Portal Funduszy Europejskich

IPCEI projects - Important Projects of Common European Interest. These are projects preliminarily assessed by the European Commission as exerting a positive impact on the internal market and society of the European Union as a whole, in line with common European objectives. Common strategic value chains and a vision for joint activities and investment between EU Member States and industry that can be funded based on the principles set out for the IPCEI mechanism have been identified by the Strategic Forum on IPCEI.

These include:

• clean, connected and autonomous vehicles,
• smart health,
• low-carbon industry,
• hydrogen technologies and systems,
• industrial Internet of Things,
• cyber security.

Moreover, three additional strategic value chains relating to batteries, high-performance computing and microelectronics were also recognised.

For whom

Medium, Small mid caps, Small, Large, Micro, Mid caps

IPCEI in European Fund for Smart Economy Programme

Priority II Innovation-friendly environment (IPCEI measure 2.10)

IPCEI projects allow Polish entrepreneurs to accumulate expertise and become part of value chains for cutting-edge technologies. They foster the internationalisation of Polish companies through the opportunity of establishing close cooperation with entrepreneurs from other EU countries operating in the area of advanced technology. Ultimately, they will also boost exports of high-tech products. As the EC emphasises the existence of knowledge spillover effects in IPCEI projects, they help to streamline cooperation channels between large entrepreneurs and SMEs and the research community.

IPCEI projects are clearly innovative in the context of the latest developments in the specific sector. They include the stages of research and development as well as the first industrial implementation, in line with the value chain for the particular technology. Projects may include the expansion of pilot installations or the development of entirely new installations and equipment as part of the post-pilot line stage (including the testing stage), but may not comprise mass production or commercial activities.

Budget

EUR 133 300 000

Institution

National Centre for Research and Development

IPCEI beneficiary

VIGO Photonics Spółka Akcyjna

Projekct: Microelectronics/Communication Technologies (project selected for co-financing): VIGO Photonics Joint Stock Company Project: HyperPIC - Photonic integrated circuits for mid-infrared applications

Project value: PLN 1,527,841,462.15

Value of the co-financing: PLN 440 000 000

Priority III Greening of enterprises (IPCEI measure 3.3 Hydrogen)

Funding will relate to projects in the area of low-carbon and renewable energy-produced hydrogen. The aim of the joint initiative is to build a hydrogen value chain in the EU that will enable its use in transport, energy and industry. Projects in the Hydrogen IPCEI will address both the generation, distribution and storage phases of hydrogen and the development of technologies and systems for the use of hydrogen in three aforementioned areas. The Hydrogen IPCEI will cover both projects at the research and development stage and the first industrial application.

IPCEI projects are clearly innovative in the context of the latest developments in the specific sector. They include the stages of research and development as well as the first industrial implementation, in line with the value chain for the particular technology. Projects may include the expansion of pilot installations or the development of entirely new installations and equipment as part of the post-pilot line stage (including the testing stage), but may not comprise mass production or commercial activities.

Budget

EUR 166,700,000

Institution

National Centre for Research and Development

IPCEI beneficiary

Synthos Dwory 7 Sp. z o.o.

Project: Development and demonstration of the hydrogen production technology based on high-temperature steam decomposition using zero-emission energy resources

Project value: PLN 105 million

Value of EU co-financing: PLN 105 million

Priority II Innovation-friendly environment (measure 02.14)

The Inno_Lab project aims to develop the national innovation ecosystem by developing new methods and tools to support innovation of the Polish economy. It is assumed that successful pilot projects may be applied on a wider scale using funds available under the European Funds for Smart Economy Programme, other programmes financed from EU or national funds. Element of the project include the conducting of analyses, research and tests, gaining access to databases, purchasing expertise and advice, and performing information and promotional activities and evaluation.

The project is implemented on a grant project basis.

For whom

• enterprises,
• business environment institutions supporting the development of innovative economy,
• scientific entities and scientific and industrial consortia,
• public administration.

Budget

EUR 58,000,000

Institution

Ministry of Development and Technology

Priority II Innovation-friendly environment (measure 02.13)

Support for the implementation of research and development work of significant socio-economic importance in the model of innovative public procurement, which is a response to the challenges of the contemporary Polish economy resulting from the need to adapt to and counteract climate change, demographic changes, changes in the global economy.

Interventions of public institutions based on pull innovation play an important role in this process. In this mechanism, the Public Institution identifies specific social, environmental and economic needs and challenges and subsequently procures specific technologies, solutions, responding to these needs and challenges and thus contributing to the transformation of the economy, industry and society. The Public Institution, through Innovative Public Procurement, controls market transformation changes, stimulates economic sectors and even contributes to the establishment of new ones.

Support will be provided to activities that, using the innovative public procurement model, will develop new, innovative, breakthrough technologies for the economy. Projects will support the acceleration of the implementation of R&D results, the development of pro-innovation attitudes among R&D system actors and society, and the concentration of resources in areas of the highest economic and social importance.

For whom

• research organisations and institutes,
• universities and other bodies of the system of higher education and science.

