The new financial support for small and medium-sized companies is intended to increase their level of digitalization and promote pro-ecological investments. As part of the Dig.IT project, entrepreneurs from the industry, production and services for industry sectors are to gain a new opportunity to raise the so-called level of digital maturity of their companies.
The following areas of digital transformation will be supported: automation of company processes and business analytics, digital sales and customer contact, use of cloud solutions, use of artificial intelligence (AI), machine learning, cybersecurity and management of enterprise resources using IT solutions.
Grants within the Dig.IT project
The Industrial Development Agency (ARP) provides entrepreneurs with professional advice tailored to the needs of specific industries and even companies belonging to a specific production or service sector.
In addition to consulting, entrepreneurs can count on grants to help them carry out the so-called digital transformation of their companies. This term is understood as the purchase of modern digital technologies, fixed assets, as well as conducting training for employees. The Dig.IT program is also intended to increase the knowledge and skills of employees in the micro, small and medium-sized enterprise sector in the field of digitalization.
The minimum grant value for a company is 40 thousand US dollars and the maximum is 200 thousand US dollars (after conversion into zloty). The maximum level of funding for a company is 70 percent of the net costs of a given project in the field of digitalization.
As part of the Dig.IT project, the Industrial Development Agency is cooperating with the Future Industry Platform foundation. The latter is tasked with assessing the stage of digitalization at which a given company is. The entrepreneur then receives recommendations regarding actions that can be taken to further digital development of their company. The next step is to develop a personalized digital transformation strategy, tailored to the specifics of the given company.
Leasing under InvestEU
InvestEU is the largest EU investment programme aimed at supporting SMEs and start-ups in implementing innovations in the field of renewable energy sources (RES).
Leasing financing, offered by some lessors, is aimed at small and medium-sized companies employing fewer than 250 employees. Lessors are usually willing to take more risks than banks, where creditworthiness is rigorously calculated – also for start-ups and young companies. Start-ups operating for no longer than 6 months and larger companies (employing up to 500 employees) can also count on financing of part of their activities. These can be companies from various industries and sectors – the condition is an interest in investing in renewable energy sources.
InvestEU preferential loans with BGK guarantee
Bank Gospodarstwa Krajowego (BGK) will soon provide guarantees for loan repayments under the aforementioned InvestEU programme.
Thanks to BGK guarantees, a loan for SMEs can be cheaper than a typical commercial loan granted by banks.
The BGK guarantee may also be covered by a counter-guarantee from the European Investment Fund, which reduces the final cost of the loan for the company.
Preferential loans for Podkarpacie
Almost PLN 800 million has been allocated to granting preferential loans in Podkarpacie. The money for them comes from the European Funds for Podkarpacie 2021-2027.
Entrepreneurs will be able to count on support under a development loan, e.g. for work related to the digitalization or robotization of the company, as well as introducing new products and services to the market. PLN 240 million has been reserved for this type of loan.
Another form of support for SME sector companies will be a loan to improve energy efficiency, i.e. to finance the energy modernization of the company’s buildings, to install heating, cooling or energy recovery devices in the production process. PLN 90 million has been reserved for this purpose.
In turn, the so-called RES loan is to help companies cover the costs of investments related to the construction or expansion of installations for the production of energy from RES, as well as the costs of investments in energy storage facilities operating for the needs of RES. The largest pool of funds has been reserved for these purposes, almost PLN 370 million.
For now, BGK preferential loans are not yet available, but it is worth knowing about them today. In the second quarter of this year, BGK intends to announce tenders for the selection of financing partners (usually banks) who will grant low-interest loans. The loans themselves will be available in Podkarpacie in the second half of 2024.