GEPAC – Office for Cultural Strategy, Planning and Assessment, a body of the Ministry of Culture, Youth and Sport, has successfully implemented a complete digital system to operationalize the new Support Program for Projects of Cultural Merit. Based on Masterlink’s no-code platform, and within a period of just 3 days, it was possible to launch the application portal, build the evaluation engine, and ensure a scalable model for future editions.
In summary:
- Deadline: online portal in 3 days
- Volume: 523 applications started, 292 submitted
- Amounts: €21.5M in registered projects
- Capabilities: submission + validation/evaluation back office + indicators and reporting
Key Benefits
1. Record implementation time with full functionality
The system went from political approval to real operation in just 3 days, ensuring not only the receipt of applications but also the capacity for validation, analysis, and reporting in a timely manner. Without increasing the team and with end-to-end traceability, GEPAC now has operational control and real-time indicators for management and reporting.
2. Intuitive interface and direct communication with candidates
Submission, monitoring, and interactions between candidates and the technical team now take place in a centralized, secure, and transparent manner, with a history recorded in the system and without document exchanges outside the system.
3. Scalable and reusable model for new programs
The solution created is adaptable to other cultural support programs. GEPAC now has a solid, flexible digital infrastructure designed to grow with the future challenges of cultural policy.
The challenge: creating a program from scratch, with no time to lose
The Support Program for Projects of Cultural Merit emerged as a priority political measure, but without a previous history, defined processes, or an implemented system. GEPAC received the green light on October 14 and, 3 days later, the application portal was online.
“We had a very specific challenge and an almost impossible deadline. The process was still being defined, but applications had to open immediately.” — Hermínia Miranda, ICT Management Nucleus Coordinator, GEPAC
With a small internal team and requirements still evolving, the focus was on quickly creating a functional system and, in parallel, adjusting the internal validation and evaluation flows.
“No-code gave us the speed; daily collaboration with GEPAC gave us the direction.” — Pedro Fonseca, Service Management, Masterlink
The solution: flexible technology with a focus on the user
The answer lay in the Masterlink no-code platform, already in use in other areas of GEPAC. The new solution was designed in close collaboration between the program team and Masterlink’s functional consultancy, ensuring:
- Application portal with secure authentication and intuitive completion
- Two-way communication with candidates (no emails, attachments, or noise)
- Differentiated profiles for various internal roles (validation, evaluation, external opinions)
- Automatic recording of all process stages, with traceability and consistency
- Generation of reports and indicators to support political decision-making
- Automatic prioritization of applications based on merit criteria
- Audit trail and evidence per application (who did what, when, and with what support)
- Integration with existing systems (where applicable) through services/APIs, for routing and archiving
“We started by getting it running and fine-tuned it as the process took shape. The technology already existed, but what made the difference was the joint and agile work between the teams.” — Hermínia Miranda, GEPAC
The work was developed in close collaboration between GEPAC and Masterlink, with continuous interaction and frequent validation throughout the process.
The construction of the solution also made it possible to ensure compliance and continuous validation throughout the entire process, ensuring alignment with legal requirements and the operational requirements defined for the program, including those for reporting to the oversight body.
The solution was adjusted as the process evolved, always maintaining a robust technical base, already validated in other public projects. The fact that the infrastructure runs in the cloud, under Masterlink’s PaaS subscription, allowed for adapting, scaling, and launching features in real time, without compromising stability or security.
“Without cloud and auto-scaling, we would hardly have this comfort during submission peaks. The infrastructure adjusted automatically to the load — without human intervention.” — Daniel Gomes, CEO, Masterlink
“We moved forward in short cycles. The real challenge was not technological, it was one of management and learning: helping a team transform a new program into a governable and transparent process.” — Pedro Fonseca, Masterlink
Immediate results and real impact
The system was put online in just 3 days, with a functional and operational form. In the following weeks, the internal validation and evaluation engine was built, with full visibility over the process and complete traceability.
Program indicators:
- 523 applications started
- 292 applications successfully submitted
- 231 applications started but not completed
- €21.5M in registered cultural projects
One of the most valued aspects during the process was the system’s ability to provide updated and reliable status reports to the oversight body, even with the program in full operation. This real-time visibility was essential to ensure political monitoring, informed decision-making, and effective public communication.
“Managing this volume manually would be practically impossible within the defined deadlines. The solution allowed for total real-time visibility and an almost zero learning curve.” — Hermínia Miranda, GEPAC
Conclusion: when technology and decision-making work side by side
The GEPAC case demonstrates that it is possible to transform political decisions into concrete action in record time, provided there is flexible technology, collaborative teams, and a focus on the essentials.
More than a successful project, this implementation marks the beginning of a new phase in the digital transformation of culture in Portugal — a reference model for public programs that demand agility, rigor, and impact.
“We created a scalable model that can be reused. This is just the beginning of the digital transformation of cultural support.” — Hermínia Miranda, GEPAC
The relationship between the teams was decisive: “We worked as one team. Everything was thought out in short cycles, with a focus on the essentials and total adaptability.”
— Pedro Fonseca, Masterlink
The system was prepared as a reusable base for future editions and new programs. The same model can be applied to other support programs with minimal adaptation (forms, rules, validations, and reporting), maintaining speed, traceability, and control.
“What we did here can be replicated with minimal adjustments. That is real efficiency.” — Pedro Fonseca, Masterlink
“The GEPAC case shows that the right technology, with a joint way of working, quickly transforms political decisions into action with impact.” — Daniel Gomes, Masterlink
