Warsaw - the Capital of Ambitious Business (WSAB Project)

The WSAB Project Carried out in partnership between City of Warsaw (leader) and the Kozminski University (partner) Total project value: PLN 6.4 million (euro 1.6 million) Project duration: May 2009 – June 2011

Project objectives Promote ambitious entrepreneurship and self-employment among citizens of Warsaw. Achieved by: Training of 357 persons (3 000 applications received) that enabled them to gain knowledge and skills needed for opening new business 72 investment subsidies in the amount of 40,000 PLN each (euro 9,750) Providing bridge support PLN for 6/12 months for 72 participants Consultancy and mentoring for those who decided to launch their own business Also information services (free of charge) for Warsaw citizens in 2 Information Centres in Srodmiescie and Ursynow district about regulatory aspects of launching business activities

Target Group: Warsaw citizens Age Did not carry out commercial activity in the past 12 months Persons having long-term unemployment status, employed, professionally inactive, including students Results achieved so far Out of almost applicants, 357 selected 303 people finished training component (146 women and 157 men ) 225 people have started their own businesses

Information Centres (IC) in the Ursynów and Śródmieście districts IC were operating 2504 hours 1235 people received relevant information Direct advice for visitors (66%), telephone information (16%), (18%) 91% of beneficiaries confirmed that Information Centres were helpful in filling the information gap regarding business registration The majority of respondents (82%) reckoned that these Centres were useful instruments for promoting ambitious entrepreneurship.

WSAB Project - key elements of a good practice 1.Joining hands with academic community in supporting entrepreneurship 2.Ambitious business – new direction in supporting entrepreneurship in the metropolitan regions 3.Adopting web-based tools for implementing large scale project aimed at supporting entrepreneurship 4.Making good use of EU funding

Joining hands with Kozminski University Leading business and law school in Poland and the Central European region Strong ties with the City of Warsaw and its districts Leader in entrepreneurship research and training (No 4 in the Financial Times ranking in 2009) Past experiences in the implementation of similar projects

Key directions of supporting entrepreneurship in the metropolitan regions Level of innovation Size of the business Imitative Ambitious entrepreneurs (growth-oriented) Replicative Traditional small business (unemployed, socially – excluded, etc.) Radical High-tech start-ups Successful high- tech firms Uncertainty, long-term process, sizeable investment

Widespread use of ICT and Internet in the Project implementation Electronic platform as a vital tool Project promotion Handling applications (90% in the electronic form) Exchanging information and networking among participants Training (supporting but non substituting workshops with the trainers) Mentoring Monitoring the progress in fledgling businesses Easy adaptation for the use of content and tools in the future projects Facilitating international exchange of know-how - e.g. through EU-sponsored international projects with the participation of metropolitan regions from several countries Making good use with the EU funds allocated to Poland

Questions and answers contact: -Andrzej Czajkowski - City of Warsaw, European Funds -Agnieszka Pisula-Mercik - City of Warsaw, European Funds -prof. Jerzy Cieślik (Kozminski University)