RVer
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Funding and procurement

How to pay for RVer.
And how to procure it.

The funding routes that suit your institution, the procurement procedure that applies and the documents your board will ask for. All on one page, checked in October 2026. The routes and rules are Portuguese.

Short answer: RVer is an annual service: the headsets belong to RVer and the institution buys no equipment. It goes in as an operating expense, and can be paid from the institution’s own budget, through corporate giving (since August 2026, donations to IPSS for social purposes count at 140% for the company), through foundation awards or by the municipal council. In a public hospital or a council, procurement follows the Public Contracts Code: since 1 October 2026, direct award for services applies below €75,000.

ForBoards, procurement and finance teams

01Find the funding route

Choose the type of institution. We show the routes that usually work, what each one asks for and what RVer prepares for you.

9 routes for IPSS or Misericórdia

  • Operating budget

    Always available

    RVer is an annual service, not an equipment purchase: the headsets belong to RVer. So it goes in as an operating expense, in the same budget as activities and contracted services, with no upfront investment and no depreciation.

    Who can use it
    Any institution.
    When
    At any time.
    What RVer prepares
    A written proposal listing what is included, ready for the board.

  • Social Security cooperation agreements

    Always available

    This is not an application. The per-user contribution for social services under agreement (residential care, day centres, home support) helps pay for running those services, and RVer fits there as an operating expense of the activity plan. In the Azores and Madeira the same applies to agreements with ISSA and ISSM.

    Who can use it
    IPSS and Misericórdias with a cooperation agreement in force.
    When
    Part of the annual budget.
    What RVer prepares
    A session log per social service, for the activity report.

  • Corporate giving (mecenato social)

    At any time

    A company makes a donation to the institution, and the institution contracts the service. Since August 2026 (Decree-Law 167/2026), donations to IPSS for exclusively social purposes count as a company expense at 140% of their value, up to 1% of turnover. For the company it is support with a tax benefit; for the institution, RVer is paid for.

    Who can use it
    IPSS and Misericórdias; also the State and local authorities (Article 62 of the Tax Benefits Statute).
    When
    At any time.
    What RVer prepares
    A project page to show the donor and an annual session report.

  • BPI Fundação «la Caixa» Seniors Award

    Annual

    An annual call for projects that promote the autonomy and wellbeing of people aged 65 and over, at home and in the community. The 2026 edition closed applications on 14 May.

    Who can use it
    Private non-profit organisations.
    When
    Annual, applications in spring.
    What RVer prepares
    A technical description of the service and a summary of the published evidence, for the application.

    Official site ↗

  • Fidelidade Comunidade Award

    Annual

    An annual call for social organisations working on active ageing, inclusion of people with disabilities and preventive health. It favours joint applications. The 2025 edition took applications until 28 November.

    Who can use it
    Social organisations, mostly IPSS and associations.
    When
    Annual, applications in autumn.
    What RVer prepares
    A technical description of the service and a summary of the published evidence, for the application.

    Official site ↗

  • Social Innovation Partnerships

    When a call opens

    Calls from Portugal Inovação Social 2030, opened by the regional programmes (in 2026 there were calls in the Alentejo and the Algarve, for example). They fund social innovation projects with a social investor co-funding them, which pairs well with a corporate donor. RVer can be part of a wider project; eligible costs are those set by each call.

    Who can use it
    Social economy organisations with a social investor.
    When
    When a call opens.
    What RVer prepares
    A technical description and output indicators (sessions, users, social services).

    Official site ↗

  • Municipal council

    Annual

    Many councils have support schemes for local institutions, with annual applications. Others contract the service directly for the care homes and day centres in the municipality, and the institution only has to host the sessions.

    Who can use it
    Local IPSS; the council itself, when it contracts.
    When
    Usually once a year, with the municipal budget.
    What RVer prepares
    A proposal for the council meeting, per municipality.

    Read the article →

  • Local corporate social responsibility

    At any time

    Local companies back a specific, named project: a room, an inpatient ward, the users of a day centre. It can be done as corporate giving, with the tax benefit above.

    Who can use it
    Any institution with a defined project.
    When
    At any time.
    What RVer prepares
    A project page to show the company and an annual session report.

  • Recovery and Resilience Plan (PRR)

    Closed

    PRR implementation ended on 31 August 2026. There are no new calls for social services. It is listed here because it is one of the first questions we get.

    Who can use it
    No longer applies.
    When
    Closed.

Rules, calls and deadlines change. Always check with the managing body, and with your accountant for corporate giving, before going ahead.

