Find out who can receive a grant to start a business, how much support the labour office provides and where calls for applications are planned in 2026.
Start-up grants 2026, i.e. one-off funds from the labour office for starting a business, remain one of the basic support instruments for people planning to start their own company. According to the official description of this form of aid, the support is aimed at unemployed persons, graduates of social integration centres (CIS) and social integration clubs (KIS), and job-seeking carers of persons with disabilities who want to start a business.
What is funding for starting a business
Funding for starting a business is one-off financial assistance granted by the district head (starosta), acting through the district labour office. The funds may be used not only to purchase the equipment or tools needed to start the business, but also to cover the costs of legal assistance, consultations and advice related to setting up the company.
The maximum amount of support may not exceed 6 times the average remuneration for work.
Who can receive a start-up grant
Four basic groups can apply for support:
- unemployed persons,
- graduates of a social integration centre,
- graduates of a social integration club,
- job-seeking carers of persons with disabilities.
At the same time, the applicant must meet formal conditions, including, among others, not having previously used non-repayable public funds to set up a company, not having run a business in the last 12 months in the cases specified by law, and submitting a complete and correctly prepared application.
Planned calls for start-up grants in 2026 – example dates
| District Labour Office | Planned call date |
|---|---|
| District Labour Office in Lwówek Śląski | 16–31 March 2026 |
| District Labour Office in Piła | 23–24 March 2026 |
| District Labour Office in Kwidzyn | 25–27 March 2026 |
| District Labour Office in Konin | 3 April 2026, 08:00–14:00 |
| District Labour Office in Jelenia Góra | 7–13 April 2026 |
| District Labour Office in Iława | 8–10 April 2026 |
| District Labour Office in Kartuzy | 13 April 2026 |
| District Labour Office in Opole | 14–15 April 2026 |
| District Labour Office in Suwałki | from 15 April 2026 |
| District Labour Office in Puck | 20–27 April 2026 |
| District Labour Office in Bełchatów | 4–8 May 2026 |
| District Labour Office in Radomsko | June / July 2026 |
| District Labour Office in Ostróda | second half of 2026 |
| District Labour Office in Białystok | second half of 2026 |
| District Labour Office in Hajnówka | second half of 2026 |
For applicants, three issues are most important today: ongoing monitoring of the call date, preparing a realistic and coherent business model, and tailoring the application to the local rules of the district labour office.
We invite you to take advantage of a consultation with our expert on preparing your application.Book a consultation
Author: Dariusz Kozakiewicz
EU funding expert