Thinking about getting a grant for your business? Remember that external financing, can significantly accelerate the development of your business, but such a process is never as simple as it may look at first glance. If you want to know the hooks you need to watch out for when applying for a grant - you're in the right place. In addition, you will learn what you can actually receive funds for. This is important, because there are many legends and misrepresentations on this subject. Find out if money is actually "given away" for yachts, real estate and any other purposes.
I invite you to read our article.
Nine out of ten entrepreneurs interviewed will say they would be happy to take advantage of a grant to accelerate their company's growth. It's hardly surprising, since grants can look from the outside like money lying on the street waiting for a spinning entrepreneur to pick it up. In this article, I'll show you the full picture of this financing method. Is this supposed to discourage you from using grants? Absolutely not. However, we focus on transparent communication with our clients. We let you know right away what the situation is, what is possible, and what is better to let go. This also sets us apart from many other companies on the market that create an idealized world of subsidies. Just to make a sale.
"Mr. Philip, do you obtain grants from the KPO? Someone called my brother and offered him to obtain a grant of 1.5 million zloty for a new property for the company. My brother paid 3k upfront and is waiting for the result...". This is a scam (fraud). There are no such subsidies and, for the time being, they do not promise to appear. Sometimes it is indeed possible to purchase or renovate a property with a grant, but this is part of a broader and aimed at a completely different main purpose of the program. E.g., the SMART Path, the purpose of which is R&D (research and development), and the purchase of fixed assets or real estate is a small piece to serve the main purpose (and it must serve that purpose).
Other common questions about grants are about marketing, money to hire employees, purchase new cars, machinery. Such programs do appear (rarely), but again... no one will give you a few hundred thousand zloty to spend freely on marketing or salaries. There are, for example, programs for participation in foreign fairs. But only for selected industries, funding is up to 50%, this applies only to selected fairs. A subsidy for cars? Yes, there is. But only for zero-emission cars and a small percentage of the cost of the car.
"And a neighbor built himself a wedding house with EU money! Yes, grant programs used to be different and there were more opportunities. You could even get a million zlotys for a new website. Those times will not return. Currently, it is much more difficult to get a grant. Most programs are dedicated to the purposes I describe below.
Here an important caveat. There are some grants, such as "start-up grants" from the district labor office or local action groups, where the possibility of placing funds is quite free. I point out, however, that these are small grants (a few tens of thousands of zlotys in the case of the PUP, max 200 - 300 thousand zlotys in the case of the LAG). If you're interested in start-up grants, also check out "Support at the Start" - a program run by the Bank Gospodarstwa Krajowego.
In 2025 and 2026, the largest number of subsidies are for what is known as R&D (from R&D), i.e. research and implementation of innovations. This is about real, breakthrough innovations. A mobile app or a new website is no longer enough. It has to be something truly groundbreaking, based on scientific research, something that does not yet exist in Poland, or preferably the world, and will be difficult to replicate.
Such projects are piloted by PARP (e.g., SMART Path) or by NCBiR (up to 10+ R&D programs constantly available).
Even if you think that R&D in your business is not applicable (for example, you have a trading company) it is worth looking into. I know of businesses such as just brokers, but also, for example, hotels, that successfully implement R&D, gaining a real competitive advantage. After all, it's not just about getting a grant, but implementing a project that actually gives you growth and an advantage. Contrary to appearances, R&D offers such potential to most businesses.
A lot of programs addressing so-called Dual-use, i.e. solutions that can be used in both the military and civilian sectors, are expected to emerge in the future (launch in 12-24 months). A popular example from this field is drones.
Another industry that can count on support is green energy. The National Environmental Protection and Water Management Fund runs numerous programs here. Such as the mentioned subsidy for the purchase of electric cars (including trucks!). But it's also about a broader energy transition, hence programs such as the "green loan" (de facto subsidy) to reduce energy consumption, especially from fossil fuels.
If you are just starting out in business and are interested in grants and your business has the hallmarks of a startup, check out the following two programs:
These are subsidies aimed at new, innovative companies.
Below you will find tips on how to prepare for obtaining grants to avoid unpleasant surprises:
Someone calls you and promises real estate or marketing grants in exchange for a few hundred or a few thousand? Per 90%, this is a scam. First, such schemes are very rare. Secondly, if someone obtains a million or several million zlotys of subsidies for you - he will not be satisfied with a 2-3 thousand zlotys fee. This is simply unreasonable. Don't get caught, don't be naive. If something looks too good at first glance, usually in practice it is not so.
The cost of working with a professional grant consulting firm is usually a total (base + success fee/commission) of tens of thousands of zlotys even up to several hundred thousand zlotys (in the case of multi-million dollar grants).
In 2025 and 2026, entrepreneurs in Poland will be able to count on a wide range of support programs focusing on innovation, digitization and green transformation. Investment in research and development (R&D), implementation of new technologies and low-carbon economy projects will remain a priority. Companies planning to automate processes, use artificial intelligence or develop e-commerce will find dedicated competitions under national and regional programs. At the same time, a strong emphasis has been placed on energy efficiency and renewable energy sources - subsidies will include building modernization, photovoltaic installations, heat pumps or solutions to reduce energy consumption in businesses. An important direction of support will also be projects related to the closed-loop economy and the use of green materials. It is worth noting that subsidies for companies in the SME sector that want to enter foreign markets or develop export activities are gaining in importance. The new financial instruments also provide support for activities in the area of digital transformation.
If you want to take advantage of grants in the coming months, but don't know if your company qualifies, and above all don't know how to increase your company's chances for grants - get in touch. We will be happy to conduct an innovation audit and look for new solutions. Those that will give you a real competitive advantage, and at the same time have the potential to be financed with the support of EU funds or other means.
