Caixa Mais Mundo Awards

Editions of the Caixa Mais Mundo Awards

CGD establishes a close bond with the Portuguese academic world through cooperation and partnership agreements signed with higher education institutions and by following up on students’ life cycle.

The university sector is a strategic line of action for CGD and has inspired the launch of the Caixa Mais Mundo Awards, as the Bank prioritizes Education and Knowledge.

The Caixa Mais Mundo awards aim to reward the academic merit of students who have finished high school and encourage them to pursue their studies and promote equal opportunities in the access to higher education.

Seventh Edition

In the 7th edition of the Caixa Mais Mundo Awards, Caixa Geral de Depósitos (CGD) will once again reward the Portuguese students who achieved the highest grades, both in the national competition for access to public higher education, as well as in the private institutions that have protocols signed with CGD, in a ceremony that will take place on 3 April, at 3 pm, in the Emílio Rui Vilar Auditorium, at Culturgest.

The Caixa Mais Mundo Awards aim to value the effort and excellence of young people who have finished secondary school and encourage the pursuit of their studies in higher education institutions across the country. In this edition, Caixa reaffirms this commitment by increasing the total amount awarded and ensuring the renewal of scholarships granted to students rewarded in previous editions.

With a focus on meeting the United Nations Sustainable Development Goal #4 - Quality education, Caixa has already supported 1410 students over the course of the six previous editions, with a total investment of €1.6 million, thus creating opportunities for more students, including those from the most financially vulnerable social groups, to pursue their studies in Higher Education institutions, offering equal opportunities to all and preparing the citizens of the future.

The Prizes and Scholarships were awarded to 600 students and are broken down into four categories:

I. 150 academic merit-based prizes - 1,000€ each;

II.50 merit-based prizes for students in vocational courses, aimed at students who have completed vocational courses and pursued their studies in higher education institutions – 1,000€ each;

III.40 merit-based prizes for students from Portuguese-speaking countries, aimed at students from Angola, Cape Verde, Guinea-Bissau, Mozambique, East Timor and São Tomé and Príncipe, who have completed secondary education in Portugal and enrolled in higher education institutions – 1,000€ each;

IV.360 social support-based scholarships:
- 140 scholarships for students receiving social action scholarships from the Directorate-General for Higher Education (DGES) in the current academic year (2024/2025) – 1,500 € each;
- 120 scholarships for students who received scholarships from the 6th edition (2023/2024) – 1,500 € each;
- 100 scholarships for students who received scholarships from the 5th edition (2022/2023) – 1,500 € each.

Nation-wide, awards were assigned to students from public and private higher education with protocols signed with CGD in the 2024/2025 school year and which can be found in this file (Portuguese only).

Maintaining the eligibility criteria of previous editions, Caixa approved an increase in the total amount of the Award, making it possible to expand the number of Merit Prizes and Social Support Scholarships to be awarded, as well as increase their unit value, as stated in the Regulations (Portuguese only).

Summary of the Editions of the Caixa Mais Mundo Awards:

2024/2025 school year	600 merit-based prizes	780,000€ to be awarded
2023/2024 school year	480 merit-based prizes	600,000€ awarded
2022/2023 school year	300 merit-based prizes	300,000€ awarded
2021/2022 school year	300 merit-based prizes	300,000€ awarded
2020/2021 school year	150 merit-based prizes	150,000€ awarded
2019/2020 school year	100 merit-based prizes	150,000€ awarded
2018/2019 school year	80 merit-based prizes	120,000€ awarded

Sixth Edition

Once again, CGD rewards the 480 best students admitted via the national college entrance exam (CNA) for the 2023/2024 school year, and enrolled in public higher education institutions, as well as private higher education institutions, with protocols signed with CGD.

These awards translate CGD’s commitment to investing in Higher Education, by rewarding not only academic merit but also creating opportunities for students that are more financially vulnerable and whose school performance manifests their willingness to pursue higher education and actively contribute to a more equal, fair and socially responsible society.

Focusing on the United Nations Sustainable Development Goal #4 – Quality Education, Caixa has already supported, over the six editions, 1,410 students, with a total investment of €1.8M, thus creating opportunities for more students, including those from more financially vulnerable social groups, to pursue Higher Education, providing all of them with equal opportunities and preparing the citizens of the Future.

