Background information

After the Financial Shield 1.0 was implemented from April 2020 onwards see case PL-2020-20/806 , the follow-up programme has been devised. Just like to original regulation, the follow-up is based on the Act amending the Act on the System of Development Institutions facilitating public support programme commonly referred to as the Financial Shield, operated by the Polish Development Fund (Polski Fundusz Rozwoju).

The programme is divided into specific sub-sets of measures targeting 1) micro, small and medium firms and 2) large firms. The former is further divided into two segments a) micro firms and b) small and medium firms.

Content of measure

The main characteristics of the measure are as follows:

1. Target: enterprises with 1 to 9 employees and a turnover or balance sheet total for 2019 below €2 million operating in 38 industries subject to restrictions from the Polish Classification of Activities (PKD);
2. Conditions of eligibility: decrease in turnover by at least 30% in the period April-December-or in the 4th quarter of 2020 compared to the same period in 2019.

Further conditions:

• The amount of the subsidy depends on the size of the decrease in revenues: a) PLN 18,000 per employee with a 30-60% decrease in revenues, b) PLN 36,000 per employee with a decline in revenues of more than 60%;
• maximum amount of the subsidy is PLN 324,000;
• subsidy may be remitted up to 100%, depending on maintaining employment in 2021;
• foreseen allocation is PLN 6.5 billion (for the whole Financial Shield);
• subsidies will be released between 15 January and 28 February 2021.

Applications can be submitted electronically at 18 banks.

Use of measure

Not known yet.

Target groups

Workers	Businesses	Citizens
Does not apply to workers	Sector specific set of companies One person or microenterprises	Does not apply to citizens

Actors and funding

Actors	Funding
National government	National funds

Social partners

Social partners' role in designing the measure and form of involvement:

	Trade unions	Employers' organisations
Role	No involvement	No involvement
Form	Not applicable	Not applicable

Social partners' role in the implementation, monitoring and assessment phase:

• No involvement
• Main level of involvement: N/A

Involvement

None.

Views and reactions

The views are critical. Social partners see the measures as not adequate.

Sectors and occupations

This case is not occupation-specific.

Sources

• 31 March 2020: The Act of 31 March 2020 amending the Act on the System of Development Institutions (prawo.sejm.gov.pl)
• 05 January 2021: Konfederacja Lewiatan, Badanie Lewiatana (konfederacjalewiatan.pl)