Last updated: 28.04.2026
These Terms and Conditions govern access to and use of the Matchbox platform (“Platform”) and constitute a legally binding agreement between:
a) The User;
b) Startup Portugal – Portuguese Association for the Promotion of Entrepreneurship (SPAPPE), hereinafter referred to as Startup Portugal, as the entity administering the Platform;
c) The Operational Partner, Beta-i Collaborative Innovation Lda., hereinafter referred to as Beta-i, to the extent of its activity and involvement in the Platform; and
d) Where applicable, the Users themselves, within the scope of interactions carried out through the Platform.
For the purposes of these Terms and Conditions, a user, hereinafter referred to as “User”, means any person or entity that accesses or browses the Matchbox platform, even without registering (“Visitor User”); and any entity that creates an account and registers on Matchbox through a representative with the necessary powers for that purpose, namely a company, that is, an entity registered on the Platform for the purpose of publishing challenges and identifying innovative solutions, and/or a Startup or Scaleup, with the respective status recognition, for the purpose of submitting solution proposals to published challenges (“Registered User”).
Mere browsing of or access to the Platform, as well as registration on the Platform, implies full and unreserved acceptance of these Terms and Conditions, as well as the Privacy Policy, Cookie Policy, and Platform Regulations.
These Terms and Conditions must be read and interpreted together with the following documents, which constitute a single, inseparable, and mutually complementary contractual framework:
a) Privacy Policy, available at Privacy Policy
b) Platform Regulations, available at Platform Regulations
c) Cookie Policy, available at Cookie Policy
Reading these Terms and Conditions does not exempt the User from consulting the other documents referred to in the preceding paragraph, which contain essential information on the operation of the Platform, the processing of personal data, and the rights and duties of Users.
a) Mere access to or browsing of the Platform by Visitors implies tacit acceptance of these Terms and Conditions, to the extent applicable to non-registered use.
b) By accessing the Platform, Visitors acknowledge that they have had the opportunity to consult the applicable documents, made available through visible links in the footer of the Platform and in other relevant areas.
c) Browsing the Platform is subject to the use of cookies, under the terms of the Cookie Policy, with consent for non-essential cookies being collected through a cookie banner displayed upon first access.
a) Registration on the Platform as a Registered User, whether as a Company or Startup/Scaleup, implies express, full, and unreserved acceptance of all documents forming the contractual framework referred to in clause 1.4.
b) The acceptance referred to in the preceding paragraph is formalized through a mandatory electronic confirmation mechanism, namely by selecting the appropriate field (“checkbox”) during the registration process.
If the User does not agree with any of the provisions contained in the documents referred to above, the User must refrain from accessing or using the Platform.
Matchbox is a digital open innovation platform designed to facilitate connections between companies and startups or scaleups through the identification of business challenges and the presentation of innovative solutions.
The Platform is intended to:
a) Allow Companies to publish concrete challenges;
b) Allow Startups and Scaleups to submit solution proposals;
c) Facilitate matching processes between Users with a view to potential collaborations.
The Platform acts exclusively as an intermediary and does not intervene in, nor is it a party to, any negotiations, agreements, or contractual relationships that may be established between Users.
The detailed operation of the Platform, including process stages, eligibility criteria, and participation rules, is described in the Regulations, to which express reference is made.
For the purposes of these Terms and Conditions, the following definitions apply:
a) Companies: entities that publish challenges on the Platform;
b) Startups/Scaleups: entities that submit solutions;
c) Users: all persons and entities defined in clause 1.2;
d) Platform Administrator: Startup Portugal;
e) Operator/Operational Partner: Beta-i, as the methodological and operational support entity.
Registration on the Platform is carried out by Users, understood as entities, whether Companies or Startups/Scaleups, that intend to use the Platform through a representative with legal powers to bind them.
By registering, the User declares and warrants that:
a) It is a legally incorporated entity;
b) Registration is carried out by a representative with sufficient representation powers;
c) All information provided is complete, accurate, true, and up to date.
