CUSP: the platform that centralises digital public services in Portugal

The CUSP (Single Catalogue of Public Services) is a platform that centralises information relating to the services provided by the Portuguese Public Administration to citizens and businesses, making it accessible via a single point of entry.

This initiative forms part of the national strategy for the digital transformation of the state and promotes the integration, interoperability and user-orientation of public services. Participation in the CUSP is mandated by Decree-Law No. 49/2024 and is scheduled for completion by September 2026.

What is the CUSP

The CUSP operates under a software-as-a-service (SaaS) model, enabling public administration entities to register, organise, and provide structured information about their services.

The platform is organised into the following five main components:

• Service Catalogue
• eServices
• Service Specialisations
• Entity Catalogue (public and private)
• Service Point Catalogue

This structure ensures uniform information management and facilitates reuse across different channels and systems.

Interoperability and data architecture

The CUSP architecture is based on the Core Public Service Vocabulary (CPSV), a common data model defined at the European level and promoted by the European Commission. Adopting this framework ensures semantic interoperability between public bodies, enabling different systems to exchange structured, consistent and understandable information about services.

Information centralised by the CUSP

The platform enables the centralisation of:

• The complete catalogue of Public Administration services;
• The public and private entities responsible for delivering services;
• Physical and digital service points;
• The delivery channels associated with each service;
• The integration and publication of content on the gov.pt portal.

Benefits for public entities

Joining the CUSP provides public entities with the following:

• Standardisation of service catalogue processes;
• Interoperability with national and European systems;
• Greater visibility and integrated availability on the gov.pt portal;
• Compliance with the Mosaico model and the current legal framework;
• Use of the platform at no cost for Public Administration bodies.

Legal framework and RRP funding

Decree-Law No. 49/2024, dated 8 August, stipulates that public services must be catalogued in the CUSP by entities covered by the State’s omnichannel service model.

The process for joining the CUSP is carried out as follows:

1. Contact ARTE: Send an email to conteudos@arte.gov.pt expressing interest in joining the CUSP and indicating which services you intend to catalogue or update.
2. Survey and structuring of services: The entity must inventory all public services provided to citizens and businesses and organise this information according to the CUSP model, including the respective delivery channels (in-person, digital and telephone) and associated service locations.
3. Integration and publication on gov.pt: Following validation by ARTE, the catalogued services are integrated and published on the gov.pt portal, becoming available to citizens and businesses through a single access point.
4. Continuous updating: The entity then manages and updates its information directly on the platform. Supporting technical documentation is available at guias.mosaico.gov.pt.