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Grant Analysis

Purpose & Target

This grant, 'Startup Booster Poland – Scale Up Green', aims to select and fund organizations (accelerators) that will run professional acceleration programs. The core objective is to support innovative startups developing solutions for the Circular Economy (known as GOZ in Polish, which stands for Gospodarka o Obiegu Zamkniętym). These programs must facilitate the piloting and potential implementation of startup solutions within large enterprises (called 'Technology Recipients') to help these large businesses transition towards a circular economy model. A crucial part of the projects is also to spread knowledge about the Circular Economy among large enterprises in Poland. This is a SECTOR-SPECIFIC grant, focused entirely on the Circular Economy and related green technologies. Target Recipients: The funding is for entities operating in support of innovation and economic development. These include, but are not limited to, technology transfer centers, innovation centers, technological incubators, academic entrepreneurship incubators, and technology parks. The grant directly benefits these accelerators, who in turn support startups and large enterprises. Geographic Scope: Projects must be implemented in Poland. Key Filtering Criteria for Initial Screening: - Your organization must be an established entity supporting innovation and registered in Poland. - You must have proven experience in running acceleration programs, specifically those involving Circular Economy (GOZ) solutions and collaboration with potential technology recipients. - Your proposed acceleration program must align with Poland's National Smart Specialization (KIS 7) on the Circular Economy. - Your program design must be comprehensive, feasible, and include active engagement of large enterprises as 'Technology Recipients' and 'Ecosystem Partners'. Grant Program Context: This call is part of a larger funding initiative, the 'European Funds for a Modern Economy 2021-2027 (FENG)' program. It appears to be a specific call within a recurring program, as indicated by its numbering and the overall program context.

Financial Structure

This section outlines the financial details of the 'Startup Booster Poland – Scale Up Green' grant, helping you understand the budget, funding rates, and cost requirements. Funding Amounts

Total Funding Available for the Call: The total budget allocated for projects in this call is 10,000,000 PLN (ten million Polish Zloty).
Minimum Grant Amount per Project: The lowest amount you can apply for is 8,000,000 PLN.
Maximum Grant Amount per Project: The highest amount you can apply for is 10,000,000 PLN.
Currency: All financial amounts are specified in Polish Zloty (PLN).

Funding Rates and Co-financing

Accelerator Operational Costs: The grant will cover up to 90% of your eligible operational costs as the Accelerator. This means you will need to provide 10% of these costs as mandatory co-financing (in cash).
Grant Costs for Startups: The financial support provided to startups through the acceleration program will be covered at 100% by the grant.

Eligible and Ineligible Costs Eligible Costs (Qualifying Expenses): - Accelerator Operational Costs (up to 30% of total qualified project costs): - Direct Personnel Salaries: This includes remuneration for staff involved in both grant project management and the acceleration program itself (e.g., evaluators, acceleration team members, knowledge dissemination facilitator). It covers gross salaries and employer-borne costs like social security contributions, health insurance, etc., for both employment contracts and mandates contracts. - Direct Non-Personnel Salaries: Remuneration for individuals engaged under service contracts as natural persons running a business. - Direct Information and Promotion Activities: Costs for necessary informational and promotional activities related to the project. - GOZ Knowledge Dissemination Activities: Costs associated with activities aimed at promoting Circular Economy knowledge. - Indirect Costs: These are calculated as a 15% flat rate of the direct personnel salaries. This category covers salaries of management, administrative, and monitoring staff, their business trips, and training. - Grant Costs: Direct monetary support (grants) provided to startups under the acceleration program. These are considered 'de minimis aid' for the startups. Ineligible Costs: - Value Added Tax (VAT): VAT is explicitly stated as an ineligible expense for this project. - Accelerator Operational Costs exceeding 30%: The total 'Accelerator operational costs' cannot exceed 30% of the total qualified costs of the project. Financial Guarantees and Reporting

Matching Funds: A minimum of 10% of the Accelerator's operational costs must be contributed as own cash resources (wkład własny w formie pieniężnej).
Financial Reporting: The documents imply detailed financial reporting and accounting requirements, including settlement and reporting of EU-funded projects.
Audit Requirements: Not explicitly detailed, but implied by comprehensive financial management and control expectations.

