Poland: PARP’s SMART 2.0 R&D call for SMEs opens on 29 October 2026, with up to PLN 50 million per project

Poland: PARP’s SMART 2.0 R&D call for SMEs opens on 29 October 2026, with up to PLN 50 million per project

2 October 2026: Poland's Agency for Enterprise Development (PARP) will open the Ścieżka SMART 2.0 (SMART path) call for research and development projects by micro, small and medium-sized enterprises on 29 October 2026, closing on 29 December 2026, the Polish IT outlet ITwiz reported on 2 October.

The terms reported

According to ITwiz:

• Who: micro, small and medium-sized enterprises doing business in Poland.
• Size: minimum qualified R&D costs of PLN 3 million; maximum support of PLN 50 million per project.
• Rates: industrial research supported at a basic rate of up to 50% of costs and experimental development up to 25%, rising to 80% and 60% when conditions are met.
• Scope: projects must fit at least one of Poland's National Smart Specialisations, which include digital technologies and automation.
• How: applications go through PARP's own application system.

ITwiz also reports that the previous edition drew 566 applications against a budget well below the amount requested, so competition is strong.

Who should look at it

Polish software, AI, automation and deep-tech SMEs with an R&D project of at least PLN 3 million, and foreign groups with a Polish SME subsidiary. Larger firms cannot apply on their own under this track.

What to do

• Check fit with a smart specialisation early; it is an eligibility condition.
• Prepare the R&D plan and budget now: two months is short for a project of this size.
• Read PARP's call documents when they are published for the selection criteria, the exact closing time and any required preliminary steps.

Sources

• ITwiz: PARP uruchamia nabór na B+R, firmy mogą dostać do 50 mln zł - 2 October 2026
• Fundusze Europejskie / PARP - read 5 October 2026