18.07.2021 r.: Helping IT companies relocate to Poland – the Poland. Business Harbour (PBH) Programme

In September 2020, the Poland. Business Harbour (PBH) programme was launched to help IT specialists, start-ups, small and medium enterprises as well as large companies to relocate to Poland.

The Programme was organized by the GovTech Centre at the Chancellery of the Prime Minister, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Ministry of Economic Development, Labour and Technology, the Polish Investment and Trade Agency, the Polish Agency for Enterprise Development.

PBH was created mainly as an answer to the situation in Belarus and the need to provide safe haven and development opportunities to the at the time dynamically operating Belarusian IT industry, which on the other hand is particularly prone to oppression.

Due to great interest in participating in the Programme it’s been continued for Belarusians this year and it has been expanded to include the following countries: Armenia, Georgia, Moldavia, Russia and Ukraine.

While taking the participants of the Programme into consideration, a special visa was created to allow them to work without the need to obtain a permit, so they are able to start their own business activities and bring their immediate families to Poland. So far, 13565 visas have been issued. The PHB visa can be granted to anyone who is recommended by one of the Programme partners included in the list on the following website: gov.pl/pbh

The Programme Participants can also benefit from the help in contacting accelerators, local governments or Special Economic Zones, which participated actively in the preparation of an offer for the relocated persons and their families by creating a temporary office and residential space. One of the package elements includes support in the form of contacting entrepreneurs with investors and offering grants for R&D activities. Each company and start-up is offered support in the business concierge formula – respectively, under cooperation with the Polish Investment and Trade Agency or the Poland Prize programme.

By taking part in the Programme, each small, medium and large company, while using the advisory services (of legal or investment nature) – business consierge – can move its business to Poland. Such companies can apply for financing, which maximum amount comes to PLN 300 000.

So far, 20 start-ups, selected from amongst 150 relocation applications, have obtained financial support under the program as well as access to the Polish eco-system accelerator.

The main objective of the Programme is to support IT companies in terms of their operation and growth in Poland. In consequence, it is expected to play a major role in the development of the Polish IT industry.

Information about the Programme is available on the following website: gov.pl/pbh in eight languages (the language of each country as well as Polish and English).

It’s also possible to obtain information by contacting the hotline at +48 22 334 99 77, operating from Monday to Friday 24 hours a day in Polish, Russian and English. Those interested in the Programme can also ask questions by sending e-mail messages to the following address: pbh@paih.gov.pl

 

More information about the Programme can be found on the following website: https://www.gov.pl/web/dyplomacja/poland-business-harbour–cieszacy-sie-popularnoscia-rzadowy-program-zostaje-rozszerzony