Guide
This guide is for the management boards of mid-sized companies that want to fund an AI implementation partly with public money. We show which programmes genuinely fit a typical project and which only sound good. We also describe the rule that most often costs companies their right to a grant. Information as of October 2026 – always check call deadlines in the current announcement.
Most AI projects in mid-sized companies involve implementing ready-made tools. The company buys licences, connects the tool to its systems, trains people and changes the process. It is a sensible investment, but for most public programmes it is not innovation.
Large national and EU programmes primarily fund research and development (R&D) – creating a new product or process that does not yet exist on the market. A project such as “we are implementing an AI assistant in customer service” will usually not meet this condition.
The table below sorts sources of funding by how well they fit a typical mid-sized company project. We describe each programme in more detail in the following sections.
| Programme | What it funds | Who it is for | Does it fit a typical AI implementation? |
|---|---|---|---|
| Regional programmes (European Funds for the individual Polish regions) | Digitalisation and automation in small and medium-sized companies, depending on the region | Small and medium-sized companies from the region | Often yes – if there is an open call in your region |
| National Training Fund (KFS) | Employee training; in 2026, AI is among the priorities | Employers, through the district labour office | Yes – for the training part |
| Digital innovation hubs (EDIH) | Advice, training and technology testing before investment | Mainly small and medium-sized companies | Yes – at the analysis and testing stage |
| SMART Path (FENG) | Research and development work, or putting its results into practice | Companies carrying out R&D with eligible costs from PLN 3 million | Rarely – only for genuine research work |
| EIC Accelerator (Horizon Europe) | Breakthrough innovations ready to scale | Individual small and medium-sized companies | No – unless you are building a new AI product |
| KPO, Measure A2.1.1 | Robotisation and digitalisation | Large companies only | No – the call closed in 2023 |
Each Polish region (voivodeship) has its own European Funds programme for 2021–2027. Many of them include measures for digitalising and automating processes in small and medium-sized companies. This is where projects such as “we are automating our document workflow and implementing AI tools” most often fit.
Calls are irregular and their conditions differ between regions. So instead of searching for “AI grants”, use the search engine on the European Funds portal to look for calls in your region with the keywords “digitalisation” or “digital transformation”.
Some of these programmes provide support as de minimis aid – small amounts of state aid with a limit per company. The limit is EUR 300,000 over three years and covers all such grants together. Check how much de minimis aid your company has already used before you plan the budget.
The SMART Path is the main programme of the Polish Agency for Enterprise Development (PARP) under the European Funds for a Modern Economy programme (FENG). In the 2026 edition, modules were dropped, and the calls for R&D work and for implementing its results were separated. A single application no longer covers both stages.
The minimum eligible costs – the costs the programme recognises and co-funds – are PLN 3 million. The project must deliver a new or significantly improved product or process, with an advantage over solutions available on the Polish market.
The SMART Path makes sense when your company is genuinely creating something new using AI. A hypothetical example: a machinery manufacturer develops a system that predicts breakdowns at customer sites based on sensor data. Implementing Copilot in the office does not fit this programme.
In 2026, the R&D calls for small and medium-sized companies were scheduled for February–March and for the autumn, and the call for implementing R&D results took place in May and June. The date of the next implementation call was not known at the time of writing. Check the exact dates and conditions in the schedule on the PARP website.
Training is part of every AI implementation, and since 2 February 2025 the AI Act (Article 4) has required companies using AI to take steps to support their employees’ knowledge of the technology. The National Training Fund (KFS) can cover part of these costs.
The ministerial priorities of the KFS for 2026 include training linked to the implementation of new technologies, with particular emphasis on digital skills and AI. You submit the application to the district labour office (powiatowy urząd pracy) responsible for the area where your company is registered.
The level of funding, limits and call deadlines are set by each office. Many offices accept applications at the beginning of the year and quickly exhaust their budget, so it is worth preparing next year’s training plan in the autumn.
A grant makes sense when the project stands on its own without it. Public money should lower the cost of a good decision, not justify a weak one.
There are eight European Digital Innovation Hubs (EDIH) in Poland, co-funded from EU and national funds. They help assess a company’s digital maturity, prepare a plan for change and test technology before purchase. Artificial intelligence is one of their areas of work.
According to the Ministry of Development and Technology, the hubs are not assigned to regions, so you can choose any of them. For small and medium-sized companies, hub services are free of charge, but they count as de minimis aid and are therefore included in the limit described above. Large companies pay according to the chosen hub’s price list.
Such a test makes sense before applying for a larger grant. You get an independent assessment of the idea, which you can use to justify the project.
You can still read online that the KPO is a “fast track” to AI for small and medium-sized companies. This is out of date. Measure A2.1.1 applied exclusively to large companies, the call closed in November 2023, and projects had to be completed by 30 June 2026.
Horizon Europe offers two different routes. Projects in the so-called thematic clusters are run by consortia of companies and universities from several countries, usually with a large research component. The EIC Accelerator, by contrast, is a programme for an individual small or medium-sized company with a breakthrough innovation.
An EIC Accelerator grant can reach EUR 2.5 million, but the competition is Europe-wide. The programme is for companies building a new product with the potential to create a market, not for those improving their own processes.
Most state aid programmes require what is known as an incentive effect. It stems from Article 6 of Regulation (EU) No 651/2014: work must not start before the application is submitted. Starting work usually means, for example, signing a binding contract with a contractor or ordering equipment.
In practice, this creates a conflict with the schedule. If the management board wants to implement AI this quarter and the call opens in six months, you have to choose: wait for the grant or start with your own money.
Preparatory work, such as a process analysis or a preliminary quote, usually does not undermine the incentive effect. Always check the exact definition of the start of work in the rules of the specific call.
Assessors read many applications and look for specifics. The application must state clearly what problem you are solving, what will be created and how you will know you have succeeded.
The list below is the minimum worth having before talking to a grant consultant. Most of the points will also be useful if you end up funding the project yourself.
A grant has its own cost: time spent on the application, a delayed start, reporting obligations and the risk of repayment if the indicators are not achieved. Sometimes that cost outweighs the benefit.
If you recognise any of the following situations, consider funding the project yourself and applying for funding for training only.
Related topics in the knowledge base
FAQ
Questions management boards ask before deciding to apply.
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About the author
Kacper Włodarczyk
CEO of ALGORCOMP
Kacper specializes in implementing Microsoft 365 Copilot, Copilot Studio, Power Platform (Power Automate, Power Apps, SharePoint) and AI agents for mid-sized B2B companies in Poland. He leads dozens of projects covering AI strategy, Power Platform governance, document workflow automation and sales processes. In his writing he focuses on the practical side of AI adoption in organizations — from the first proof of concept to company-wide rollout — with particular attention to data security, compliance (GDPR, NIS2, the AI Act) and return on investment.
Meet the teamIn a free consultation we will work with you to describe the project’s scope, its measurable goals and a budget broken down into components. Such a description will be useful both in an application and if you fund the project yourself.
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