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Internationalization of SMEs 2021 - an opportunity to develop exports for your company!

The Polish Agency for Enterprise Development has launched another edition of the "Internationalization of SMEs" program, which supports small and medium-sized enterprises by co-financing the costs of introducing their products or services to new foreign markets.

The purpose of internationalization of SMEs 2021 OP EP (Operational Program Eastern Poland 2014-2020) is to increase the economic activity of small and medium-sized companies operating in the following voivodeships: Lubelskie, Warmińsko-Mazurskie, Podlaskie, Podkarpackie, and Świętokrzyskie on international markets.

The instrument is aimed at supporting the entrepreneur in:

diagnosis of its potential in the field of internationalization,
preparation of the company and its offer in terms of export,
actively looking for business partners in order to introduce products to selected foreign markets.

Financing may be granted to:

micro, small or medium-sized entrepreneurs running a business in the territory of Eastern Poland, i.e. in the following voivodships: Lubelskie, Warmińsko-Mazurskie, Podlaskie, Świętokrzyskie, and Podkarpackie, confirmed by an entry in the relevant register, disclosed no later than on the day of submitting the application for funding,
enterprises having at least one product (goods or service) with the potential to internationalize in at least one new foreign market,
companies meeting the following conditions jointly in the 3 years preceding the year in which they submitted the application for financing:

Achieved net turnover of not less than PLN 200 thousand at least in one closed financial year.
Achieved net turnover of not less than PLN 100 thousand at least in one closed financial year as a result of sales of the product(s) submitted for internationalization in the project.

The maximum amount of support, the intensity of co-financing and type of aid granted:

The maximum amount of funding granted to one applicant for the implementation of the project is:

- 800 000 PLN (in case of selecting internationalization target markets outside the European Economic Area and Switzerland)

- 550 000 PLN (in case of selecting internationalization target markets from the European Economic Area or Switzerland)

including:

- up to PLN 30 000 of financing to cover the costs of advisory services related to the development of a new business model related to the internationalization of SME operations;

- up to PLN 100 000 of financing to cover the costs related to the acquisition of fixed assets, excluding real estate, in connection with the preparation for internationalization of operations;

- a maximum of PLN 100 000 to cover the costs related to the acquisition of intangible assets in connection with the preparation for internationalization of operations.

However, the total co-financing to cover the costs related to the acquisition of intangible and legal assets and to cover the costs related to the acquisition of fixed assets, excluding real estate in connection with the preparation for internationalization of operations, may not exceed PLN 150 000.

Required own contribution - minimum 15% of the total project cost.

The maximum co-financing intensity is 85% of the eligible costs (in the case of 'de minimis' aid).

The maximum co-financing intensity is 50% of eligible costs (in the case of state aid).

Project implementation period:

The implementation of the project cannot start before the date of the application for the funding or on the date of submitting the application for the funding.
The start of the project implementation should begin not later than 6 months from the date of submitting the application for the funding.
The period in which the project should be implemented may not be longer than 24 months from the date of its launch.
The project implementation period may not exceed the final date of the cost eligibility period under OP EP, i.e. 31 December 2023.