The gala event brought together the winners of the Polish Two Hundred ranking of national companies, conducted by the “Wprost” weekly, as well as representatives of the most dynamically developing Polish companies and those achieving success on international markets.

The ceremony was also attended by the winners of the Wprost Eagles awards, which are granted to individuals, companies and institutions or NGOs in recognition of their exceptional entrepreneurship, local government activity and promotion of our country's regions.

Minister G. Puda with the award of the Patron of Investment and Development of the Polish Economy

Minister Grzegorz Puda was awarded the title of the Patron of Investment and Development of the Polish Economy in recognition of his “extraordinary commitment both to the global economy affairs of our country and to local companies and regional entrepreneurs”. “As the Minister of Development Funds and Regional Policy, he supports projects that share record funds within the European Funds for the regions” the rationale of the award highlighted.

There is one Poland, therefore we pursue a fair and sustainable development policy. We support local authorities all over the country, but we also take a special interest in those places that have so far been excluded from investment. Owing to the government programmes, funds are flowing to all municipalities, smaller towns and cities, our small homelands are flourishing

- said Grzegorz Puda, the Minister of Development Funds and Regional Policy.

The Minister emphasised that in recent years, multi-billion funds have been channelled to the regions from both government programmes such as the Government Local Investment Fund, the Government Strategic Investment Programme, the Government Road Development Fund, as well as from the Polish part of the European funds.

These sums are backed up by thousands of investments - consecutive sections of motorways and expressways, rebuilt local roads, modern water supply and sewage infrastructure, the retrofitting of hospitals, the construction and modernisation of nurseries, kindergartens, schools and the renovation of libraries. We provide funds to support Polish culture, develop social welfare and strengthen our country's security

- said the head of the MDFRP.

Minister Grzegorz Puda pointed out that Poland received over 76 billion euro for the period 2021-2027, which makes our country the largest beneficiary of cohesion policy in the current European Union perspective.

We will invest resources in economically disadvantaged areas, support local authorities and their residents in their efforts to improve the quality of everyday life and offer an attractive business environment. Key to the development of our country will be research and development projects, innovative projects and projects that increase the competitiveness of the economy -the minister said.

Minister M. Horała awarded in the category: Economic Outlook.

The Deputy Minister of Development Funds and Regional Policy, Marcin Horała received a special award of the “Wprost” weekly in the category: Economic Outlook.

The implementation of the investment and the entire comprehensive STH programme, is not a futuristic idea, but a natural path for the development of the Polish economy and an opportunity to strengthen its position in Europe. It is also a way to meet the needs and expectations of the contemporary increasingly mobile society

- said the Deputy Minister of Development Funds and Regional Policy, Marcin Horała.

In the rationale for the award, it was emphasised that the Minister, as the Government Plenipotentiary for the Solidarity Transport Hub, “is responsible for one of the most important infrastructural projects and at the same time the largest project in the history of our country - the Solidarity Transport Hub”.

It was emphasised that the STH is “the state-of-the-art airport, a network of 2000 km of new railway lines for High Speed Rail, as well as new expressways, including the eagerly awaited widening of the A2 motorway between Warsaw and Łódź and the construction of the Warsaw Agglomeration Bypass”.