Poland is taking bold steps to enhance its digital landscape with substantial investments aimed at transforming businesses and fostering innovation. The country’s commitment to technological advancement is evident through two major initiatives: a PLN 10 billion allocation for business digitization and a PLN 350 million call for innovative research consortia.
These initiatives underscore Poland’s strategic focus on leveraging technology to drive economic growth and competitiveness. By providing substantial funding and creating structured programs, Poland is encouraging businesses, research organizations, and non-governmental entities to collaborate on groundbreaking projects.
PLN 10 billion for business digitization
The Polish government, through the state development bank BGK and the Ministry of Digital Affairs, has earmarked PLN 10 billion for the digitization of businesses and the economy. This funding will be disbursed over the coming months and years, supporting various programs aimed at modernizing the economic landscape. Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Digital Affairs Krzysztof Gawkowski announced this initiative, highlighting its importance in the country’s digital transformation journey.
The funds will be utilized to enhance digital infrastructure, support technological adoption, and promote innovation across different sectors. This investment is part of a broader strategy to position Poland as a leader in the digital economy, fostering a more competitive and resilient business environment.
SMART Path innovation call: PLN 350 million for collaborative research
Poland is also launching the SMART Path funding call, a PLN 350 million research-and-development competition designed to encourage collaboration among companies, research organizations, and non-governmental entities. Applications for this consortium-based call open on 7 August 2026 and will remain open until 16 October 2026 at 16:00.
The SMART Path program is administered by the National Centre for Research and Development (NCBR) under the European Funds for a Modern Economy framework. Its primary goal is to support projects that lead to product innovations or improvements in business processes related to the production of goods or services.
Partnership-based model
The SMART Path call emphasizes a partnership-based approach, requiring projects to be carried out by consortia. The consortium leader must be a company, while other participating organizations can include micro, small, or medium-sized enterprises, larger companies, research organizations, or non-governmental entities.
Each consortium member must be responsible for at least one task within the research-and-development work, ensuring substantive collaboration. Research organizations and non-governmental entities can participate only as consortium members, not as leaders. Large companies must also plan cooperation with an SME connected to the research-and-development tasks or include an SME in the consortium.
Funding for research, development, and market preparation
The call covers industrial research and development work, or development work alone, provided that the project aims to create a new product or business-process innovation. Each proposal must fit at least one of Poland’s National Smart Specialisations, which identify priority areas of economic and technological development.
The minimum eligible expenditure is PLN 3 million, with the total requested grant not exceeding PLN 140 million for an entire project. Funding will be provided through grants, with the precise aid structure depending on the status and role of each consortium member.
The research component is mandatory, but the competition also permits related activities such as international promotion of products, protection of industrial-property rights, and the development of skills among employees or management staff at participating companies and other non-research partners.
Application process and timeline
Applications must be submitted electronically through NCBR’s LSI 2.0 information system. The submission window begins on 7 August 2026 and closes on 16 October 2026 at 16:00. NCBR will use a two-stage assessment process conducted by expert panels.
The first stage will be carried out without a meeting with the applicant. In the second stage, applicants may be asked to correct or supplement their documentation, and a meeting with the applicant forms part of the assessment. NCBR expects to approve the first-stage results within 67 days of the deadline and the second-stage results within 155 days of the deadline, although these are projected rather than guaranteed dates.
The SMART Path call does not predetermine which technologies will receive support. Instead, it establishes a broad route for collaborative projects that meet the National Smart Specialisations and demonstrate a research-and-development component. Its practical importance lies in the scale and structure of the opportunity, with a PLN 350 million budget and a maximum grant of PLN 140 million per project.
For Polish companies, universities, and applied research teams, the immediate task is to identify partners, divide the research responsibilities clearly, and demonstrate how the proposed work could result in a marketable product or business-process improvement. The deadline gives potential applicants just over two months from the opening date to assemble their consortia and complete their proposals.