The User is solely responsible for its account, including:
a) The truthfulness and accuracy of the information provided upon registration and throughout use of the Platform;
b) The updating and correction of such information whenever necessary;
c) The confidentiality and security of its access credentials.
The User undertakes to:
a) Not share its access credentials;
b) Immediately notify the Platform Administrator of any unauthorized use of its account or security breach.
Only one account per entity is permitted.
The collection, processing, and other operations relating to personal data within the scope of registration and use of the Platform are governed by the Privacy Policy, available at Privacy Policy, which forms an integral part of these Terms and Conditions.
The Platform Administrator, Startup Portugal, reserves the right, but not the obligation, to:
a) Verify, validate, correct ex officio where possible, or request the updating of information provided by Users;
b) Contact Users for the purpose of correcting or updating data;
c) Suspend or limit access to the Platform if the information provided is false, outdated, incomplete, or likely to compromise the proper functioning of the Platform or the fulfillment of its objectives.
In the case of Startups and Scaleups, access to and use of the Platform depend on the respective recognition of startup or scaleup status by Startup Portugal, under Law No. 21/2023 of 25 May, or on proof that the recognition request is pending. The Platform Administrator may request supporting documentation at any time.
Without prejudice to the rights and duties provided for in these Terms and Conditions, the Regulations, and applicable law, Users have the right to access and use the Platform for the purposes for which it is intended.
Users undertake to use the Platform responsibly, diligently, and in accordance with the law, refraining from any acts that:
a) Are unlawful, fraudulent, or contrary to good faith;
b) May impair the normal functioning of the Platform;
c) Violate third-party rights, including intellectual property or confidentiality rights.
Users are solely responsible for the content, truthfulness, accuracy, and timeliness of all information they make available on the Platform.
Users undertake to enter only information that is:
a) Complete;
b) Accurate;
c) True;
d) Up to date.
Users must ensure that the information shared does not violate third-party rights and does not contain unlawful elements or confidential information whose disclosure is not authorized.
Startups and Scaleups undertake to:
a) Keep their profile up to date;
b) Submit genuine, viable, and substantiated solutions;
c) Comply with the deadlines defined for each challenge.
Companies undertake to:
a) Publish real, clear, and objective challenges;
b) Evaluate applications diligently, fairly, and transparently, within the agreed timeframe;
c) Respect the confidentiality of the information received.
Use of the Platform is expressly prohibited for:
a) Improper competitive purposes;
b) Abusive collection or exploitation of information;
c) Reproduction or appropriation of solutions presented by third parties;
d) Any purpose unrelated to the objectives of the Platform or inconsistent with these Terms and Conditions.
The Platform Administrator reserves the right, at any time and without prior notice, to:
a) Suspend or limit access to the Platform;
b) Remove content;
c) Cancel User accounts,
whenever there are indications of a breach of these Terms and Conditions, the Regulations, the Privacy Policy, or applicable law.
The collection and processing of personal data carried out within the scope of access to, registration on, and use of the Platform are governed by the Privacy Policy, available at Privacy Policy, which forms an integral part of these Terms and Conditions for all legal purposes.
Within the scope of use of the Platform, Users may have access to commercial, technical, strategic, or other non-public information relating to other Users, including, in particular, challenge descriptions, solution proposals, documents, contact details, technical specifications, know-how, business plans, or other elements shared in the context of a potential collaboration. Such information must be treated as confidential, unless expressly indicated otherwise.
For the purposes of the preceding paragraph, Confidential Information means all information disclosed by one User to another, by any means, in the context of use of the Platform or following contact established through it, regardless of whether it is expressly identified as confidential, provided that, by its nature or the circumstances of its disclosure, it should reasonably be considered confidential.
The following information shall not be considered Confidential Information:
a) Information that is or becomes public without breach of these Terms and Conditions;
b) Information legitimately known by the recipient before its disclosure;
c) Information legitimately obtained from a third party not subject to a duty of confidentiality; or
d) Information that must be disclosed by legal requirement, court decision, or order of a competent authority, provided that, whenever legally admissible, the party owning the information is informed in advance.