Eligibility Requirements

This grant is designed for specific types of organizations that act as enablers for innovation and entrepreneurship. It's crucial to understand these hard, non-negotiable criteria. Organizational Eligibility

Eligible Organization Types: You must be an 'entity operating for innovation' (podmiot działający na rzecz innowacyjności) that implements acceleration programs. You must also be registered and operate within the territory of the Republic of Poland, confirmed by an entry in an appropriate registry.
Definition of 'entity operating for innovation': This specifically includes 'business environment institutions' that aim to increase business and economic innovation. Examples provided are: technology transfer centers, innovation centers, technological incubators, academic entrepreneurship incubators, and technology parks.
Definition of 'acceleration programs': These are defined as 'professional activities implemented for startups, adequate to their diagnosed needs, leading to the development of startup products or accelerating their development'.
Organizational Size: Not explicitly defined for the applicant organization (accelerator) in terms of employee count or revenue. However, the grant focuses on supporting 'startups' and collaborating with 'large enterprises' as Technology Recipients.
Geographic Location: Your organization must be based in and conduct its operations within Poland.
Track Record and Experience: This is a crucial requirement. You must demonstrate experience as an accelerator. Specifically, within the 7 years prior to the call announcement date, you must have successfully implemented at least one acceleration program that supported at least two startups with solutions in the Circular Economy (GOZ) area. In this program, these startups must have collaborated with potential recipients of their solutions (i.e., large enterprises).
Partnership Requirements: While not a formal 'consortium' in the legal sense (the grant explicitly states no formal partnerships under Article 39 of the implementation act), you are required to engage external partners for the project to be successful. You must present:
At least two 'Technology Recipients' (OT): These must be domestic large enterprises (as defined by Article 2, Annex I of Commission Regulation (EU) No 651/2014) that are actively engaged in the acceleration program as recipients of startup solutions and are conducting active business operations. They should be willing to collaborate on piloting GOZ solutions.
At least two 'Ecosystem Partners' (PE): These are entities with resources and potential to significantly aid the rapid development of startups in the program. Examples include other innovation-supporting entities, business environment institutions, universities, investors, medium-sized enterprises, local government units, startup community animators, etc.
Written declarations of involvement are required from both Technology Recipients and Ecosystem Partners. Technology Recipients must also declare their readiness to co-finance the accelerator's operational costs.
Exclusion Criteria: Projects are excluded if they relate to activities explicitly prohibited from receiving support under Article 7 of EU Regulation 2021/1058 and §6 sec. 11 of the Regulation of the Minister of Funds and Regional Policy. This includes certain types of economic activities that are not eligible for EU funding.

Application Process

This section provides essential details about the application process, key deadlines, and what to expect during project implementation. Application Process Timeline

Call Announcement Date: June 26, 2025
Application Submission Window: From July 17, 2025, to September 17, 2025.
Submission Deadline: September 17, 2025, by 16:00 (4:00 PM) Warsaw time (CEST/CET). Ensure your application is submitted by this exact time, as recorded by the PARP server. The deadline can be shortened (but no less than 10 days, and not earlier than 40 days from announcement) or extended, with prior notice.

Submission Procedure and Materials

Submission Platform: Applications must be submitted exclusively through the Local IT System (LSI), accessible at https://lsi.parp.gov.pl.
Required Documentation: You will need to complete the application form (Wzór wniosku) and provide various attachments as detailed in the Instrukcja wypełniania wniosku o dofinansowanie (Application Form Filling Instructions). Key documents include:
Written declarations from partners: These declarations are mandatory from both 'Technology Recipients' (large enterprises) and 'Ecosystem Partners'. They must specify their planned involvement in the project.
Co-financing declaration: Technology Recipients must also explicitly state their readiness to co-finance a portion of the accelerator's operational costs.
Consent for reference verification: You must allow PARP to verify references with your indicated partners.
Power of attorney: If representatives attending the KOP Panel (evaluation panel) are not legally authorized to represent your organization, a qualified electronic power of attorney must be submitted via LSI at least one day before the panel.
Environmental compliance: Before signing the grant agreement, you may need to submit the 'Analysis of project compliance with environmental protection policy' form and copies of relevant permits.
Language: Applications and all supporting documents must be in Polish. Documents in foreign languages require certified translation.
Application Support: You can ask questions via a contact form on the call's website, email ([email protected]), or by phone (22 574 07 07 or 0 801 332 202). PARP also publishes FAQs.

