The meeting on subsidies was organized by Northern Business Chamber and took place on 24 July. Its majority was devoted to Innovative Economy Operational Programme, partly within the competence of the Ministry of Economy.

The amount of funds available under the Programme for the perspective 2007-2013 exceeds PLN 8 billion, of which PLN 4.5 billion is within competence of the Ministry of Economy being the intermediate body allocating the funds within four axes: Capital for innovation, Investing in innovative businesses, Diffusing innovation and Polish economy on the international market.

At present, use of Programme funds in West Pomerania is the lowest in Poland. The amount of PLN 126.4 million obtained by companies from the region means that we are consuming mere 3.4% of funds available for Poland. The amount consists of 45 approved applications (11% of the national total).

„Today we learned about possibilities to appeal from decisions of officers who evaluate applications. Usually, businessmen informed that their project do not meet requirements, do not try again but resign. I know quite a few people whose projects, although interesting, did not qualify”, says Andrzej Lebdowicz, Vice Chairman of Northern Chamber of Commerce in Szczecin, referring to the low level of EU funds utilization. “Bureaucracy is another hindrance disallowing businessmen submit their projects individually. As a result, many  applications are rejected due to their failure to meet formal requirements.

Businessmen participating in the meeting indicated errors in the web-based application generator.

„Lack of information that the money can be allocated not only by the Marshall only, but also by other bodies, like Polish Agency for Enterprise Development. Therefore, we want to cooperate with Northern Chamber of Commerce in informing public opinion about opportunities to use the funds", says Rafał Baniak. “Possibility to appeal against a decision is another issue. Businessmen thought that a rejection letter from Warsaw ended the case. They had no idea about the appeal procedure. The money is worth some additional attempts.

Deputy Minister of Economy informed businessmen about recent introduction of more friendly procedures of applying for EU funds. The new solutions stem among others from the economic downturn resulting in a limited access to funds for businesses. Easier access to advance payments and simplified settlement requirements are an attempt to reduce the problem. Minister Baniak has also announced increased allocation of money if certain funds enjoy more interest than the other.

mab