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Grant Analysis

Purpose & Target

To provide financial support for the development of innovative products and their initial market entry. This grant targets startups that have successfully completed an incubation program within the 'Startup Platforms for New Ideas' initiative in Poland.

Core objective: Support the development of innovative products and facilitate their first sales.
Target recipient type: Micro and small capital companies (startups).
Target recipient size: Micro and small enterprises.
SECTOR-SPECIFIC: The grant is sector-specific, aligning with the intelligent specializations of the Eastern Poland regions and the specific focus areas of individual Startup Platforms (e.g., health, automotive, industry 4.0, gamedev).
Geographic scope: Applicants' headquarters and project implementation must be in the Eastern Poland macro-region, excluding the Warsaw metropolitan area.
Key filtering criteria for initial grant screening: Prior successful completion of a 'Startup Platform' incubation program and the readiness to bring an innovative product/service to market.
Grant frequency and program context: This is a recurring grant opportunity, part of the broader 'European Funds for Eastern Poland' program, serving as a direct follow-up to the incubation phase.

Financial Structure

Funding type: Non-repayable grant.
Maximum grant amount: 600,000 PLN per project.
Eligible costs:
- Koszty bezpośrednie (Direct costs): include fixed assets, intangible assets, external services, project staff salaries, and raw materials and supplies.
- Koszty pośrednie (Indirect costs).
Currency: PLN.
Co-financing requirements: Not explicitly stated as a percentage. The concept of wkład własny (own contribution) is implied, but no additional documents are required to prove its possession at the application stage, simplifying the process.
Cost estimation guidelines: Salaries for project personnel must be estimated based on verifiable and documented methods, such as salary reports from large-reference portals, rather than single reports or job postings.

Eligibility Requirements

Organizational Type & Size

Must be a mikro or małe przedsiębiorstwo (micro or small enterprise).
Must be a spółka kapitałowa (capital company) – a legal entity with share capital.
The pomysłodawca (idea originator) must take shares in the startup.

Program Specific Prerequisites

Must have completed an incubation program on a 'Platforma startowa' (Startup Platform) under FEPW 01.01 Component I.
Must possess a valid 'Raport z inkubacji' (Incubation Report) that confirms the completion of incubation of an innovative idea.
The Incubation Report must include a recommendation for the company's market readiness, and this recommendation must be valid on the application submission date.

Geographic Location

The applicant's headquarters must be located in one of the following Eastern Poland voivodeships: Lubelskie, Podkarpackie, Podlaskie, Świętokrzyskie, Warmińsko-Mazurskie.
The Mazowieckie voivodeship is eligible, but excluding the Warsaw metropolitan region (Warsaw city and the following districts: grodziski, legionowski, miński, nowodworski, otwocki, piaseczyński, pruszkowski, warszawski zachodni, wołomiński).
Project implementation must also take place within the Eastern Poland macro-region.

Project/Idea Requirements

The business idea must involve an innowacja produktowa (product innovation) or usługa (service) that is new or significantly improved in terms of features, components, software, usability, or other functional aspects.
The innovation must be at least on a krajowa (national) scale.
The business idea cannot be currently the subject of existing commercial activity or promotion by the idea originator(s).
Test sales of a Minimum Viable Product (MVP) developed during incubation are permitted, provided the product proposed for this grant is further developed and enriched with additional parameters consistent with incubation assumptions.
The idea originator(s) must be the exclusive owner(s) of the described business idea and product.
The idea/product must not be subject to ongoing proceedings for industrial or intellectual property rights by other entities.

Legal & Regulatory Compliance

Must qualify for support under Article 22(2) of Commission Regulation (EU) 651/2014 (General Block Exemption Regulation).
The applicant must not be associated or affiliated with the Startup Platform Animator or its partners, as defined by Polish implementation and PARP laws.

Exclusions

The business idea cannot have been the subject of prior or current business activity of the idea originator(s).

Application Process

Application submission: All applications must be submitted electronically via the online Generator Wniosków (Application Generator) system.
Re-submission policy (related to prior incubation application): If an incubation application concerning the same business idea was previously submitted, the applicant must indicate the previous incubation application numbers and the number of times the application has been submitted.
Protest mechanism: In case of a negative evaluation, applicants can submit a protest to the Intermediary Institution (IP) within 14 days of receiving the notification. The protest will be reviewed within 21 days, extendable to a maximum of 45 days in justified complex cases. During the protest review period, it is not possible to submit a new application for the same call.

Application Timeline & Deadlines (latest open call for Komponent IIa)

Application start date: August 5, 2025.
Application end date: September 30, 2025.
Note: Previous application rounds for Komponent IIa (e.g., April 1, 2025 - May 29, 2025) have concluded.