Review and Selection Process

Evaluation Period: PARP will evaluate all submitted applications within a maximum of 90 days from the day following the application deadline.
Results Approval: The expected deadline for approving the evaluation results is 100 days from the day following the application deadline.
Evaluation Panel (KOP Panel): Your project will undergo a single-stage evaluation by an evaluation committee. You may be called for a video conference discussion with the panel. The panel may request clarifications or minor corrections to your application.
Protest Procedure: If your application receives a negative evaluation, you have the right to file a protest with PARP within 14 days of receiving the negative assessment notification.

Project Implementation Timeline and Reporting

Project Start Date: The first acceleration round, which includes the startup recruitment process, must begin no later than February 1, 2026.
Project End Date: The last acceleration round must conclude no later than June 30, 2028.
Overall Project Completion: The entire project, including the submission of the final payment request, must be completed no later than August 31, 2028.
Early Start: You can begin project implementation before submitting your application or before signing the grant agreement, but you do so at your own risk.
Reporting Obligations: While not extensively detailed, the grant mentions that the selected Accelerator will be responsible for 'accounting and reporting on projects supported by EU funds', 'monitoring tasks performed by grant recipients (startups)', and 'controlling tasks performed by grant recipients'. This indicates regular financial and progress reporting requirements throughout the project duration.

Evaluation Criteria

The evaluation process for 'Startup Booster Poland – Scale Up Green' is comprehensive, divided into obligatory criteria (pass/fail) and ranking criteria (scored). Your project must meet all obligatory criteria and achieve a minimum score in each ranking criterion to be recommended for funding. Obligatory Criteria (Must score 1 point in each to pass) These criteria are pass-or-fail. If you fail any of these, your application will be rejected.

Applicant Eligibility and Project Scope: We'll check if you are an innovation-supporting entity, registered in Poland, and if your project's scope avoids any excluded activities.
Project Budget: Your budget must adhere to the specified limits and eligible cost categories. All planned expenses must be justified, rational, and directly linked to project activities and objectives.
Project Indicators: You need to define measurable product and result indicators that are adequate, consistent, verifiable, and achievable. These should include baseline and target values, and how they'll be calculated and verified.
Compliance with National Smart Specialization (KIS): Your acceleration program's scope must align with National Smart Specialization No. 7: Circular Economy.
Equal Opportunities and Non-Discrimination: Your project must demonstrate a positive impact on equality and non-discrimination, including accessibility for people with disabilities and gender equality. This means showing how all project products and services will be accessible and how the project promotes fairness across various dimensions (gender, race, disability, age, sexual orientation, etc.). If certain aspects cannot be made accessible, a strong justification for neutrality is required.
Compliance with the Charter of Fundamental Rights: Your project's implementation and scope must comply with the EU's Charter of Fundamental Rights (specifically Articles 1, 3-8, 10, 15, 20-23, 25-28, 30-33). You need to explain how your organization ensures respect for these rights (e.g., dignity, freedom, equality, solidarity) within the project's context.
Compliance with the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities: Your project must align with the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (specifically Articles 2-7, 9, 27). You must detail how your project will ensure full and equal enjoyment of rights and freedoms for persons with disabilities, both for staff and beneficiaries.
Sustainable Development: Your project must adhere to sustainable development principles. This means:
Compliance with relevant environmental protection regulations.
Integration of at least one variant of the '6R' principles (Refuse, Reduce, Reuse, Recover, Recycle, Rethink) or demonstrating a positive environmental impact.
Presenting adequate environmental indicators, measurable and verifiable, with clear baseline and target values, aligning with the chosen 6R variant or environmental aspect.

