The AGIR Contest, an initiative from the Polytechnic University of Coimbra, was distinguished in the "Inclusive Entrepreneurship" Category at the EMprende MetaRed X International Awards. This award recognizes the best practices of higher education institutions in promoting entrepreneurship and the role of the different stakeholders involved in these processes.
The recognition is awarded by MetaRed X, an international collaborative network that brings together entrepreneurship offices and units from higher education institutions, promoted by Santander Universidades and Universia. The contest supports ideas and projects from teams made up of students, faculty, researchers, and non-teaching staff from the institution.
AGIR places students at the center of social transformation in their communities, aiming to combat school dropout and enhance academic, personal, and professional success. The latest edition took place during March 2026 and resulted in the approval of 19 projects. What makes the initiative truly inclusive is the requirement to include at least one first-year undergraduate student, ensuring that those most vulnerable to school dropout are protagonists of the solution.
The initiative is co-funded by the IPC+ Sucesso 2.0 Project, under the Recovery and Resilience Plan, and has accessible financial support and technical guidance from the team at the Institute of Applied Research (i2A).
