- Poland does have the chance to stand out from the rest of European countries and to become a relative winner in the fight against economic crisis - emphasized Sławomir Majman, Member of the PAIiIZ Board. Effective usage of European funds may result to be one of the ways to tackle recession. Information Points were created to streamline the process.

A Central Information Point, 16 points at Marshal Offices and over 90 local points will be created in the frame of the "European Funds Information System 2007-2013". The system envisages also several specialized points, like the one in PAIiIZ. The Points provide information on financial subsidies distributed from the Operational Programmes on Innovative Economy, Infrastructure and Environment, Human Capital, Development of Eastern Poland and other Regional Operational Programmes.

In the EU financial perspective 2007-2013 over 60 mld EUR was allocated to Poland. The greatest part of the funds i.e. 43% was allotted to the OP Infrastructure and Environment. The Innovative Economy - Operational Programme received 11% of the total of the funds. Within the programme 2 mln PLN was allocated to the 4.5 measure supporting production industry and R&D centres. - At the moment not more than 15% of the support has been used - observed Rafał Baniak, Under-Secretary at the Ministry of Economy. I am glad we can inaugurate the Information Point and I believe the surplus of funds will be effectively distributed - added the Minister.

 - Support may be provided to entrepreneurs who operate and have their seat in Poland. Entrepreneurs should also be able to guarantee project's results durability during at least 5 years and in case of SME up to 3 years after the end of the project. It should be emphasized that the subsidies may be combined with public financial aid provided by other resources, provided the subsidies do not exceed limits indicated in the regional aid map. - explained Ms Agnieszka Łukaszewska-Wojnarowska, director of the PAIiIZ Regional Development Department.

The low percentage of structural funds usage results from several factors. Magdalena Burnat-Mikosz, Partner at Deloitte Tax Consulting, focused on the difficult entry criteria e.g. the requirement of providing as many as 200 workplaces in the production sector for a period of 5 years, detailed financial plans or a difficult to prove innovativeness. - On the other hand, the criteria make the 4.5measure less popular thus increasing the chances of entrepreneurs who decide to apply for this kind of support - she observed.

The process of acquiring structural funds in the frame of the sub-measure 4.5.2. in the Innovative Economy OP was discussed by Ewa Wiśniewska whose company Laboratory & Co applied for the funds. The aim of the company's project was to construct a Research&Development Centre where a unique base of indicators concerning advertisement and based on psico-physical reactions to advertisements was devised.  - It was the creation of a detailed 2-year budget that constituted the major difficulty in the whole process. The project proved successful due to its innovativeness, a high percentage of college-educated employees and experts in neurophysiology as well as the creation of 56 stable workplaces - emphasized the director of Laboratory & Co. The company received 50% of qualified costs i.e. over 6.2 mln PLN.

At the end of the meeting Minister Rafał Baniak cut a ribbon and officially opened the European Funds Information Point.
Polish Information and Foreign Investment Agency invites all entrepreneurs to consult PAIiIZ experts in European Funds and specialists in other support resources for business and innovative economy. (PAIiIZ)

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