Fundação Luso-Americana para o Desenvolvimento

What Fundação Luso-Americana para o Desenvolvimento does

Fundação Luso-Americana para o Desenvolvimento (FLAD) is a Portuguese private foundation with public utility status, founded in 1985 and headquartered in Lisbon, that promotes Portugal's development and the Portuguese diaspora through structured cooperation with the United States. Operating across four pillars — Science and Technology, Education, Art and Culture, and Transatlantic Relations — FLAD functions as a grants and programs foundation rather than a commercial enterprise, disbursing awards, scholarships, and funding to individual beneficiaries and partner institutions. Its portfolio includes the Study in Portugal Network (SiPN), the FLAD Science Award Atlantic (250,000 euros over three years), the Rui Machete Award (200,000 euros), the Flechada program for emerging artists, the Drawing Award, Artist Residency Scholarships in the USA, the UP Higher Education program, the Translation Program, and the FLAD Legislative Internships for Luso-descendants.

FLAD's go-to-market is direct application-based grants to beneficiaries and institutional partnerships with Portuguese universities (University of Lisbon, U.Porto, Catholic University, ISCTE, NOVA, UAc) and US host institutions (Georgetown, Brown, UMass Lowell), as well as policy partners such as the German Marshall Fund, Policy Center for the New South, the US Embassy in Portugal, FCT, Camões Institute, and diaspora organizations including CPAC and PALCUS. The foundation runs an estimated 15+ active programs with grant sizes ranging from 1,200 euros/week (artist residencies) to 250,000 euros (Science Award Atlantic). Outreach and beneficiary engagement are delivered through a content-marketing layer comprising the official website, newsletter, three podcasts (Atlantic Talks, Era uma vez duas pessoas, O Burro e o Elefante), social media, events, and media partnerships with Expresso, SIC, and Observador.

FLAD is led by President Nuno Morais Sarmento, with an Executive Board that includes Elsa Henriques and Michael Baum, an Education Director (Ricardo Pereira), and a new administrator (Carlos Costa Neves, appointed April 2026). The foundation employs 11-50 staff and reported more than 500,000 euros in scholarships and awards to 46 students in 2021, with the SiPN having placed 2,000+ US students across 100+ US universities since launch. No revenue or endowment figures are publicly disclosed; FLAD operates without subsidiaries, parent entities, or commercial product lines, and has no AI/ML technology stack of its own.

Name

Fundação Luso-Americana para o Desenvolvimento

Legal name

Fundação Luso-Americana para o Desenvolvimento

Website

https://flad.pt

Company type

Private

Founded year

1985

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

FLAD is a Portuguese non-profit foundation established in 1985 that promotes Portugal-US cooperation through grants, scholarships, awards, and cultural programs across science, education, art, and transatlantic relations, serving researchers, students, artists, and the Portuguese-American diaspora.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Foundation Grants and Transatlantic Cooperation Programs

NAICS

Grantmaking and Giving Services (81321), Research and Development in the Social Sciences and Humanities (541720)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200), Services-Engineering, Accounting, Research, Management (8700)

akta.pro primary industry

Country/Region-Specific Scholarships (Inbound/Outbound) (EDAIAOAC)

akta.pro secondary industries

Research Grants, Fellowships & Stipends (International) (EDAIAOAJ), Donor-Advised Fund (DAF) Sponsors (BPAGAKAF), International Student Funding & Mobility Grants Administration (EDADAHAL)

Keywords

• Bilateral development cooperation
• Transatlantic educational exchange
• Research grants and scholarships
• Cultural exchange programs
• Nonprofit foundation grants

Headquarters

HQ city

Lisbon

HQ country

Portugal

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Others, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure

Pricing tiers

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels9 records

Core offering

FLAD is a bilateral foundation that funds and administers scholarship, grant, award, and exchange programs that connect Portuguese and U.S. individuals and institutions across Science and Technology, Education, Art and Culture, and Transatlantic Relations. Its outputs include competitive research prizes (e.g., FLAD Science Award Atlantic, Atlantic Security Award), study-abroad and academic cooperation programs (Study in Portugal Network, UP Higher Education Program), cultural and artistic support programs (Flechada, Drawing Award, Translation Program, Artist Residencies, Meet the Author), and community/policy engagement programs (Legislative Internships, FLAD Summer Program in the Azores, Rui Machete Award), supplemented by podcasts and events.