This year, for the first time, a wide range of personalities with notable contributions to the socio-economic, cultural, political and scientific development of the country over recent decades, have been associated to this Award, namely: Américo Amorim, André Jordan, Aníbal Cavaco Silva, António Ramalho Eanes, Eduardo Paz Ferreira, Eduardo Souto Moura, Emílio Rui Vilar, Fernando Namora, Francisco Pinto Balsemão, Gonçalo M. Tavares, Jorge Sampaio, Jorge de Mello, José Manuel de Mello, José Manuel Durão Barroso, D. José Tolentino de Mendonça, Leonor Beleza, Manuel António Mota, D. Manuel Clemente, Manuel de Oliveira Violas, Maria de Jesus Barroso, Mário Soares, Sophia de Mello Breyner, José Saramago and Rui Nabeiro.

Within this scope, the eligibility criteria have been maintained, with the following breakdown:

150 academic merit-based prizes (+40) » amount: 1,000€ each;
140 social support-based scholarships » amount: 1,500€ each;
100 social support-based scholarships for students from the 2022/2023 edition (new) » amount: 1,500€ each;
50 merit-based prizes for vocational education students » amount: 1,000€ each;
40 merit-based prizes for students from Portuguese-speaking African Countries (PALOP) » amount: 1,000€ each.

Nation-wide, the students from the following higher education institutions have been rewarded:

Public Higer Education Institutions:

Universidade do Algarve
Universidade de Aveiro
Universidade do Minho
Universidade do Porto
Universidade Beira Interior
Universidade de Évora
Universidade de Lisboa
Universidade Nova de Lisboa - Faculdade de Ciências e Tecnologia
ISCTE - Instituto Universitário de Lisboa
Escola Superior de Enfermagem de Lisboa (ESEL)
Escola Superior Náutica Infante D. Henrique
Escola Superior de Hotelaria e Turismo do Estoril - ESHTE
Instituto Politécnico de Bragança
Instituto Politécnico de Coimbra
Instituto Politécnico de Leiria
Instituto Politécnico de Lisboa
Instituto Politécnico de Portalegre
Instituto Politécnico do Porto
Instituto Politécnico de Santarém
Instituto Politécnico de Viseu

Private Higer Education Institutions:

Universidade Católica Portuguesa
Grupo Universidade Lusófona
Universidade Atlântica
Universidade Fernando Pessoa
Instituto Superior de Psicologia Aplicada (ISPA)

Keeping the eligibility criteria applied in previous editions, Caixa approved the increase in the total amount of the Prize, making it possible to increase the number of merit-based prizes and Social Support Scholarships to be awarded, as well as the increase in their unit value, as stated in the Regulations (Portuguese version only) + Report (Video published in Caixa Geral de Depósitos – YouTube).

Fith Edition

Once again, CGD rewards the 300 best Portuguese students admitted via the national college entrance exam (CNA) and enrolled in public higher education institutions with protocols signed with CGD, with individual prizes amounting to 1,000€.

110 academic merit-based prizes for the best students of Portuguese citizenship enrolled in bachelor’s degrees or higher education vocational courses (CTeSP) and who have successfully completed regular secondary education (science/humanities);
130 social support-based prizes for the best students of Portuguese citizenship enrolled in bachelor’s degrees or higher education vocational courses (CTeSP) and who can produce evidence of their economic difficulties (according to the DGES’ award criteria) and have successfully completed regular secondary education (science/humanities);
40 merit-based prizes for vocational education students for the best students of Portuguese citizenship enrolled in bachelor’s degrees or vocational education (CTeSP) and who have successfully completed vocational courses at secondary school level;
20 merit-based prizes for students from Portuguese-speaking African Countries (PALOP) and East Timor: best students of PALOP (Angola, Cape Verde, Guinea-Bissau, Mozambique, São Tomé and Príncipe) and Timorese citizenship, enrolled in bachelor’s degrees or higher education vocational courses (CTeSP) and who have successfully completed regular secondary education in Portugal.

Over the course of its five editions, Caixa has already supported 930 students with a total investment of €1.020 million, creating opportunities for more students, namely more financially vulnerable social groups, to continue their higher education studies, offering equal opportunities for everyone and preparing the citizens of the future.

Learn more about the Caixa Mais Mundo Awards that CGD has awarded to the best students admitted through the national entrance exam for the 2022/2023 school year.

Fourth Edition

For the fourth consecutive year, Caixa Geral de Depósitos rewards students with its Caixa Mais Mundo Awards, amounting to 300,000 €. Caixa Geral de Depósitos has rewarded the academic merit of students who enrolled in public higher education institutions with protocols signed with CGD, via the national college entrance exam, during the 2021/2022 school year.

