- National Centre for Research and Development in Poland (NCBR) allocates 200 million zl (around 44 million EUR) to help Polish startups to combat the COVID-19 crisis.
- The maximum grant per project is 50 million zl.
- If you are a Polish entrepreneur or a scientist operating in Poland, you are eligible to apply.
- The competition starts on May 6, 2020.
Who can apply?
Enterprises, both SMEs and large companies, as well as consortia consisting of entrepreneurs and scientific units, can apply for support. The most important condition that has to be fulfilled is the innovative solutions at least on the scale of the country.
Only Polish nationals with companies registered on the territory of Poland can apply for the program Fast Track “Coronavirus”.
NCBR invites all inventors with outstanding ideas to take part in the competition.
Key areas for support:
- Diagnostics – including devices for rapid detection of coronavirus.
- Treatment – research into the use of existing or new drugs, as well as work on vaccines.
- Prevention – preventive measures limiting the spread of a pandemic (including the SARS-CoV-2 coronavirus) and actions for the Polish antivirus shield: improving biological security, protecting society, supporting its functioning in epidemiological emergencies.
Agnieszka Szmit, Director of the Department of Communication and Promotion at NCBR
‘I encourage you to participate in the competition of the National Center for Research and Development Fast Track “Coronavirus”. Each of the submitted projects will be verified by independent experts according to a specific procedure. We are ready to support any promising project. Details of the competition can be found on our website,’ Director of the Department of Communication and Promotion Agnieszka Szmit explained to ITKeyMedia.
Planned Investment Volumes?
NCBR allocates 200 million zl from the Intelligent Development Program to combat the COVID-19 crisis.
- 125 million zl will be allocated to the initiatives in less developed areas (i.e. outside the Mazowieckie Voivodeship),
- 75 million zl will go to the startups in the Mazowieckie Voivodeship.
‘This is the largest amount ever allocated in Poland to support innovation that will help in the fight against coronavirus. We hope that the work of Polish scientists and entrepreneurs will not only help handle the current spreading pandemic but in the future will allow us to effectively prevent viral diseases, treat them and minimize their effects,’ Deputy Prime Minister, Minister of Science and Higher Education Jarosław Gowin said.
The minimum value of the eligible costs of the project are as follows:
- 1 million zl – for projects implemented independently by SMEs;
- 2 million zl – for other projects;
- The maximum project value is €50 million.
‘The goal of European Funds is to solve the most important social and economic problems. Today, not only in our country but at the European and global level, the biggest challenge is to fight the COVID-19 pandemic. Redirecting part of the available EU funds to this fight is a natural decision. Removing the undesirable effects of a pandemic for the economy is our duty, which we consistently fulfill,’ Minister of Funds and Regional Policy Małgorzata Jarosińska-Jedynak declared.
Timeline
NCBR will be accepting the applications from May 6 till December 31, 2020. The competition is divided into three rounds:
- Round 1: 6 May to 5 June 2020,
- Round 2: 6 June to 24 July 2020,
- Round 3: 25 July to 31 December 2020.
The evaluation of applications will be carried out after each round and will last up to 90 days.
If you have any further questions you can contact NCBR Information Point or ITKeyMedia directly.