02Which procurement procedure applies

It depends on who is buying. The value that counts is the whole contract, renewals included.

Hospitals, ULS and municipal councils

They follow the Public Contracts Code. Since 1 October 2026 (Decree-Law 177/2026), for services, direct award applies below €75,000 and prior consultation, inviting at least three suppliers, below €130,000.

IPSS and Misericórdias

They fall under the Code when more than half of the year’s revenue comes from public funding (Article 2(2)(a)). This is checked year by year, in the institution’s accounts. Otherwise it is an ordinary service contract.

Private care homes, clinics and hospitals

An ordinary service contract, with no public procedure.

In every case, RVer answers the invitation in the format the buyer asks for and supplies the device documentation.

03From first contact to first session

The usual path, and who does what.

  1. 01
    Check that it fits

    For which users, in which departments or social services, with what aim. RVer sends the published evidence for that area.

  2. 02
    Involve the team

    Who will run the sessions, and with which users. RVer holds a remote briefing call and sends the instructions for use, with the intended purpose and contraindications.

  3. 03
    Choose the funding route

    One of the routes above, or more than one: corporate giving combines with almost all of them.

  4. 04
    Get board approval

    A decision by the board, the mesa administrativa or the hospital board. RVer sends a written proposal stating what is included and what RVer does not do.

  5. 05
    Contract

    Using the procedure that applies to your institution (section 02).

  6. 06
    Receive the configured equipment

    The headsets arrive with the library installed, ready to use with no internet. Team training is remote and included. The headsets remain RVer’s, and maintenance is ours.

04Documents your board will ask for

The public ones open now. Templates come as PDF, to read, and Word, to fill in. We send the other documents on request, to hi@rver.pt.

  • Infarmed registrationClass I medical device, CDM no. 94571546 (base product).
    PublicOpen →
  • EUDAMED registrationEuropean database on medical devices. Submitted, pending approval.
    Pending approval
  • EU Declaration of ConformityCE marking under MDR 2017/745, self-declared by the manufacturer.
    On requestRequest →
  • Device labelManufacturer, symbols and CE marking.
    On requestRequest →
  • DPIA template (data protection)Data protection impact assessment pre-filled with what RVer does, for the institution’s DPO to complete. In Portuguese.
    PublicPDFWord
  • Tender specification templateClauses and functional, brand-neutral specifications for Portuguese public procurement. In Portuguese.
    PublicPDFWord
  • Instructions for useIntended purpose, contraindications and use.
    PublicOpen →
  • Equipment specificationsMeta Quest 3, 512 GB, and why it was chosen.
    PublicOpen →
  • Hygiene checklistBefore, between users and at the end of the day.
    PublicOpen →
  • Implementation guidesOne per setting: hospital, care home, palliative care, spa.
    PublicOpen →
  • Privacy and data protectionWho processes data and what is kept.
    PublicOpen →
  • Study libraryPublished research on virtual reality in healthcare.
    PublicOpen →

05Frequently asked questions

What people ask us about paying for and procuring RVer.

Can a company pay for an IPSS’s RVer service through corporate giving?

Yes. The company makes a donation to the institution, and the institution contracts the service. Since August 2026 (Decree-Law 167/2026), donations to IPSS for exclusively social purposes count as a company expense at 140% of their value, up to 1% of turnover. Check the tax treatment with the company’s accountant.

Does an IPSS have to follow the Public Contracts Code to procure RVer?

Only if more than half of that year’s revenue comes from public funding: then the IPSS counts as a contracting authority (Article 2(2)(a) of the Code). It is checked year by year, in the accounts. Otherwise it is an ordinary service contract.

Which procedure does a public hospital use to procure RVer?

The Public Contracts Code procedure that matches the contract value, renewals included. Since 1 October 2026, for services, direct award applies below €75,000 and prior consultation below €130,000.

Is there still PRR funding for virtual reality in care homes?

No. PRR implementation ended on 31 August 2026 and there are no new calls. The routes still open are the operating budget, corporate giving, foundation awards, the municipal council and Portugal 2030 social innovation calls.

Does the institution have to buy the virtual reality headsets?

No. RVer is a service: the headsets belong to RVer, arrive configured, maintenance is ours and team training is included. That is why it is an operating expense rather than an investment.

How much does RVer cost?

The price depends on the number of departments and headsets, and we give it in a conversation. The licence is per institution with one headset included, and each additional headset costs less than the first.

Tell us your type of institution and the route you are considering. We reply within 48 hours.

Talk to the team