The purpose of the project is to improve the conditions for the development of 120 SMEs from the Podlaskie Voivodeship by strengthening the potential and improving the quality of services provided by the established special purpose vehicle Polish Construction Cluster Prosta Spółka Akcyjna and the Business Environment Institutions Polish Advisory and Consulting Association and Polish Construction Cluster until 30.06.2027.

The project's target group consists of 120 SMEs from the Podlaskie Voivodeship. The applicant decided to support this sector based on its own research and experience in working with SMEs, which indicate that these companies are currently struggling most with the effects of the current economic situation: high inflation, the continued increase in the minimum wage, the effects of the COVID pandemic and the related uncertainty and fear of new investments. A consequence of these factors, and at the same time a barrier, is their declared lack of financial resources, including the lack of funds for down payments.

Entities conducting activities excluded from the possibility of receiving funding are excluded from participation in the project, i.e. types of activities excluded from the possibility of obtaining financial assistance, referred to in: Article 7 paragraph 1 of Regulation (EU) 2021/1058 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 24 June 2021 on the EFF and the CF and Article 1 of Commission Regulation (EU) No 1407/2013 of 18 December 2013 on the application of Articles 107 and 108 of the Treaty on the Functioning of the EU to de minimis aid.

Priority will be given to SMEs that:

• are based in medium-sized cities that are losing their socio-economic functions,
• operate in areas that are part of the core specializations, emerging specializations indicated in the Crime Development Plan based on smart specializations of the Podlaskie Voivodeship for 2021–2027+ (RIS3 2027+),
• fit into industry 4.0 and complementarity in terms of project implementation.

Excercise 1: Implementation of the construction investment, including the purchase of the perpetual lease of the land and the necessary project works:
including the purchase of post-industrial real estate, design and build construction services, including construction design, obtaining decisions and permits, construction services, investor supervision, including the implementation of BIM technology.

Task 2: Purchase of machinery and equipment as well as IT solutions necessary to implement a resource sharing system:
including production halls, logistics infrastructure, building equipment for the SME service center, etc.

Task 3: Design and construction of an intelligent renewable energy system with energy storage and installations to provide green energy necessary for the operation of companies in the park.

Task 4: SME Service Center: a comprehensive offer of consulting and training services necessary to implement the 4.0 economy
in Podlasie SMEs, implementation of the following activities:

1. Consulting service diagnosis of needs:
2. Consulting service, technical audit 4.0, digitalization map.
3. Training service, minimum 12 types and training courses to choose from.

Excercise 5: Indirect costs – administrative costs related to project management, in particular project management costs.

• The value of private investments supplementing public support – subsidies – PLN 32.072.953,16
• SME employees completing training in the development of skills in the field of smart specialization and industrial transformation
  and entrepreneurship (by type of skills: technical) – 30 people
• SME employees completing training in the development of skills in the field of smart specialization and industrial transformation
  and entrepreneurship (by skill type: management) – 30 people
• SME employees completing training in the development of skills in the field of smart specialization and industrial transformation
  and entrepreneurship (by skill type: entrepreneurship) – 30 people
• SME employees completing training in the development of skills in the field of smart specialization and industrial transformation
  and entrepreneurship (by skill type: ecological) – 30 people
• SME employees completing training in the development of skills in the field of smart specialization and industrial transformation
  and entrepreneurship (by type of skills: other) – 30 people
• Jobs created in supported units – 2 people
• SMEs introducing innovations within the company – 36 people
• New companies remaining on the market – 14