The AEP Foundation wants government policy measures that “positively discriminate” against senior entrepreneurship. A reduction in the corporate tax rate in the first three to five years, a three-year advance on the old-age pension to finance the establishment of a company, as well as early retirement to set up a company are some of the proposals .
“More than half of the Portuguese working population is now over 45 years old. The increase in average life expectancy forces us to rethink the role of seniors in the economy and society, drawing on their experience, knowledge and skills and empowering them the active, with the resulting benefits in terms of the physical and mental health of those who feel useful, valued and cherished,” defends the President of the AEP Foundation, Luís Miguel Ribeiro.
“Empreender 45-60” is the designation of the project that aims to create a national strategy to support senior entrepreneurship, enhancing the capabilities of this population group “through the different roles they can play in the business sphere”, either as an entrepreneur, freelancer or mentors. “Senior entrepreneurship represents a huge potential for economic prosperity, either through the creation of new businesses, which simultaneously create more jobs, or through intergenerationality, where seniors take on the role of mentors or investors and support young entrepreneurs,” he emphasizes.
An action plan has already been drawn up, which has the year 2030 as its horizon, and which involves the government, public institutions, such as the IEFP, IAPMEI and Startup Portugal, business associations, the scientific system, as well as the banking sector and entities linked to finance. It includes about 30 different measures, divided into four lines of action, linked to training, cooperation and communication, public policy and finance, a crucial area for anyone wanting to venture into the business world.
Actions are already being performed
“We need to work with Banco Português de Fomento, with mutual associations, business angels and with the bank itself to find solutions that are tailored to this age group and this type of entrepreneur,” argues Luís Miguel Ribeiro. For example, the aim is for IAPMEI to create an incentive system to support acceleration and incubation programs and for the incentives awarded to intergenerational entrepreneurship projects to be increased. In order to improve the conditions for access to bank credit, Stichting AEP intends to change the risk assessment matrix for these projects.
Developing skills, namely through Academia Empreender 45-60, and promoting business alignment and mentoring are also planned.
A plan that ties in with Project Empreender 45-60, which started in 2016, and then only focused on the North region. With the support of the Compete program, it helped turn 52 business ideas into businesses. The second edition of the project is now underway, with a national scope and involving around 60 entrepreneurs in mentoring actions. Five business plans have already been finalized and are in the process of establishing a company. The goal is to complete 12 by the end of the project in the summer.
The topic will be discussed and the action plan presented at an international conference scheduled for tomorrow at AEP headquarters in Matosinhos, with the Secretary of State for Inclusion, where examples of good international practice in the promotion of senior entrepreneurship will be known.
Ilídia Pinto is a journalist for Dinheiro Vivo
Source: DN
