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Grant Analysis

Purpose & Target

Core Objective: To increase awareness and equip Polish entrepreneurs and their employees with the necessary knowledge and skills to comply with the European Accessibility Act (EAA Directive) and its transposition into national law. This grant aims to support businesses in adapting their products and services to new accessibility requirements.
Target Recipient: Entrepreneurs and their employees from micro, small, medium, and large enterprises.
Designation: SECTOR-SPECIFIC
Geographic Scope: Entire territory of Poland.
Key Filtering Criteria: Applicant must be a Polish enterprise (micro, small, medium, or large) that produces, imports, distributes products or provides services covered by the EAA Directive. The support is in the form of 100% financed training and advisory services.
Grant Frequency: Continuous recruitment of participants by various operators until December 31, 2027, as part of a larger, ongoing program.

Financial Structure

Funding Amount (per participant): Not specified as a direct financial amount, as the support is in the form of services.
Funding Rate: 100.0% of eligible costs are covered from EU funds. Participants do not incur any fees.
Co-financing Requirements: No co-financing or matching funds are required from the participant.
Eligible Costs: Participation in general and specialized training courses, and optional post-training advisory services.
Ineligible Costs: No specific ineligible costs for participants, as the support is delivered as a service, not a direct grant for cost reimbursement.
Payment Mechanism: Support is provided as 'pomoc de minimis' (de minimis aid). This means the training and advisory services are provided free of charge to the eligible businesses and their employees. The funding flows directly to the training operators.
Financial Guarantees: No financial guarantees are required from participant businesses.

Eligibility Requirements

Organization Type & Size

Eligible applicants are 'przedsiębiorcy' (entrepreneurs), which includes:
- Micro enterprises
- Small enterprises
- Medium enterprises
- Large enterprises
Applicants must be producers, authorized representatives of producers, importers, or distributors of products covered by the Act (Directive 2019/882/EAA and Polish Act of April 26, 2024).
Applicants must be providers of services covered by the Act.
Applicants can also be entrepreneurs planning economic activities related to the application of the EAA Directive.
Employees delegated to training must be formally employed by the applying enterprise at the time of project entry.

Geographic & Regulatory Requirements

The project's place of implementation and territorial scope is 'Cała Polska' (All of Poland).
Support is provided as 'pomoc de minimis' (de minimis aid), meaning applicants must be eligible to receive such aid.
Businesses must not be capital or personally linked to the specific operator providing the support (e.g., ODiTK's specific condition).
Businesses must not be on sanction lists for entities supporting military actions of the Russian Federation (e.g., ODiTK's specific condition).
Businesses should not have previously participated in a project under the 'Dostępność Dyrektywa EAA' competition if applying to a specific operator that has this exclusion criterion (e.g., ODiTK).

Employee Requirements

Enterprises can delegate a minimum of 1 and a maximum of 10 employees for training per enterprise (as per CERTES operator).
For some operators (e.g., Sense Consulting), at least 90% of delegated employees must be involved in activities covered by the Act.

Application Process

Application Process Timeline

Competition Announcement: January 1, 2025
Start of Application Submission: February 17, 2025
End of Application Submission: December 31, 2027 (This is the latest overall deadline; individual operators may have earlier recruitment end dates within this period, e.g., May 31, 2027 to December 31, 2027).

Application Procedure

Step 1: Choose an Operator: Entrepreneurs must participate in recruitment organized by one of the approved entities offering training and advisory support under this program.
Step 2: Document Verification: The selected operator will verify the entrepreneur's application documents.
Step 3: Qualification Notification: The operator will inform the entrepreneur whether they have been qualified for participation in the project.
Step 4: Support Agreement: A support agreement will be signed between the entrepreneur and the operator.
Step 5: Participation: The entrepreneur or their delegated employees participate in general and/or specialized training.
Step 6: Optional Advisory: Optional participation in post-training advisory services.

Required Documentation & Submission Materials

Specific documentation will be requested by individual operators (e.g., HRP Grants mentions 'Regulamin rekrutacji' and 'Załączniki' for their program). Generally, this will likely include business registration details and employee information.

Type of Support Offered

Training: General and specialized training courses focused on accessibility, universal design, and the legal requirements of the EAA Directive.
Advisory: Individual post-training advisory sessions to deepen understanding and apply concepts, particularly for planning product/service development for accessibility.

Project Implementation Timeline (for participants)

The overall program runs from January 1, 2025, to December 31, 2027. Individual training/advisory durations will be determined by the chosen operator.

Reporting & Post-Award Obligations

Participants are typically required to confirm completion of training. Detailed financial or progress reporting is generally handled by the operators, not the individual participant businesses, since the support is a fully funded service.

Evaluation Criteria

No explicit evaluation criteria or scoring system for participating businesses are detailed in the provided documents. Enrollment appears to be based on meeting eligibility criteria and possibly the order of application to selected operators, until the operators' program capacity is filled.

Compliance & Special Requirements

Regulatory Compliance

De Minimis Aid: Support is granted as 'de minimis aid', which means applicants must ensure they do not exceed the cumulative de minimis aid limits over a three-fiscal-year period (as per EU regulations).
EAA Directive & Polish Law: The core purpose of the grant is to assist businesses in complying with the requirements of the European Accessibility Act (Directive 2019/882/EAA) and the related Polish Act of April 26, 2024, on ensuring compliance with accessibility requirements for certain products and services by economic entities.

Ethical & Inclusion Standards

KPON Compliance: The project and the actions of its beneficiaries (operators) must align with the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (KPON). Mechanisms are in place for reporting suspected non-compliance with KPON.
Accessibility: The program's fundamental principle is to promote accessibility and universal design in products and services for all users, including those with disabilities and special needs.

Unique Aspects & Strategic Opportunities

100% Funding for Services: The grant provides completely free training and advisory services, eliminating financial barriers for businesses seeking to adapt to new regulations.
Competitive Advantage: Proactive participation can provide a significant competitive advantage by allowing businesses to comply with upcoming legal requirements, expand their customer base to include persons with disabilities, and enhance their brand image as socially responsible.
Expert Access: Businesses gain access to specialized knowledge and practical guidance from experts in accessibility and legal compliance.
Targeted Support: The program is highly specific to the industries and types of products/services impacted by the EAA Directive, ensuring relevant and practical support.

Grant Details