Budget

EUR 113,500,000

Institution

National Centre for Research and Development

Science4Business - Innovation-friendly environment (measure 02.31)

The main objective of the project will be to increase the effectiveness of activities of Technology Transfer Centres and Special Purpose Vehicles belonging to research organizations in terms of cooperation with business, including through the commercialization of R&D work results. The scope of the project will include both the improvement of qualifications of staff dealing with the commercialization of R&D work results, as well as support for activities undertaken by research organizations leading to the effective introduction of developed solutions into the economy. These activities will include mapping the potential of research organizations, preparing and marketing research and technology offerings, and conducting pre-implementation work for technologies developed in research organizations.

Special support will also be given to research teams interested in commercializing technology through the establishment of a spin-off company. In addition, the project will create a Portal with the technological, service and infrastructural offer of all scientific units in Poland, aimed at entrepreneurs.

For whom

Research organizations and institutes, universities and other entities of the higher education and science system

Budget

EUR 33 000 000

Institution

Ministry of Education and Science

The following instruments are implemented as part of the measure:

• Starter (equity investment in companies at the early stage of development, including those not yet generating revenue),
• Biznest (equity investment in companies at the early stage of development, with the participation of business angels),
• Open Innovation (equity investment in companies that are implementing or intend to implement projects in an open innovation formula),
• KOFFI (equity investment in companies at the stage of development and expansion),
• CVC (equity investments in companies implemented with the contribution of corporate investors’ capital).

Support for the target group (final recipients) will be delivered using financial intermediaries. Financial intermediaries or professional teams managing financial intermediaries will be selected in an adequate, transparent, competitive and professional manner. Financial intermediaries will be required to commit private capital 112 (at least 20%), including own funds of members of the management team, which, together with public capital, will be used to invest in final recipients primarily in the form of “classic” investment, but also co-investment (unlike “classic” investments, co-investment allows for the commitment of additional private investor capital on a deal by deal basis). The transfer of funds to financial intermediaries for investment in final recipients will take the form of repayable financing, through the subscription and payment of shares, stocks, investment certificates or other participation rights issued by financial intermediaries.

For whom

micro, small and medium-sized enterprises, particularly at an early stage of development, which are implementing or intending to implement or develop innovative solutions (product, service, process, organisational and marketing) and which, due to the high risk associated with their early stage of development, need venture capital funding with a smart money element to support them in their commercial success.

Method of implementation

Support for the target group (final recipients) will be delivered using financial intermediaries. Financial intermediaries or professional teams managing financial intermediaries will be selected in an adequate, transparent, competitive and professional manner. Financial intermediaries will be required to commit private capital (at least 20%), including own funds of members of the management team, which, together with public capital, will be used to invest in final recipients primarily in the form of “classic” investment, but also co-investment (unlike “classic” investments, co-investment allows for the commitment of additional private investor capital on a deal by deal basis). The transfer of funds to financial intermediaries for investment in final recipients will take the form of repayable financing, through the subscription and payment of shares, stocks, investment certificates or other participation rights issued by financial intermediaries.

Budget

EUR 512,500,000 million

Institution

Bank Gospodarstwa Krajowego

Two instruments will be implemented under the European Funds for Smart Economy Programme

Establishment of the Guarantee Fund for the growth and competitiveness of enterprises

Priority II - Innovation-friendly environment (Measure 2.31)

Support, among others, in the scope of innovation and digital transformation. The aim of the instrument is to increase the growth potential of enterprises and create incentives for debt financing. A guarantee as debt repayment security facilitates companies' access to financing for the implementation of investment and/or increasing the working capital necessary for company growth and providing the liquidity. Support in the form of guarantees is intended for enterprises ready to take on the additional risk associated with increasing of the company debt. The guarantee provides a security for the repayment of the following loans:

• investment loans for financing projects involving the implementation of new or improved product, process, organisational or marketing solutions identified at least at a company level and the implementation of business models based on automation, robotisation or digitisation of enterprises.
• revolving and non-revolving working capital loans to finance working capital linked to capital expenditure in order to launch, maintain or increase the production and service activities of enterprises and to finance the business as usual of enterprises, including the provision of liquidity.

The guarantee can be used by enterprises with creditworthiness assessed by a financial institution, but identifying the limitations in accessing finance due to the lack of or insufficient security for the repayment of debt.

For whom

micro, small and medium-sized enterprises as well as small mid-caps and mid-caps

Budget

EUR 237,850,000 million

Institution

Bank Gospodarstwa Krajowego

Establishment of the Green Guarantee Fund for the growth and competitiveness of enterprises

Priority III Greening of enterprises (Measure 03.02)

The support is aimed at increasing the scale of energy transformation of enterprises by providing debt financing sources for this process, including investments and other costs related to such transformation, such as investments to increase the energy efficiency of enterprises in terms of new investment and the modernisation of existing activities towards a green transformation concerning buildings, production lines, the purchase of equipment reducing the consumption of electricity or heat, increasing the use of renewable energy sources, installations producing energy from renewable sources.

The investment financed by a loan with guarantee will demonstrate a level of energy savings in terms of energy efficiency improvements of the enterprise, as determined at the application stage.

For whom

micro, small and medium-sized enterprises as well as small mid-caps and mid-caps

Budget

EUR 173,400,000

Institution

Bank Gospodarstwa Krajowego