Gowin: One billion zlotys for large enterprises for innovative projects

In the current, just announced edition of "Fast Track", companies that meet the criteria of large enterprises may apply for funding for projects that include industrial research and R&D. Businesses from Mazowieckie will compete for a total pool of 100 million zlotys, and those from other provinces - for about 900 million zlotys.

Applications may be submitted from June 1 to the end of the year.

"It will indeed be a fast track for this type of projects. The decision will be issued in no more than 90 days" - announced Gowin.

Maximum one-time support amount in the programme can may reach 20 million euros (if more than half of the total eligible project costs is incurred for industrial research) and 15 million (if more than half of the total eligible project costs is incurred for R&D). "If multinational companies have the public support, the Polish companies would be doomed to failure without such support. For me as a declared free market supporter these competitions are a form of levelling the playing field for Polish businesses" - emphasised the Deputy Prime Minister.

Daniel Maksym of the National Centre for Research and Development emphasised that in this programme businesses spend practically the same amount of their own funds.

"So we are talking about the situation - provided that the entire allocation is used - in which 2 billion zlotys work in the system, in the Polish economy, for new technologies" - added Maksym.

The National Centre for Research and Development reminded that the submitted projects must be innovative. "I imagine that the drawers of Polish scientists and research departments certainly contain projects that have been postponed or whose execution has been suspended for economic reasons. It may turn out that technology or its foundations has been invented, the implementation of which would now still be unprofitable, there is no market for this technology. By offering support, the National Centre for Research and Development helps to create the product and the market" - noted Maxim.

Scientific, technological, economic and business aspects of applications will be evaluated by a group of experts. Each applicant will have to defend his idea, confronting it in direct discussion with specialists. The project should include industrial research and R&D work activities or exclusively relate to development, and concern an innovative product or process. The evaluation will also cover the research team and technical resources of the applicant, which must ensure the proper execution of scheduled tasks. Moreover, the project must be consistent with a National Intelligent Specialization. The minimum value of the eligible costs of the project financed in the competition is 12 million zlotys.

The call for proposals will start on 1 June 2016 and close on 30 December 2016, and will be divided into stages. Each stage of the competition includes a call for applications for funding in a given calendar month, their formal and substantive evaluation and publication of lists of projects recommended and not recommended for funding.

PAP - Science and Scholarship in Poland

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