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119 Towns in Line for Swiss Funding

20.01.2025

On January 16, 2025, the first stage of the call for Polish towns losing their socio-economic functions came to an end. Out of 139 eligible local governments, 119 submitted Programme Component Outlines (first stage applications).

119 Towns in Line for Swiss Funding

We expected such interest. We saw it already in the attendance at information meetings. Representatives of almost all towns eligible for the program took part in them. We are immediately starting the formal assessment of the applications

says Minister of Development Funds and Regional Policy Katarzyna Pełczyńska-Nałęcz.

Time for assessment

The call is two-staged. Now, the applications will be formally checked by employees of the Ministry of Development Funds and Regional Policy. Those that meet the criteria will proceed to a merit-based assessment, which will be carried out by external experts.

Based on the merit-based assessment, a ranking list will be created, which will be approved by the Steering Committee of the Polish Swiss Programme for Development of Towns. Towns on this list will be invited to submit Complete Programme Component Proposals, i.e., full and final applications for funding. Towns will have approximately 5 months to do so from the date of the ranking list announcement. Experts from the Association of Polish Cities will assist towns in preparing Complete Programme Component Proposals.

About the call

The call was launched in March 2024. 139 towns, identified by the National Regional Development Strategy 2030 as at risk of losing socio-economic functions, could participate in it. These are towns where, for example, large state-owned enterprises collapsed as a result of systemic transformation, challenges related to population outflow to the largest cities, low birth rates, or air pollution emerged.

Towns could apply for funding between PLN 44 and 80 million for projects that fit into their development strategies. It is important that the projects are comprehensive – they should be both infrastructural and social investments that engage residents and civil society organizations.

Towns can count on funding of up to 100% of expenses. Ultimately, the amount of support in each case will be influenced by state aid regulations.

Local governments can allocate funds, among others, to: financing for micro, small, and medium-sized enterprises, vocational training, energy efficiency and renewable energy, public transport, water and sewage management, nature protection, investments in health, and development of civil society. Cooperation with Swiss towns is also welcome.

We have very positive experiences with such bilateral cooperation under the EEA and Norway Grants s for Poland. In the Local Development Programme, which also supported towns, out of 29 Polish local governments, 17 found a partner from Norway or Iceland for their project. This was a huge added value to the projects

assesses Deputy Minister of Development Funds and Regional Policy Konrad Wojnarowski.

More information about the call can be found in the announcement in the Calls for proposals tab.

Polish Swiss Programme for Development of Towns

The call was organized under the Polish Swiss Programme for Development of Towns. The programme is one of two parts of the Swiss-Polish Cooperation Programme, i.e., the so-called Swiss Funds. The second part is the Research and Innovation Programme.

The budget of the Polish Swiss Programme for Development of Towns is CHF 327.882 million, including:

  • CHF 278.7 million - Swiss contribution,
  • CHF 49.182 million - Polish contribution.

The programme operator, i.e., the institution responsible for its preparation and implementation, is the Ministry of Development Funds and Regional Policy.

More information about the Polish Swiss Programme for Development of Towns can be found in the Programmes tab.

About the Swiss Funds for Poland

The Swiss-Polish Cooperation Programme (commonly known as the Swiss Funds, Swiss Contribution) is a programme under which funds allocated by Switzerland for the development of our country are distributed. This happened on the basis of agreements between Switzerland and the European Union and with Poland. The agreement on which the programme was based was concluded on December 5, 2022, in Warsaw.

We currently have the second edition of the Swiss-Polish Cooperation Programme. The implementation of the previous edition ended in 2017.

Under the second edition of the program, Switzerland granted Poland CHF 320.1 million. This pool should also include the national contribution, which gives a total amount of CHF 375.458 million.

The distribution of these funds is as follows:

  • Polish Swiss Programme for Development of Towns – CHF 327.882 million (CHF 278.7 million Swiss contribution and CHF 49.182 million Polish contribution),
  • Research and Innovation Programme – CHF 41.176 million (CHF 35 million Swiss contribution and CHF 6.176 million Polish contribution),
  • Technical Assistance (including the Preparatory Fund) - CHF 6.4 million.

The implementation (eligibility of expenditures) of the second edition of the Swiss-Polish Cooperation Programme will end in December 2029.

More information about the second edition of the Swiss Funds for Poland can be found in the Learn more about the funds tab.
 

 

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