Users undertake to use Confidential Information exclusively for the purposes of evaluating, negotiating, or developing a potential commercial relationship, partnership, supply of goods, or provision of services within the purposes of the Platform.
Users shall refrain from disclosing, reproducing, exploiting, communicating to third parties, or using Confidential Information for any purposes other than those set out in the preceding paragraph, without the prior written consent of the User who made it available.
In particular, Users may not use Confidential Information for competitive purposes, replication of solutions, improper solicitation of clients, partners, or suppliers, or any purpose unrelated to the evaluation of the opportunity identified through the Platform.
Each User undertakes to adopt technical and organizational measures appropriate to the protection of Confidential Information to which it has access, ensuring a level of protection no lower than that applied to its own confidential information of a similar nature.
Access to Confidential Information must be limited to the User’s employees, workers, directors, consultants, or service providers who need it for the purposes set out in these Terms and Conditions. The User is responsible for ensuring that such persons are bound by appropriate confidentiality duties.
The sharing of personal data and information between Users who are placed in contact through the Platform is the sole responsibility of those Users, who undertake to ensure that any subsequent processing of personal data is carried out in compliance with applicable personal data protection legislation.
The provision, through the Platform, of contact details or other information necessary to connect Users is intended solely to facilitate contact and the evaluation of a potential collaboration between the parties. Such elements may not be used for purposes unrelated to the purpose that justified their sharing.
With regard to data sharing, reference is made to the Privacy Policy, which shall prevail in this matter.
Whenever contact between Users evolves into a stage involving the sharing of particularly sensitive, confidential, or legally protected information, including trade secrets, detailed technical information, proprietary information, strategic data, contractual documentation, prototypes, functional specifications, or elements that may be protected by intellectual property rights, namely during deep-dive meetings, the parties undertake to enter into a standalone confidentiality agreement, NDA, prior to such sharing, appropriate to the nature and sensitivity of the information concerned.
For this purpose, an NDA template is made available and must be used by Users. The negotiation and conclusion of the standalone confidentiality agreement by Users is their sole responsibility.
Notwithstanding the mandatory signing of such NDA, if, for reasons unrelated to the Platform, it is not signed, the disclosure of particularly sensitive information between Users shall occur at the sole risk and responsibility of the parties involved, while the clauses of these Terms and Conditions shall remain in force at all times.
The provision of any information within the scope of the Platform or in the context of contacts established through it does not imply, unless otherwise agreed in writing, any assignment, license, authorization for exploitation, or transfer of intellectual property rights, industrial property rights, trade secrets, or any other rights over the disclosed information.
Each User retains full ownership of the information, content, documents, data, distinctive signs, technologies, methodologies, and other elements it makes available.
Whenever negotiations between Users cease, or upon request by the disclosing party, the recipient User undertakes to cease using the Confidential Information and, as applicable, to return, delete, or destroy the media containing it, unless retention is required by law or by a regulatory obligation.
Breach of the obligations set out in this clause constitutes a breach of these Terms and Conditions and may result, without prejudice to any other legally available rights, in the suspension or termination of the User’s access to the Platform.
Suspension or termination of access to the Platform does not prejudice the civil, contractual, or non-contractual liability of the infringing User toward the affected User or third parties.
The confidentiality obligations set out in this clause shall remain in force during the period of use of the Platform and for a period of 5 years after the cessation of such use or of contact between Users, whichever occurs later, without prejudice to any obligations arising from confidentiality agreements signed between Users.
All content, information, data, documents, and materials made available by Users on the Platform remain the exclusive property of their respective owners.
Use of the Platform does not, under any circumstances, imply the assignment, licensing, or transfer of any intellectual or industrial property rights.
Users undertake to fully respect the intellectual property rights of:
a) Other Users;
b) The Platform;
c) The entities administering the Platform and their partners.
The reproduction, distribution, modification, or use of Platform content for unauthorized purposes is prohibited.