Ranking Criteria (Scored) These criteria assign points, influencing your position on the ranking list. A minimum score (specified below) is required for each ranking criterion.

Applicant's Experience in Acceleration Programs:
0 points: No required experience.
1 point: Completed 1 acceleration program (meeting the criteria: supporting >=2 GOZ startups, collaborating with technology recipients) within the last 7 years.
3 points: Completed >=2 acceleration programs (meeting the criteria).
5 points: Completed >=2 acceleration programs, with at least 1 not publicly funded.
Minimum required: 1 point.
Concept of the Scale Up Green Acceleration Program: This assesses the adequacy, consistency, and feasibility of your proposed program. It covers:
Recruitment: How you'll attract GOZ startups.
Evaluation: Your methods for selecting startups with business potential.
Acceleration: Professional activities (Individual Acceleration Plan - IPA) to verify piloting with a Technology Recipient, aiming for their business model transformation to circularity (using the ReSOLVE model). This includes interaction rules with partners.
Post-acceleration: Activities to maximize project results (e.g., continued implementation, new collaborations, IP protection).
Knowledge Dissemination: Actions to promote GOZ knowledge among large enterprises (aiming for at least 10 large enterprises).
Program Structure: Must include at least 3 acceleration rounds. The first round must start by February 1, 2026, and the last must end by June 30, 2028. Maximum financial support for a single startup is 400,000 PLN. The accelerator (or related entities) cannot acquire equity in the accelerated startups.
Scoring: 0 points (significant flaws), 2 points (meets requirements but has areas for improvement), or 4 points (strong concept, no significant flaws).
Minimum required: 2 points.
Applicant's Resources and Potential for Implementing the Grant Project: This evaluates your capacity to manage the grant from an administrative and financial perspective.
You must demonstrate adequate human resources, specifically at least two key team members (different from the acceleration program team) with experience in managing grant projects (or similar).
Your organizational structure and control tools for grant management will be assessed.
Scoring: 0 points (insufficient resources/potential) or 1 point (sufficient resources/potential).
Minimum required: 1 point.
Applicant's Resources for Implementing the Acceleration Program: This evaluates the team directly responsible for running the acceleration activities.
You need to present an adequate organizational structure and sufficient technical resources.
Key personnel required: two key experts for startup evaluation, three key team members for acceleration activities (with at least 5 years' professional experience collaborating with startups on business development), and a facilitator for GOZ knowledge dissemination.
Bonus points: If at least two key acceleration team members have experience implementing at least one acceleration round involving potential Technology Recipients of GOZ solutions within the last 3 years.
Scoring: 0 points (insufficient resources/potential), 1 point (sufficient resources, adequate experience), or 3 points (sufficient resources, adequate experience, plus bonus experience).
Minimum required: 1 point.
Resources and Potential of Engaged Partners: This assesses the quality and commitment of your Technology Recipients (OTs) and Ecosystem Partners (PEs).
You must include at least two domestic large enterprises as Technology Recipients and at least two Ecosystem Partners.
Evaluation considers their activity, planned engagement, and potential to facilitate the business model transformation towards circularity.
Bonus points: If at least two OTs provide written declarations of co-financing at least 50% of the accelerator's operational costs not covered by the grant. Additional bonus points if you've previously collaborated with at least one OT on implementing GOZ technology within the last 3 years.
Scoring: 0 points (insufficient partners/potential), 1 point (meets basic partner requirements), 3 points (meets basic requirements + co-financing declarations), or 6 points (meets basic requirements + co-financing declarations + prior GOZ technology implementation collaboration).
Minimum required: 1 point.

Tie-Breaking Criteria If multiple projects achieve the same total score, the following criteria will determine priority, in order: 1. Score in the 'Concept of the Scale Up Green acceleration program' criterion. 2. Score in the 'Applicant's resources for implementing the acceleration program' criterion. 3. Score in the 'Resources and potential of engaged partners' criterion. 4. Score in the 'Applicant's experience in acceleration programs' criterion. If still tied, projects with a higher percentage of women among key team members responsible for acceleration activities will be prioritized.

