Opportunities to obtain grants are increasing, and funding is available for those interested. What projects can entrepreneurs apply for funding for this month?
August was a bounty of grants for companies. Entrepreneurs seeking to develop their businesses have a growing selection of competitions. Those unsure which financing option to choose can benefit from our help. We've compiled a list of the most interesting and noteworthy calls for proposals offering EU grants. Our selection is subjective. The list includes competitions financed by the two largest grant programs – the European Funds for a Modern Economy (FENG) and the European Funds for Eastern Poland (FEPW). Funding for companies in the most interesting competitions will be distributed by the Polish Agency for Enterprise Development and the National Centre for Research and Development. We invite you to read our list.
Startup Platforms: Turn Your Idea into a Business
If you have an interesting idea, with the help of experts and EU grants, you can turn it into a business. The “Startup Platforms for New Ideas” competition, part of Measure 1.1 of the FEPW program, helps with this. What does the support involve? The idea's creator presents it to a panel of industry experts and practitioners. If they determine the idea has potential, they are accepted into the incubation program. They receive a mentor, legal, financial, and accounting assistance, and grants of up to PLN 600,000.
Funds from the program can be used for, among other things, salaries, the purchase of patents, licenses, know-how, raw materials, and materials for test production. The Polish Agency for Enterprise Development recently announced another call for proposals, allowing authors of interesting ideas to receive funding to develop their companies and business models. A total of PLN 40 million is available, and applications will be accepted from August 5th to the end of September. Importantly, ideas within the platforms can only be developed in the Eastern Poland macroregion, which includes the Lublin, Podkarpackie, Podlaskie, Świętokrzyskie, Warmian-Masurian, and part of the Masovian Voivodeships (excluding Warsaw and its surrounding counties).
The SMART Path: For Collaborative Innovators
Our list couldn't be complete without the largest competition offering grants for businesses. This is the “SMART Path – Projects Implemented in Consortia” call for proposals under Measure 1.1 of the FENG program. A staggering PLN 1 billion is up for grabs for applicants. Who has a chance of winning this funding? Entrepreneurs who prioritize innovative solutions and are capable of collaborating are the primary candidates, as the call for proposals is open only to partnerships. In addition to companies, such teams may also include research organizations or non-governmental organizations, but the consortium leader should always be a company.
Applications for the competition can be submitted from July 1st to September 30th. An important requirement: if the consortium includes a large company, the project must include research and development. However, if the partnership includes an SME, the project must include one of two elements : research and development or innovation implementation. Funds from the competition can also be used to finance, among other things, employee skills development, company digitization, and environmental investments. The National Centre for Research and Development is once again responsible for distributing the grants in the competition.
Eurogrants Grants: Conquer Europe
Entrepreneurs who dream of international cooperation and ventures in the European market can obtain grants that will facilitate the realization of these plans. Grants from the “Grants for Eurogrants” competition under FENG Measure 2.12 are available to assist them. In a national call for proposals, entrepreneurs can apply for financial support, which will then help them obtain funding in competitions organized directly by the European Commission.
Thanks to “Grants for Eurogrants,” business owners will be able to finance essential preparations, analyses, and expertise that will increase their chances of securing European funding for international cooperation. Applications for the competition will be accepted from August 12th to September 3rd, and the competition will be organized by the Polish Agency for Enterprise Development. A total of PLN 20 million is up for grabs for interested companies.
Startups Are Us: Time for Growth and New Markets
One of the most interesting grant options available this month is the “Startups Are Us” program, financed by the FENG program. This initiative is open to innovative startups in the financial, insurance, and healthcare sectors, among others. Companies that apply for the program can count on comprehensive support, including mentoring, a tailored acceleration path, and non-repayable grants for product development. Grants can also be used to prepare for international expansion. By participating in the program, entrepreneurs will be able to participate in missions, among other things, during which they will present their solutions in foreign markets and establish business contacts.
Applications for the program are accepted until August 20th. Applications are open to startups operating in Poland for at least 12 months, but no longer than five years. One of the key requirements for participation is a pre-developed business model that assumes scaling and entering new markets. The competition will be run by the Polish Agency for Enterprise Development.
FWTK: billions for many industries
This year, for the first time, competitions for grants from the Critical Technology Support Fund (CTF), also known as FENG Measure 5.1, are launching. Funds can be awarded to companies focusing on biotechnology, digital technologies, and resource-saving technologies. The National Centre for Research and Development will run the competitions, which will promote innovation. Their goal is to develop innovative products on a European scale. Meanwhile, the Polish Agency for Enterprise Development will conduct calls for proposals for funding for investments implementing new technologies and contributing to the strategic economic independence of Poland and the EU.
Micro, small, medium, and large enterprises can apply for financial support. By the end of the year, 13 competitions financed by the Fund for the Future of Technology (FWTK) will be announced. Almost all of them offer PLN 150 million. The first applications for the biotech sector launched on July 22nd and will run until September 9th. Applications for the digital technology sector have also begun – applications can be submitted from July 31st to October 2nd. A total of nearly PLN 2 billion will be available for this year's FWTK applications.