Required Documentation

Completed application form ('Wzór wniosku o dofinansowanie projektu').
'Raport z inkubacji spółki (startupu) – minimalny zakres' (Incubation Report of the company (startup) – minimal scope).
'Instrukcja wypełniania wniosku o dofinansowanie' (Instruction for filling out the application form).
Supporting documents: 'Katalog wspólnych obszarów inteligentnych specjalizacji regionów Polski Wschodniej' (Catalog of common intelligent specialization areas for Eastern Poland regions), 'Lista miast średnich tracących funkcje społeczno-gospodarcze z terytorium makroregionu Polski Wschodniej' (List of medium-sized cities losing socio-economic functions in the Eastern Poland macro-region), and 'Lista gmin zagrożonych trwałą marginalizacją z terytorium makroregionu Polski Wschodniej' (List of municipalities at risk of permanent marginalization in the Eastern Poland macro-region).
For the initial incubation application (Komponent I, which is a prerequisite for this grant): 'Prezentacja pomysłu biznesowego' (Business Idea Presentation) in PDF format is obligatory.
Other optional attachments: May be submitted in PDF, JPG, XLS, XLSX, ODS, ZIP, or 7-ZIP formats, with a maximum size of 15 MB per file.

Post-Award Requirements

Obligation to participate in surveys, interviews, and provide necessary information for evaluation purposes by managing authorities.
Obligation to promptly inform the Intermediary Institution (IP) about any changes in the company's registered seat or place of business activity, provided the new location remains within the Eastern Poland macro-region.

Evaluation Criteria

Innovation & Technology

Assessment of the product or service's innovative nature, focusing on its newness or significant improvements (e.g., technical specifications, components, software, usability, functional features).
Evaluation of the innovation's scale: whether it is krajowa (national) or światowa (global).
Clarity and detail of new or significantly improved features and functionalities that determine its innovativeness.
The Technology Readiness Level (TRL) of the incubated idea (expected to be within TRL I-IV for incubation, implying a specific advancement level for the follow-up).

Market Potential & Strategy

Description of market problems/needs addressed by the product and its competitive advantages over existing solutions.
Thorough market analysis, including identification and characterization of target customer segments, estimated market share, and client profile.
Clear demonstration of understanding the competitive landscape and how the proposed solution differentiates itself.
The feasibility and planned development of the MVP (Minimum Viable Product).

Team & Resources

Relevant experience and qualifications of the project team members in relation to the business idea's realization.
Identification of any lacking competencies within the team and a plan for recruiting necessary skills.
Sufficiency of resources (financial, human, technical) for product development, distribution, and sales.

Business Model & Sustainability

Defined primary revenue streams for the future business activity, specifying paid and free offerings and payment terms.
Estimated costs required for product development, verification, and market entry, including their time horizon.
Comprehensive plan for the business's development over a 2-5 year perspective.
Integration of ekologiczne (ecological) or społeczne aspekty zrównoważonego rozwoju (social aspects of sustainable development) into the proposed solution, if applicable.

Measurable Outcomes & Data Quality

Project indicators (e.g., relating to marketing innovation) must be objectively verifiable, justified, realistic, and adequate to the project's goals.
Preference for quantitative and measurable data, based on comparative analysis of competitive solutions, over subjective opinions for market analysis and innovation validation.

Compliance & Special Requirements

Regulatory & Legal Compliance

Adherence to personal data protection regulations, specifically GDPR, as outlined in the 'Klauzula informacyjna' (Information Clause).
Compliance with state aid and de minimis aid regulations, particularly Article 22(2) of Commission Regulation (EU) 651/2014.
Compliance with Polish legal frameworks ('ustawy wdrożeniowej' and 'ustawy o PARP') concerning conflicts of interest, specifically stating that applicants must not be associated with the Startup Platform Animator or its partners.
The business idea must not have been previously, or currently, part of the idea originator(s)' existing business activities.

Intellectual Property (IP)

The idea originator(s) must be the exclusive owner(s) of the described business idea and product.
The idea or product must not be subject to ongoing proceedings for industrial or intellectual property rights by any other entity or individual.

Geographic Focus

Both the applicant's headquarters and the project's implementation must strictly be located within the specified Eastern Poland macro-region.

Strategic Alignment

Solutions that integrate ekologiczne (ecological) or społeczne aspekty zrównoważonego rozwoju (social aspects of sustainable development) are a favorable evaluation criterion.
Alignment with the 'Katalog wspólnych obszarów inteligentnych specjalizacji regionów Polski Wschodniej' (Catalog of common intelligent specializations of Eastern Poland regions) is a key criterion for project selection.

Risk Management

A 'Rejestr ryzyk w projektach FEPW' (Risk Register in FEPW projects) template is provided as part of the contract documentation, indicating an expectation for structured risk identification and mitigation.

Project Staffing Flexibility

Team members who are not part of the core project personnel can be engaged through civil law contracts, such as umowa zlecenie (contract of mandate) or umowa o dzieło (contract for specific work), offering flexibility in team composition.

Grant Details