Compliance & Special Requirements

This section highlights critical compliance aspects and unique features of the 'Startup Booster Poland – Scale Up Green' grant. Regulatory Compliance Requirements

National and EU Law: Projects must comply with all relevant Polish national laws and European Union regulations, including specific EU regulations (e.g., 2021/1060, 2021/1058, 651/2014, 2023/2831) and Polish acts (e.g., on European funds implementation, public finances, public aid, electronic deliveries, and the Polish Agency for Enterprise Development).
Excluded Activities: Certain types of economic activities are explicitly excluded from support. Compliance with these exclusions will be verified based on your project description and PKD (Polish Classification of Activities) code.
Grant Project Formula: The grant to the Accelerator is considered 'financial aid not constituting state aid'. However, the grants provided by the Accelerator to startups are classified as 'de minimis aid' and must comply with the relevant de minimis aid regulations.
Horizontal Principles: Strict compliance is required with EU horizontal principles:
Equal Opportunities and Non-Discrimination: This includes ensuring accessibility for persons with disabilities and promoting gender equality. Your project needs to demonstrate a positive impact or, if justified, neutrality in these areas. This covers aspects like recruitment, working conditions, services, information, and infrastructure.
Charter of Fundamental Rights: Your project must adhere to specific articles of the EU Charter of Fundamental Rights, ensuring respect for human dignity, freedom, equality, and solidarity.
Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities: Your project must align with specific articles of this Convention, ensuring full and equal enjoyment of rights by persons with disabilities.
Environmental Compliance: Your project must fully comply with relevant environmental protection regulations and laws (e.g., waste management, water law, environmental protection law). You need to indicate specific applicable legal acts and justify your project's compliance.
National Smart Specialization (KIS): Your project's focus must align with KIS No. 7: Circular Economy.

Technical and Project Specifics

Technical Expertise: The evaluation criteria emphasize the need for highly qualified teams with relevant experience in both grant management and acceleration, particularly in the GOZ sector.
Risk Management: Your proposed acceleration program concept must include a clear identification of main risks and planned actions to mitigate them. This demonstrates a proactive approach to potential challenges.
Intellectual Property Policies: A crucial and unique requirement is that the Accelerator (or any related entities) is prohibited from acquiring equity (shares or stakes) in the accelerated startups during the period of the Individual Acceleration Plan. This protects the intellectual property and ownership of the startups.
Technology Specifications: Solutions supported must be in the 'Circular Economy' (GOZ) area, focusing on 'piloting and implementing innovative solutions' with large enterprises to help them shift to a circular business model (e.g., based on the ReSOLVE model).

Unique Aspects and Potential Challenges

Focus on Circular Economy (GOZ): The grant has a very specific thematic focus. Applicants must demonstrate deep understanding and capability in this area, including the '6R' principles (refuse, reduce, reuse, recover, recycle, rethink) and relevant environmental indicators.
Engagement with Large Enterprises: A significant aspect is the mandatory involvement of 'Technology Recipients' (large enterprises). You need to secure their commitment, demonstrate their potential for adopting GOZ solutions, and ideally, their willingness to co-finance. This can be challenging due to the need to align with corporate strategies.
Dual Team Structure: You need separate, qualified teams for grant project implementation (administrative/financial) and for the acceleration program itself, which can require careful resource allocation.
Knowledge Dissemination: Beyond supporting startups, the grant explicitly requires you to undertake activities to 'propagate knowledge about GOZ among large enterprises' (targeting at least 10 large enterprises).
Cash Co-financing: The mandatory 10% cash co-financing for operational costs requires a direct financial commitment from your organization.
No Equity: The prohibition on taking equity in startups is a distinct feature that ensures the accelerator's role is purely supportive, but it means no direct financial gain from startup success beyond the grant funding.

Strategic Alignment and Opportunities

This grant offers a significant opportunity to position your organization as a leader in the Circular Economy and innovation ecosystem in Poland.
It aligns with broad EU and national priorities for green transition, sustainable development, and fostering innovation, particularly with the engagement of large industry players.
The requirement for strong partnerships (Technology Recipients, Ecosystem Partners) fosters collaborative networks that can lead to long-term impact beyond the grant period.

Grant Details