Product overview

Fundação Luso-Americana para o Desenvolvimento (FLAD) is a bilateral foundation promoting cooperation between Portugal and the United States. The organization operates as a grants and programs foundation offering support across four main areas: Science and Technology, Education, Art and Culture, and Transatlantic Relations. FLAD's product portfolio includes: scholarship programs (Study in Portugal Network, artist residencies, research grants), awards (FLAD Science Award Atlantic, Atlantic Security Award, Political Science Award, Drawing Award, Rui Machete Award), cultural programs (Flechada for emerging artists, Translation Program, Meet the Author), and podcasts (Atlantic Talks, Era uma vez duas pessoas, O Burro e o Elefante). The foundation serves as a bridge between both countries through funding, exchange programs, and cultural initiatives.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Study in Portugal Network (SiPN) Multi-institutional program that helps North American students integrate into Portuguese universities and learn about Portuguese culture through semester, summer, and year-long study-abroad pathways, partnering with over 100 U.S. universities and major Portuguese institutions (University of Lisbon, U.Porto, Catholic University, ISCTE, Nova University, University of the Azores).
• Flechada – Support Program for First Solo Exhibitions Program that supports emerging artists aged 24-31 (Portuguese nationals or Portugal residents of 5+ years) who have not yet held a solo exhibition, providing grants of up to 5,000 euros per artist and access to partner exhibition venues such as the Galeria Municipal do Porto.
• FLAD Science Award Atlantic Competitive research prize recognizing projects dedicated to Atlantic ecosystems and their sustainable exploitation, worth 250,000 euros for up to 3 years of research, targeted at young researchers whose PhDs were awarded no more than 8 years ago and who are affiliated with FCT-recognized Portuguese research centers.
• Atlantic Security Award Award for researchers focused on security and defense challenges in the Atlantic, with 15,000 euros disbursed per researcher (2 researchers selected per edition).
• FLAD Political Science Award Prize rewarding the best master's thesis in Political Science and International Relations, with winners participating in the APSA congress in the USA.
• FLAD Drawing Award Annual award for drawing in Portugal, worth 20,000 euros for the winner plus a 2,000 euros production grant per finalist, organized in partnership with Drawing Room Lisboa.
• FLAD Translation Program Program supporting the translation of literary works between Portuguese and English to promote Portuguese authors in the U.S. market and American authors in Portugal.
• Artist Residency Scholarships in the USA Grants supporting artists aged 25-35 to develop artistic residencies at North American institutions, with funding up to 1,200 euros per week for up to 4 months.
• Meet the Author FLAD program promoting meetings between North American authors and Portuguese audiences through conversations and public events.
• FLAD Legislative Internships

Quantifiable outcome

• 2,000+ students placed through Study in Portugal Network
• +2 more outcomes

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles5 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

21 partnerships are on record, tiered core, major and minor.

