Business ideas.

Gastronomy, tourism, audiovisual production, human resources, digital marketing, decoration, carpentry, event spaces, coaching and training and family support services were the areas represented by new entrepreneurs from São Brás at the fifth edition of the Business Ideas Forum that the Municipality of São Brás de Alportel held on 25 June at the São Brás Cineteatro Jaime Pinto.

I recently visited São Brás de Alportel. I had been invited to attend an event at the cinema, which is not a usual occurrence in the Algarve. However, it wasn’t the screening of a new cinema film, but something resembling a job and business fair. For five years now, the council of this town to the north of Faro has been strongly committed to promoting and attracting companies, together with the consequent job creation. I was amazed by a figure that was mentioned and which I found most impressive. In 2025, there are over 600 companies with their premises in this municipality, operating either as company headquarters or as secondary branches. The unemployment rate in São Brás de Alportel is the lowest in the Algarve. There is a centre at the town hall where those seeking to set up companies can obtain information and advice about the funding opportunities that are available for their business ideas and discover what subsidies they can receive. But more about that in a moment…

The 5th Forum for Business Ideas in São Brás de Alportel is exciting and very informative. I enjoyed travelling the 80 kilometres from Monchique, because an event like this is a jewel for any municipality. The Deputy Mayor Marlene Guerreiro conducted the evening’s business, opening the session with a presentation of a dozen new companies that have been established in São Brás de Alportel in recent years.

Did you know that, if you set up a company in São Brás de Alportel, you get a 50% discount on the price of water? And that the town hall provides two large outdoor billboards free of charge for local companies – thereby promoting local commerce and trade? The Mayor Vitor Guerreiro also spoke briefly to those present. Of the 16 municipalities in the Algarve, São Brás de Alportel is the one that has grown most, rising to 15,500 inhabitants within a generation. Monchique, on the other hand, had 12,000 inhabitants in 1990 and now has fewer than 5,000 residents, due to rural exodus and mismanagement by the town hall when it comes to attracting businesses. The eucalyptus burns too often in Monchique. It is therefore important to approach entrepreneurs who operate in a wide range of sectors and have a connection with the economy.

Whereas the cork business has always played an important role in the forestry industry of São Brás de Alportel, Monchique has instead favoured the planting of eucalyptus, with devastating fires in 1991, 2003, 2004, 2016 and 2018. It is no wonder that almost all of the young people from Monchique have emigrated. Things are very different in São Brás de Alportel. Vocational training and promotion lie at the heart of the town hall’s work. The local market in the centre of the town is lively, popular and well attended. There is a diversified range of goods on supply, and most of the products are grown locally. The empathy and understanding that a town council shows in its dealings with its citizens makes a serious difference. Shortly before the next local elections, the politicians elected in support of Mayor Vitor Guerreiro and his deputy Marlene Guerreiro are presenting facts that cannot be overlooked. Their work has serious foundations: it enjoys continuity and, above all, is a valuable asset. A well-paid job in your own district, and simultaneously one that you can identify with, has lasting value.

There was also an important representative on the stage that evening. He has been working at the CCDR in Faro for many years and is responsible for EU funding. It was interesting to learn from him that there are funds of more than 800 million euros just waiting to be applied for and put to use.