Matchbox acts as a facilitator of connections between Companies and Startups/Scaleups, functioning as an intermediation platform, and does not guarantee or assume responsibility for:
a) The resolution of all challenges published on the Platform;
b) The quality, viability, feasibility, reliability, suitability, or success of the solutions presented by Startups/Scaleups;
c) The conclusion of contracts or any commercial relationship between Companies and Startups/Scaleups, or their respective performance;
d) The results arising from the implementation of solutions, proofs of concept, or pilots developed within the scope of the Platform.
Without prejudice to the provisions of these Terms and Conditions, the Platform Administrator is also not responsible for:
a) The content, quality, or truthfulness of challenges published by Companies;
b) The process of evaluating submitted solutions or the respective results;
c) The success of matching between Companies and Startups/Scaleups;
d) Information shared between Users, including data, documents, or any other content;
e) Any breach of these Terms and Conditions, the Privacy Policy, the Regulations, or applicable law by Users;
f) Information entered by Users on the Platform, as well as their activity within it.
Users expressly acknowledge that any relationship, negotiation, or agreement that may be established between a Company and a Startup/Scaleup occurs outside the scope of the Platform.
The Platform is not a party, in any capacity, to any contractual relationship established between Users, and no liability may be attributed to it, including in relation to:
a) The conclusion or non-conclusion of contracts;
b) The performance, breach, or termination of contractual relationships;
c) The results arising from such relationships;
d) The presentation or recommendation of a Startup/Scaleup to a Company.
Use of the Platform is carried out at the Users’ own risk, and Users assume full responsibility for the decisions taken within its scope.
The Platform Administrator reserves the right to amend these Terms and Conditions at any time.
Users shall be informed of any relevant amendments, as well as their respective effective date, through the means considered appropriate, namely through the Platform itself or by electronic communication.
If the User does not agree with the amendments introduced, the User may cease using the Platform and, where applicable, close its account.
Continued use of the Platform after the amendments enter into force constitutes full and unreserved acceptance of the updated Terms and Conditions.
The User may request cancellation of its account at any time by sending a communication to the Platform Administrator via email at matchbox@startupportugal.com.
After account cancellation:
a) The User will no longer have access to the Platform;
b) Personal data will be processed in accordance with the Privacy Policy;
c) The confidentiality obligations set out in clause 5 shall remain in force.
Account cancellation does not prejudice:
a) Contractual obligations previously assumed between Users;
b) Rights acquired by third parties;
c) The User’s liability for acts carried out before cancellation.
The following clauses shall survive account cancellation: clause 5, Confidentiality; clause 6, Intellectual Property; clause 7, Limitation of Liability; and clause 11, Applicable Law and Jurisdiction.
If any provision of these Terms and Conditions is considered invalid, illegal, or unenforceable, such invalidity shall not affect the validity, legality, or enforceability of the remaining provisions, which shall remain fully in force.
Any communication made within the scope of the execution or performance of these Terms and Conditions may be carried out by electronic means, namely by email, or by other means of contact made available by Users or appearing on the Platform.
No provision of these Terms and Conditions shall be interpreted as constituting, or being capable of constituting, between the parties:
a) A partnership relationship;
b) A joint venture;
c) A mandate, commission, or agency agreement;
d) Any other legal relationship distinct from that resulting from adherence to these Terms and Conditions.
In the event of any conflict or contradiction between the documents referred to in clause 1, the following order of precedence shall apply:
a) Terms and Conditions;
b) Platform Regulations;
c) Privacy Policy.
These Terms and Conditions, as well as the other documents forming the contractual framework, are drafted in both Portuguese and English. In the event that versions in other languages are made available, the Portuguese version shall always prevail for interpretation and application purposes.
These Terms and Conditions are governed by Portuguese law.
The courts of the district of Lisbon shall have jurisdiction for the resolution of any disputes, with express waiver of any other jurisdiction.
For any questions related to these Terms and Conditions, please contact:
matchbox@startupportugal.com
Version: 1.0
Effective date: 28.04.2026
Last updated: 28.04.2026