1.1 Characterization of the current technical, economic and financial production model for the Beira Baixa PDO, Serra da Estrela PDO and Rabaçal PDO cheese.

– The technical model aims to define the minimum conditions required for those who want to engage in the activity in terms of land area, head of cattle, infrastructure, equipment, technical means, among others

– The economic model intends to define the fixed and variable costs associated with the creation of a production and commercialization unit of cheese with PDO.

– The financial model, intends to define the possible financing modalities for the project, obtain some forecast of cash flow and working capital needs for the financing.

1.2 Creation of Land Banks for shepherds – Pilot Project

– Consists in the gathering of vacant land in the PDO regions Serra da Estrela Beira Baixa and Rabaçal for allocation exclusively to entrepreneurs with projects for setting up activities in the PDO cheese sector.

– The objective will be to put into practice the natural reparcelling, in order to make available economically viable exploitations that can be composed of several parcels, even if they belong to different owners.

1.3 Organization of information actions for producers and potential new rural entrepreneurs.

– Dynamization of information and dissemination actions to increase knowledge at the level of production activity and cooperation between entrepreneurs in the sector. These are actions carried out for the first time for all 3 PDO’s of the central region.

1.4 Elaboration of Guides of Good Practices of hygiene and food safety and milk quality control for the production of cheese with PDO

– Elaboration of a Guide of Good Practices of Hygiene and Food Safety applied to cheese production, as well as specific measures to be considered for PDO cheese production based on the respective specifications.

– The guide is intended to be disseminated by entrepreneurs interested in setting up in the PDO cheese production chain or wishing to reconvert their activity to this productive model.

1.5 Innovating the milk collection process – Pilot Project.

– Acquisition of electric vehicles, equipped with isothermal tanks.

– Optimize the process of milk collection from the producers.

– Save resources and reduce environmental impact.

1.6. Shepherds’ School – Pilot Project.

-Training action which aims to train entrepreneurs with the intention of setting up in the Shepherding activity, also giving the opportunity to entrepreneurs who already carry out their activity in this sector in one of the three specific geographic areas: Region PDO Serra da Estrela, Region PDO Beira baixa or Region PDO Rabaçal.

– A bet to contribute to increasing the dairy herd on farms, increasing the production of milk to supply Queijarias with PDO cheese production and, consequently, increasing the production of PDO cheese.

1.7 School of Cheese Makers – Pilot Project

– Formative action which aims at training entrepreneurs for the knowledge of the main cheese production techniques in the PDO region of Serra da Estrela, the PDO region of Beira Baixa and the PDO region of Rabaçal.

– Potentiate the interest of entrepreneurs to settle in the territory, invest in their qualification and provide them with the necessary skills to develop this activity in a professional and profitable way.

1.8. Awarding of “Vale Pastor” and “Vale Pastor +” prizes

– Vale Pastor – Competition which aims to award a prize money of 5000 euros to entrepreneurs who have successfully completed the ” Shepherd’s School” initiative, already established or wishing to establish themselves in the agro-pastoral activity of producing milk and supplying it to cheese producers who produce cheeses with PDO in the Central Region.

– Vale Pastor+ – Competition which aims to award a cash prize of 2500 euros to entrepreneurs, milk producers, who supply or wish to supply this product to cheese dairies producing cheeses with PDO and who present the best quality milk.