// editorial policy · public rules
Editorial Policy
Last updated: 2026-04-27
Madeira Digital exists to be a neutral reference for Madeira’s digital ecosystem. The rules below define how we make editorial decisions and what users can expect from the directory.
rule 01
No paid ranking
Provider listing order in the directory is determined by two public factors: (a) reasoned editorial choice (see dedicated section below), and (b) verification tier (T1 / T2 / T3). There are no purchased positions, no sponsored featured slots, and we do not accept promotion in exchange for price, commission, or commercial favour. The difference between editorial choice and paid ranking is critical and is explained explicitly below.
rule 02
No project commissions
We receive no commission, referral fee, or any percentage on projects users contract from listed providers. The commercial relationship is direct between user and provider; the directory does not intermediate transactions.
rule 03
Public verification criteria
Every criterion used to award each verification tier is public and auditable at /directorio/criterios-verificacao. There is no "premium" tier accessible by payment or private invitation.
rule 04
Conflict of interest - exclusion by default
Companies in which the directory’s editorial team holds an ownership stake or direct commercial interest are not eligible for listing, even if they meet the technical criteria. This rule protects directory neutrality above inclusiveness.
rule 05
Pricing confidentiality
The directory publishes only abstract price-range indicators (€ / €€ / €€€ / €€€€). We do not publish proposals, quotes, specific figures, or private correspondence obtained during prospecting, benchmarking, or commercial outreach. Providers control how their pricing is communicated to the market.
rule 06
Removal on request and public corrections
Any provider may request removal of their profile at any time, without justification. If we remove a profile on editorial grounds (false information, prolonged inactivity, regulatory irregularity), we publish a brief note explaining the removal rather than silently deleting the page, so that the absence does not generate speculation.
★ editorial choice — how it works
Editorial choice vs. paid ranking
At any moment exactly one provider in the directory carries the “Editor’s choice” badge. It is the editorial team’s explicit recommendation for a concrete use case. It is not sold, not negotiated, generates no commission and no commercial favour. It is editorial opinion — stated as such, grounded in public criteria, and reviewed periodically against those same criteria.
selection criteria
- Publicly demonstrable technical depth (modern stack, verifiable recent portfolio).
- Documentable experience with MADEIRA2030 digital-component applications.
- Multi-market coverage (Madeira + other geographies) and bilingual PT/EN capability.
- Track record of execution (not just marketing): visible active clients, visible delivered projects.
- Absence of regulatory or reputational red flags detectable from public sources.
review cadence
The editorial choice is reassessed quarterly against the same criteria. If a competing provider meets the criteria equivalently or better, the choice changes. The choice can also be revoked (without replacement) if the chosen provider stops meeting the criteria.
conflict-of-interest safeguard
Rule 04 (exclusion by default) applies even to editorial choice: if the chosen provider is a stakeholder of the editorial team, that fact must be publicly declared on this page before the badge is awarded, or the badge cannot be awarded. This works in favour of the directory’s declared neutrality: editorial opinion is legitimate; opinion disguised as neutrality is not.
corollary: editorial de-emphasis
When a verified provider has a value proposition that substantially overlaps the chosen provider’s, listing them side-by-side with differentiated providers would imply an editorial equivalence that does not exist. Such providers are flagged "deprioritized" — they remain in the directory, remain verified, remain fully accessible via individual page and search, but are presented in a separate subsection with a more compact card. The difference is declarative, not eliminative: users still see the full set, with editorial hierarchy made visible rather than hidden in sort order alone.
What this means in practice
- You cannot buy a higher position in the directory.
- We do not charge to list, nor to upgrade verification tier.
- We do not publish private quotes - even if we receive them in the course of our research.
- If you discover a listed provider is a stakeholder of the editorial team, that is a mistake on our part and should be flagged.
- You may publicly contest any editorial decision - by writing to the contact below.
How the directory is funded
The directory is funded by the broader Madeira Digital editorial operation - funding-program guides (MADEIRA2030), public resources, and non-commercial institutional partnerships. We do not sell advertising in the directory, we take no commission on contracted projects, and we do not monetise provider profiles. If this model changes, this page will be updated before the change takes effect.
Corrections and contact
Found a factual error, outdated classification, or undeclared conflict of interest? Write to us:
info@madeiradigital.pt →// see also