• University of Porto (U.Porto)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 21 May 2026New partnership expanding the Study in Portugal Network (SiPN) to Porto. Develops semester, summer, and year-long study opportunities for U.S. students, as well as research and internship pathways.
• University of LisboncoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerFounding partner of Study in Portugal Network, welcoming US students for study abroad programs since launch
• Catholic University of Portugal-LisboncoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner institution in Study in Portugal Network since its launch
• ISCTE - University Institute of LisboncoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner institution in Study in Portugal Network since its launch
• NOVA University of Lisbon (UNL)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner institution in Study in Portugal Network since its launch
• ÁGORA – Cultura e Desporto do PortocoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership for Flechada program allowing exhibition at Galeria Municipal do Porto
• Georgetown UniversitycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerHost institution for FLAD Visiting Professor program, with Portuguese professors lecturing each year
• UMass LowellcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerHost institution for FLAD/Saab Visiting Professor program in Criminology, Film Studies, History, Philosophy, Political Science, Portuguese Studies, Sociology/Anthropology
• Brown UniversitycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerHost institution for FLAD Visiting Professors
• German Marshall Fund of the United StatesmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCo-organizer of Atlantic Strategy Group meetings; FLAD is an associate partner for organizing transatlantic dialogue events
• Policy Center for the New SouthmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCo-organizer with German Marshall Fund of Atlantic Strategy Group meetings on Atlantic economy
• California Portuguese American Coalition (CPAC)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerAssociation of Portuguese-American politicians and civic leaders working on representation and defense of Luso-American community interests
• Portuguese-American Leadership Council of the United States (PALCUS)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner in promoting Portuguese ancestry recognition and community representation in the US
• Fulbright CommissionmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerLogo partner on FLAD website, indicating collaboration in educational exchange programs
• UAc - University of the AzorescoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner for FLAD Summer Program in the Azores and Study in Portugal Network expansion
• Pedro Nunes Institute (IPN)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaborates with FLAD to host Johns Hopkins University students for startup incubation programs
• Serralves FoundationminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCultural partner, logo visible on FLAD website
• U.S. Embassy in PortugalmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerDiplomatic partner, logo visible on FLAD website
• FCT - Foundation for Science and TechnologymajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPortuguese science funding body, logo visible on FLAD website
• Government of the AzorescoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner in FLAD Summer Program – Azores for young Portuguese-Americans
• Camões InstitutemajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner in promoting Portuguese language in the USA, signed agreement on World Portuguese Language Day 2020

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• DAAD (German Academic Exchange Service): Germany's flagship bilateral academic exchange organization — analogous to FLAD's UP Ensino Superior and SiPN programs but for Germany-US/Germany-global academic mobility.
• German Marshall Fund of the United States: Transatlantic policy foundation that FLAD already partners with on the Atlantic Strategy Group; comparable mandate of fostering US-Europe relations through grants, fellowships, and convenings.
• Konrad-Adenauer-Stiftung: German political foundation operating internationally in civic education and transatlantic policy; structurally analogous to FLAD's Transatlantic Relations and Atlantic Security Award programs.
• Fulbright Commission Portugal: The Portugal-specific Fulbright Commission operates the most well-known bilateral Portugal-US educational exchange programs, directly overlapping FLAD's scholarship and academic partnership mandate.
• Institute of International Education (IIE): US-headquartered organization administering major international exchange programs (Fulbright, Gilman); closely comparable to FLAD's role in facilitating US-Portugal student and scholar mobility.
• Camões – Instituto da Cooperação e da Língua: Portuguese public institution promoting Portuguese language and culture abroad; FLAD is a partner and its cultural diplomacy remit overlaps directly with FLAD's Art & Culture programs.

Broad incumbents

• British Council: UK cultural relations organization promoting education, English language, and arts worldwide; comparable to FLAD's broad cultural-and-educational diplomacy mandate at significantly larger scale.

Regional players

• Fundação Oriente: Portuguese bilateral foundation focused on Portugal-Asia cultural and educational ties; operates a similar grants-and-scholarships model but on a different geographic axis.
• Luso-American Foundation (USA-side counterpart organizations): US-based Portuguese-American civic organizations such as PALCUS and CPAC that partner with FLAD to engage the Luso-descendant community; comparable diaspora-engagement mission from the US side.
• Fundação Calouste Gulbenkian: Portugal's largest philanthropic foundation, with comparable programmatic areas in arts, science, and education but a global rather than bilateral mandate and substantially larger endowment.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/FLAD_PT
• Facebookfacebook.com/FundacaoLusoAmericana
• Instagraminstagram.com/flad.pt

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles6 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Fundação Luso-Americana para o Desenvolvimento