The Financial Shield is a new program announced on Wednesday, April 8. Its value will be at least 100 billion zloty. The Financial Shield will be implemented by the Polish Development Fund (PFR), in cooperation with the National Bank of Poland. The new aid program under the Anti-Crisis Shield is addressed to over 670 thousand Polish enterprises, its purpose is to help maintain employment and liquidity of entrepreneurs, primarily by granting subsidies to micro, small, medium and large companies.

Funds from the Financial Shield are to be distributed as follows: approximately PLN 25 billion for micro-enterprises, approximately PLN 50 billion for small and medium-sized enterprises and approximately PLN 25 billion for large enterprises. Subsidies for micro-enterprises (employing 1 to 9 employees – excluding the owner; with a turnover not exceeding EUR 2 million) may be granted up to a maximum amount of PLN 324 thousand (on average approximately PLN 70-90 thousand for one micro-enterprise) for three years.

In the case of small and medium-sized enterprises (employing from 10 to 249 employees; with a turnover not exceeding EUR 50 million or a balance sheet total not exceeding EUR 43 million), the amount of the subsidy is much higher and is to amount to up to PLN 3.5 million (an average of PLN 1.9 million for one enterprise) for three years.

The subsidy granted to large companies (employing at least 250 employees; with a turnover exceeding EUR 50 million or a balance sheet total exceeding EUR 43 million) is individual and may amount to a maximum of PLN 1 billion.