In a year still impacted by the pandemic, where social inequalities have increased, CGD has doubled the number of award winners to 300 students, with prizes amounting to 1,000€, making it possible for more students with less favorable socioeconomic conditions to carry on their academic life cycle in higher education institutions, thus contributing to the achievement of the UN Sustainable Development Goal #4, Quality Education.

On 29 March, at 6 p.m., the award-winning ceremony shall take place at Culturgest’s Main Auditorium. Mr. Paulo Moita de Macedo, Chairman of the Executive Committee of Caixa Geral de Depósitos and Mr. António Farinha de Morais, Chairman of the Board of Directors of Caixa Geral de Depósitos, shall attend the event.

This award is inserted within the scope of the Caixa Social program, which establishes that Education and Knowledge, focused on the support to Higher Education, as one of its strategic lines of action, contributing to building a fairer, more solidary society that is sustainable, offering equal opportunities to everyone and preparing the citizens of the future.

CGD is a leading and innovative bank in its relationship with the academic world, and it is also the Portuguese financial institution that has made a strong connection with Higher Education for the longest, and is always mindful, in its offer and in its commercial relationship, of the challenges and needs of academic communities.

Since 1994, the program Caixa IU – Institutes and Universities has allowed for establishing commercial relationships with over one million students, who are part of one of CGD’s strategic segments.
CGD has come to strengthen its leadership within the University segment, establishing partnerships and cooperation agreements with over 40 nation-wide Higher Education Institutions.

The prizes awarded fall into 4 categories: academic merit-based prizes, social support merit-based prizes, merit-based prizes for students attending technical courses and merit-based prizes for students from Portuguese-speaking African countries (PALOP).

Nationwide prizes were awarded to students from the Higher Education institutions (learn which ones here - Portuguese version).

Third Edition

Once again, CGD rewards the 150 best national students who enrolled in public higher education institutions with protocols signed with CGD, via the national college entrance exam, during the 2020/2021 school year, with individual prizes amounting to 1,000€. The award criteria were maintained, as follows (Regulations – Portuguese only):

40 merit-based scholarships for national students enrolled in bachelor’s degrees, integrated master’s degrees and higher education technical courses;
40 social support-based scholarships for national students enrolled in bachelor’s degrees, integrated master’s degrees and higher education technical courses that prove to have financial difficulties preventing them from attending higher education (according to the criteria set out by the Portuguese Higher Education System);
30 merit-based prizes for students who have graduated from technical courses and carried on their studies in Higher Education Institutions;
40 merit-based prizes for students who have enrolled in Portuguese higher education institutions and concluded their bachelor’s degrees or integrated master’s degrees from the following Portuguese-speaking African countries: Angola, Cape Verde, Guinea-Bissau, Mozambique, Timor, São Tomé and Príncipe.

In this edition, a CGD provided a larger amount of merit prizes, which will be of the utmost importance as a means to help students with financial needs carry on with their studies and as a way to make up for for school-related accrued expenses.

Second Edition

In view of the success of the first edition, CGD once more rewards students enrolled in higher education institutions via the national college entrance exam during the 2019/2020 school year.

On the second edition of the Caixa Mais Mundo Awards 100 merit prizes will be assigned, each amounting to 1,500€, according to the following criteria:

40 merit-based scholarships for students with the highest grades enrolled in bachelor’s degrees, integrated master’s degrees and higher education technical courses during the 2019/2020 school year;
20 social support-based scholarships for students enrolled in bachelor’s degrees and integrated master’s degrees during the 2019/2020 school year;
20 merit-based prizes for students who have graduated from technical courses during the 2019/2020 school year;
20 merit-based prizes for students enrolled in bachelor’s degrees or integrated master’s degrees during the 2019/2020 school year from the following Portuguese-speaking African countries: Angola, Cape Verde, Guinea-Bissau, Mozambique, Timor, São Tomé and Príncipe.

Click here to know more about the Caixa Mais Mundo Awards with which students from Higher Education institutions were rewarded in 2020.

First Edition

The first edition of the Caixa Mais Mundo awards has rewarded the 80 best national students who enrolled in higher education institutions with protocols signed with CGD, via the national college entrance exam, during the 2018/2019 school year. Forty awards were assigned to Universities and 40 awards to technical schools, and given to students enrolled in bachelor’s degrees or integrated master’s degrees and to students enrolled in technical courses, amounting to a total of 80 awards.

Each 1,500€ prize aimed to reward academic merit and encourage students to pursue their academic careers.

The first edition of the award-giving ceremony, which also included merit diplomas, took place on 6 May, at CGD’s Head Office.

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Caixa Mais Mundo Awards

Editions of the Caixa Mais Mundo Awards