As of 2019, the Local Development Programme has been a groundbreaking initiative supporting the development of Poland's medium-sized cities, offering comprehensive financial, substantive and organisational support.

The implementation of the Local Development Programme has supported 29 projects in medium-sized towns, 17 of which were carried out in partnership with Norwegian and Icelandic local authorities. The total project budget exceeded approximately PLN 561 million and enabled the introduction of innovative solutions that improve the quality of life for residents of smaller urban centres,

said Deputy Minister for Development Funds and Regional Policy Konrad Wojnarowski.

Cooperation and Knowledge Exchange

Thanks to the cooperation, Polish municipalities have been able to draw inspiration and experience from Norwegian and Icelandic cities. Partnerships have changed the scope of governance and strategic planning in local governments. Thanks to their knowledge and experience, it was possible to implement projects as part of formal and informal partnerships, realistically involving residents in dialogue and deciding the direction of urban development. This is a potential that should not be lost but rather supported and given opportunities for further development.

The Local Development Programme aimed to strengthen social and economic cohesion across the country by improving the quality of the environment (especially air quality), accessibility and living standards of the inhabitants of medium and small towns.

Providing such towns with comprehensive and concentrated support will ultimately reduce or reverse the negative trends in them and contribute to improving their functioning as attractive places to live and work.

Lessons for the Future

The implementation of the Local Development Programme has shown us how much potential there is in medium-sized towns and, at the same time, how great their needs are. The comprehensive range of topics allowed support to be tailored to individual cities' needs. The applicants and later also the beneficiaries, received unprecedented substantive assistance and tools necessary for the effective preparation and implementation of projects,

emphasised Deputy Minister Konrad Wojnarowski.

The solutions developed as part of the programme will be promoted as models for other cities in Poland. Lessons and experiences have been compiled in the form of good practice manuals on the programme website, which ensures that the results can be further used by local authorities in Poland and abroad.

Expert Support for Local Authorities

The Local Development programme was implemented by the Ministry of Development Funds and Regional Policy as the Programme Operator in cooperation with the Programme Partner from the Donor State: The Norwegian Union of Local and Regional Authorities (KS) and the international partner, i.e. the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD).

One of the key elements of the programme's success was the extensive expert support of the Association of Polish Cities (ZMP), the OECD, the Institute for the Development of Cities and Regions (IRMiR) and the National Local Government Association (KS). Participants in the Programme benefited from tools and knowledge that enabled effective project planning and implementation and institutional development, making this initiative the largest of its kind in Poland.

Norwegian Funds

\he Norwegian Financial Mechanism and the Financial Mechanism of the European Economic Area (i.e. the so-called Norwegian and EEA Funds) are a special pool of funds that Norway, Iceland and Liechtenstein have granted to several Central and Southern European countries and the Baltic States. In return, these three countries have access to the internal market of the European Union, even though they are not members.

This is the third time Poland has benefited from these measures. We had approximately PLN 3,493.18 million available for the 2014-2021 period (the implementation periods of the Norwegian and EU funds do not overlap).