount of twice the SSI (Social Support Index);
b) During the internship period abroad, there is an accommodation subsidy based on the latest UN cost of living index published for each market, at the date of the interns' departure to the destination countries.”
4. Who deals with the necessary legal procedures, including visa when required, to allow the entry of interns in the destination country?
All legal formalities required for interns to enter and stay in the markets where a visa is required are the responsibility of AICEP, which will have the support of the host entities, when necessary, consisting of the referred support a condition for the allocation of the internship.
5. Which training areas are usually covered by the program?
AICEP promotes internships in all strategic training areas and of national interest. However, depending on profile demands by entities, other areas may be considered.
6. Does the internship imply an employment relationship with the intern?
No. INOV Contacto internship excludes any kind of legal-labor relationship, either with AICEP or with the host entities.
7. Will the intern have a fixed working schedule during the internship?
Yes. INOV Contacto is an “on the job” internship, therefore it implies a
job station and a working schedule which will be monitored through reports submitted by the intern that must be approved by the intern supervisor at the host entity.
8. Can the intern leave the host country during the internship?
The intern must live and complete the internship abroad in the destination designated by AICEP. Any trip to another country is subject to AICEP’s approval.
9. Can the internship be held in more than one country?
Yes. When requested by the host entity and upon AICEP’s approval, the internship may take place in more than one country. The host entity will support all additional costs of travel and accomodation.
10. Are there any vacation periods during the internship?
No. The internship will take place on an ongoing basis, with the necessary adaptations to the practices and rules of the host entities and the countries of destination.
11. What are the evaluation criteria of the internship?
Each intern is evaluated for: professionalism and performance during the internship; attendance and compliance with deadlines; attitude during the internship, either with AICEP or with the host entity.
On the side of the host entities, the following parameters will be taken into account:
• Compliance level with the internship plan;
• Fulfilment of the assigned requirements for the interns;
• Follow-up of the performed tasks by the interns .
12. What is the internship protocol?
It’s a legal document which stipulates all the rules of the program including the obligations of interns, host entities and AICEP. It can be acessed here.
13. How can my entity apply for an INOV Contacto internship?
Entities that want to apply for an INOV Contacto internship must register through an online form.
14. How do I know if my application was successfully submitted?
The application may be saved as draft, but will only be considered after submission. After completing and submitting the application, you will receive an email with the following message:
“Dear ………..,
Your application has been successfully registered in the system with the number 2000…………...
If you want to introduce any changes in your application, the editing mode will be available for the next 24h, until 00-00-0000 00:00:00.
Please click here.”
15. Is it possible to edit my submission after the application is finished?
It is not possible to make any changes after the 24 hour period.
16. When do I know if I’ll receive an intern?
After the matching process among the candidates and the available internships, a candidate profile will be sent to the entity interlocutor for validation
17. Is it possible to interview candidates selected by AICEP?
No. AICEP will send a profile for matching approval. However, before the effective integration of the intern, it will be possible to have a voice or face-to-face interview in order to better adapt the internship plan to the intern profile.
18. Is it possible to refuse an intern after he has been assigned to my entity?
Yes. However, once you reject a candidate profile or an intern already assigned, the availability of another candidate is not guaranteed.
19. How does AICEP select the INOV Contacto interns?
The selection process is comprised of 3 phases. Overall it evaluates key skills required to achieve a good performance and success internship wise. Each phase of the process is eliminatory.