Important information for the beneficiaries of the PFR 1.0 Financial Shield – amendment to the regulations

Announcement of the Polish Development Fund (PFR):

Dear Sir or Madam, we would like to inform you that on 13 April 2021, the Polish Development Fund amended the currently applicable Regulations of applying for participation in the government program “Financial Shield of the Polish Development Fund for Small and Medium Enterprises” (Regulations). This amendment to the Regulations comes into force after 14 days from the date of displaying the information about the amendment to the Regulations on the website www.pfrsa.pl, i.e. on 28 April 2021.

Amendments to the Regulations include clarification of definitions contained in the Regulations and changes in periods taken into account in order to determine whether requirements for redemption of respective parts of the subsidy for each category of SMEs have been met.

The most important change concerns the possibility of remitting 100% of subsidies for entrepreneurs operating in industries affected by negative effects of COVID-19 to the highest extent.

PFR notifies that the possibility of remitting in full of the financial subsidy received was introduced due to the extremely difficult situation of SMEs operating in selected industries most affected by the administrative restrictions, after meeting jointly the following three conditions:

CONDITION I – the Beneficiary recorded at least a 30% decrease in sales revenues, either:

(A) in the period from 1 April 2020 to 31 December 2020 compared to the period 1 April 2019 to 31 December 2019 or

(B) in the period from 1 October 2020 to 31 December 2020 compared to 1 October 2019 to 31 December 2019.

CONDITION II – As at 31 December 2019, the Beneficiary did not have the status of a company in a difficult situation within the meaning of Article 2 point 18 of the Subsidy Regulation.

CONDITION III – The scope of activities actually performed by the Beneficiary and disclosed in the Central Registration and Information on Business Activities (CEiDG) or the Register of Entrepreneurs of the National Court Register as at 31 December 2019 includes at least one of the following types of activities, classified according to the Polish Classification of Business Activities (PKD):

17.29.Z Manufacture of other products made of paper and cardboard;

18.12.Z Other printing;

18.13.Z Service activities related to preparation for printing;

18.14.Z Bookbinding and similar services;

46.42.Z Wholesale of clothing and footwear;

47.71.Z Retail sale of clothing in specialized stores;

47.72.Z Retail sale of footwear and leather goods in specialized stores;

47.76.Z Retail sale of flowers, plants, seeds, fertilizers, pet animals and pet food in specialized stores;

47.81.Z Retail sale of food, beverages and tobacco at stalls and markets;

47.82.Z Retail sale of textiles, clothing and footwear at stalls and markets;

47.89.Z Retail sale of other products at stalls and markets;

49.39.Z Other passenger land transport not elsewhere classified;

55.10.Z Hotels and similar accommodation facilities;

55.20.Z Tourist accommodation facilities and short-term accommodation;

56.10.A Restaurants and other permanent catering establishments;

56.10.B Mobile catering establishments;

56.21.Z Preparing and delivering food to external recipients (catering);

56.29.Z Other catering service activities;

56.30.Z Preparing and serving beverages;

59.11.Z Film, video and television program production activities;

59.12.Z Film, video and television program post-production activities;

59.13.Z Film, video and television program distribution activities;

59.14.Z Activities related to film screening;

59.20.Z Activities in the field of sound and music recording;

73.11.Z Activities of advertising agencies;

74.20.Z Photography activities;

77.21.Z Rental and lease of recreational and sports equipment;

79.11.A Tour agentactivities;

79.11.B Tour middlemen activities;

79.12.Z Tour operator activities;

79.90.A Activities of tour leaders and tourist guides;

79.90.B Activities in the field of tourist information;

79.90.C Other booking service activities, not elsewhere classified;

82.30.Z Activities related to the organization of fairs, exhibitions and congresses;

85.51.Z Out-of-school forms of sports education as well as sports and recreational activities;

85.52.Z Out-of-school forms of artistic education;

85.59.A Foreign language teaching;

85.59.B Other out-of-school forms of education, not elsewhere classified;

86.90.A Physiotherapeutic activities;

86.90.D Paramedical activities;

90.01.Z Performing arts activities;

90.02.Z Support activities to performing arts;

90.04.Z Activities of cultural facilities;

91.02.Z Activities of museums;

93.11.Z Activities of sports facilities;

93.12.Z Activities of sports clubs;

93.13.Z Operation of fitness facilities;

93.19.Z Other related-sport activities;

93.21.Z Activities of amusement parks and theme parks;

93.29.A Activities of escape rooms, houses of fear, places for dancing and other forms of entertainment or recreation organized indoors or in other closed spaces;

93.29.B Other amusement and recreation activities, not elsewhere classified;

93.29.Z Other amusement and recreation activities;

96.01.Z Washing and cleaning of textile and fur products;

96.04.Z Physical well-being activities.

If you have any questions concerning fulfillment of the conditions for remittance of the PFR subsidies or the new remittance rules, feel free to contact our experts:

• Małgorzata Militz, malgorzata.militz@gww.pl 
• Angelika Dahms, angelika.dahms@gww.pl
• Piotr Świstak, piotr.swistak@gww.pl