FAQs – Participatory Budget

The Participatory Budget (PB-UAlg) is a process that enables the academic community to decide how part of the University’s budget is allocated.
It is a democratic participation initiative through which you can submit proposals and vote for projects that improve academic life and everyday experiences across UAlg campuses.

 

The entire academic community can take part:
•    Students (undergraduate, master's, or doctoral);
•    Academic staff, researchers, and professional services staff.
Each proposal must be endorsed by at least 10 members of the academic community and may be submitted individually or by a team of up to 6 members.
 

For the 4th edition (2026/2027), the total budget is €90,000, allocated as follows:

•    €45,000 reserved for student proposals;
•    €45,000 for proposals submitted by the remaining academic community (academic staff, researchers, and professional services staff).
 

Proposals are eligible if they:

•    Fall within the remit of the University of Algarve;
•    Are submitted by students, academic staff, researchers, or professional services staff, individually or in teams of up to 6 members, and are endorsed by at least 10 members of the academic community;
•    Contribute to improving the well-being of the academic community (e.g. study and social spaces, culture, sport, environment, sustainability, inclusion);
•    Are technically feasible and financially viable, in accordance with applicable legislation;
•    Are aligned with the University's strategies and regulations;
•    Do not exceed the maximum budget established for each proposal (including VAT and associated costs).
 

See winning proposals from previous editions 

 

The following proposals are not eligible:

•    Scientific research projects;
•    Proposals serving private, personal, political, or religious interests;
•    Proposals that effectively constitute requests for financial support, self-employment opportunities, or direct procurement of goods or services from specific entities;
•    Proposals already included in the UAlg Activity Plan and Budget or those of any of its Organic Units;
•    Proposals dependent on partnerships or external approvals that cannot be secured within the established deadlines;
•    Proposals requiring technical or financial resources that the University cannot sustainably guarantee in the future (e.g. excessively costly maintenance);
•    Proposals based on generating internal University revenues.
 

•    The process is entirely online through the application form available on the PB-UAlg website, under the “Proposal Submission” section.
•    To access the form and submit a proposal, you must first authenticate through the UAlg Portal using your University credentials.
•    All fields must be completed, including:
o    Estimated total budget (numerical value, VAT included);
o    Detailed description of the resources and costs required.
•    You may submit more than one proposal.
 

The key dates are:
•    15 October to 13 November 2026 – Proposal submission;
•    15 January 2027 – Publication of the technical assessment;
•    17 February to 5 March 2027 – Voting period;
•    By the end of 2027 – Implementation of the winning projects.


View the full timetable here. 
 

The Monitoring Committee, whose composition is defined in the UAlg Participatory Budget Regulations, assesses the technical, legal, and financial feasibility of each proposal, ensuring compliance with the PB-UAlg Regulations.

The Monitoring Committee is responsible for ensuring that the participatory process is conducted correctly. It oversees all stages of the process in liaison with the academic community, including implementation, validation of proposals submitted for voting, and execution of the winning projects.
Its composition is defined in the PB-UAlg Regulations. The members of the Monitoring Committee for the 4th edition of PB-UAlg can be consulted in Rector's Order RT87/2026.

If proposals are considered duplicates, the proposers may be invited to merge them by mutual agreement, in order to avoid dispersing votes.

Yes. A proposal may be withdrawn at any stage through an explicit declaration by its proposer(s).

Following the technical assessment, a list of accepted and excluded proposals will be published, together with the respective justification.

•    Voting is personal and non-transferable;
•    Each voter is entitled to multiple votes, which must be allocated to different proposals;
•    The proposals receiving the highest number of votes, within the available budget, will be selected as winners.
 

•    Winning proposals become part of the University's activity plan;
•    Implementation takes place within 12 months, except in duly justified circumstances;
•    Results and project progress are publicly communicated through UAlg's official channels.
 

Implementation is the responsibility of UAlg, working in collaboration with the proposers to ensure that the original idea is respected.

Yes. Proposers are invited to monitor and participate in the implementation process and will be informed about progress and timelines.

Because it gives you the opportunity to:

•    Give voice to your ideas;
•    Improve academic life at UAlg;
•    Take an active and democratic role in your University;
•    Help turn projects conceived by students and other members of the academic community into reality.

 

Get involved, submit your proposal, and vote! The future of UAlg is built with your participation too.