The House of Tomar approved a financial support of 35 thousand euros to the Professional School of the municipality, which faces cash difficulties, and is preparing the sale of the company that owns the establishment.
© Shutterstock
22/10/2026
by
Lusa
A Câmara de Tomar approved a financial operation of 35,000 euros to support the Municipal Professional School, which presents cash difficulties, and is preparing the sale of the company that owns the educational establishment.
“ The school is in a complicated position, from the financial point of view ", said the president of the municipality, Tiago Carrão, at the latest executive meeting, on Monday, justifying the need for urgent intervention to ensure the continuity of the activity.
The Professional School of Tomar, in the district of Santarém, is managed by the EPT – Professional Education of Tomar, Lda., a company in which the municipality holds 50% of the capital, and the disposal of all social participations through public auction is planned.
According to Tiago Carrão (PSD), the institution recorded a negative result of around €70,000 in the financial year 2025, which led the school administration to request financial support to ensure operation in the coming months.
The operation approved by the Chamber, amounting to EUR 34,842,81, corresponds to the municipal participation in a regularisation of the company’s equity capital to meet the immediate liquidity needs.
“It’s a necessity, it’s imperative. Otherwise, the school will have very, very big difficulties in the coming months in terms of liquidity and treasury”, warned the mayor.
The President explained that the operation was defined after consultations with the municipal services and legal advice, taking into account the period necessary until the possible acquisition of the school by a new entity.
Asked by socialist councilman Hugo Cristóvão on the participation of the other partners in the financial operation, Tiago Carrão recognized that there are no guarantees that the other entities will follow the municipal effort.
“We do not have the guarantee that it will happen,” he said, admitting that the participation of the other partners may prove more complex.
The mayor argued, however, that the municipality must assume its responsibility as a partner, to ensure that the school has the means to continue functioning until the divestiture process is completed.
The proposal was unanimously approved by the municipal executive.
The operation follows the decision, approved in September by the House and later by the Municipal Assembly, to proceed with the sale of all the capital of EPT, with a base value of 100 thousand euros.
The divestment decision was justified by the deterioration in the economic and financial situation of the company, which accumulated negative results and lost around 58% of students in the last five years.
In addition to the municipality, the Commercial and Industrial Association of the Conselhos de Tomar, Ferreira do Zêzere and Vila Nova da Barquinha (ACITOFEBA), Nersant and a regional tourism entity are part of the corporate structure.
The sales process should include conditions to ensure the maintenance of vocational education in the municipality, the continuity of the classes in operation, the preservation of the quality of training provision and the safeguarding of the rights of workers and teachers.
Founded in 1993, the Tomar Professional School operates on Avenida Cândido Madureira and develops professional training for young people who have completed basic education.
The public auction has not yet been announced, intending the municipality to ensure the financial stability of the institution during the transitional period to a possible new owner.