The addressees of the 3rd Open Competition include public, academic and educational institutions, NGOs, foundations and local governments. Individuals can also apply for funding.
Applications can be submitted until 27 January 2025.
The deadline is determined solely by the date the application is received by the Centre. The date of postage by the applicant is not relevant.
The application and the documents constituting the attachments to the application, referred to in § 10, point 3, items 1-5 of the Rules and Regulations of the 3rd Open Competition, shall be drawn up by means of the application generator available at: otwartykonkurs.mieroszewski.pl.
The application along with the necessary attachments should be filled out in Polish and submitted in paper form or as an electronic document.
A paper application (generated PDF with a handwritten signature), shall be submitted in person, through a postal operator, by courier or otherwise to the following address: Juliusz Mieroszewski Centre for Dialogue, Department of International Projects, 14/16A Jasna St., 00-041 Warsaw.
The electronic document should bear a qualified electronic signature, a trusted signature or a personal signature. An application submitted in this way shall be forwarded to the e-mail address otwartykonkurs@mieroszewski.pl, indicating in the subject line ‘III Open Competition’. It can also be done via the electronic sub-box provided on the electronic platform of public administration services (ePUAP) at the address: /CPRDiP/ESP box, or, if the applicant has this option, a public registered electronic delivery service to the Centre's electronic delivery address listed in the electronic address database.
The applicant may submit only one application.
Please note: a scan of a generated, hand-signed and emailed application is not an application submitted to the competition within the meaning of the Rules of the 3rd Open Competition.
The amount of the grant cannot be used to purchase fixed assets and equipment, to rent and pay for the office, security and cleaning of the office, purchase of alcoholic beverages, etc. No reimbursement is allowed for costs incurred prior to the date of the project grant agreement or after the completion of the project, as specified in the project grant agreement.
The Centre's funding may not exceed 80% of the project budget. The applicant's own contribution of at least 20% of the budget is therefore necessary. The applicant's own contribution can be financial, in-kind or personal. This can be e.g. volunteer work - its value should be estimated by multiplying the minimum hourly rate (in 2025 the rate is PLN 30.50) by the number of hours worked by the volunteer in the implementation of the project. It can also be a contribution in kind (e.g. providing a room or equipment necessary for the implementation of the project, etc.). Financial resources obtained by the applicant from other sources and payments of the project participants are also considered as own contribution.
The Centre does not specify either the maximum or the minimum amount of funding that an applicant may apply for.
The applicant should take into account when planning the project that it must not be aimed at making a profit. In the event of the profit of the project, the entity receiving the funding is obliged to return the funding according to the rules set out in the public finance regulations.
The Centre's funding may be used to cover the costs of domestic and international travel, accommodation and meals for participants in the event, as well as their fees, if this is provided for in the budget. In accordance with the rules of the 3rd Open Call, these are included as substantive costs. The remuneration of the coordinator and other persons involved in the operation of the project, administrative costs, promotion costs, etc. may also be financed.
At the application stage, it should be taken into account that the completion date of the project cannot be later than 31 October 2025. The start date of the project is the date of conclusion of the project funding agreement.
- Each application must be completed only using the application generator available at openkonkurs.mieroszewski.pl. Applications prepared in any other way, e.g. in word processors or as handwritten documents, do not meet the formal requirements and will not be considered.
- Inappropriate form of signature
- no handwritten signature on paper,
- no qualified electronic signature,
- a scanned application with a handwritten signature is not an electronic document - Lack of authorisation to represent: no document confirming the power of the person signing the application on behalf of the applicant (e.g. power of attorney, registration document of the organisation).
- Inappropriate deadlines: submission of the application after the deadline specified in the regulations.
- Incorrect project implementation dates: the project must be implemented no later than 31 October 2025, and settled no later than 15 November 2025.
- Lack of own contribution: not specifying the own contribution in the budget (minimum 20% of the total project costs).
- Failure to meet the conditions for participation: the applicant does not belong to the group of entities eligible to apply.
- The project does not fit into the objectives of the competition as defined in the regulations.
- Incorrect contact details: the applicant's contact details are missing or wrongly stated, which makes further communication impossible.
- Lack of compliance with the language requirements: the application or its attachments have not been drawn up in Polish, if required by the regulations.
- Sending the application to an incorrect postal or electronic address.
- Out-of-date registration documents: attachments, such as extracts from the National Court Register or other registers, issued more than 3 months prior to the submission of the application.
Consequences of formal errors
- No possibility of correction: applications that do not meet the minimum formal requirements (e.g. no signature, incomplete annexes) are rejected without a request for correction.
- Possibility of improvement: in the case of minor deficiencies, the applicant is called upon to rectify them within 7 days of the delivery of the call.
After the call for proposals is closed, the applications are subjected to formal assessment as described in § 19 of the Rules of Procedure for the 3rd Open Competition. Applications that meet the formal requirements are admitted to substantive evaluation by a selection board consisting of at least five members, appointed by the Centre's Director. During a meeting of the selection board, each of its members presents his or her opinion on each application, after which, by way of discussion, the selection board adopts resolutions proposing the grant and the amount of the grant or refusal thereof. After reviewing the evaluation of the application by the selection board, the Director of the Centre either grants funding in the amount proposed by the board or refuses to grant the project.
1. Formal assessment
An application must meet the formal criteria in order to be admitted to the substantive assessment. The formal criteria include:
- the application has been submitted by an entity entitled to participate in the competition.
- documents attached to the application are complete and have been prepared in accordance with the requirements (e.g. schedule, budget, declarations).
- the project assumes the applicant's own contribution of at least 20% of the budget.
- the application has been signed by the persons authorised to represent the applicant.
- the deadline for the implementation of the project falls within the period specified in the
Rules of Procedure (until 31 October 2025): the application contains all the required information and was submitted on time.
2. Substantive appraisal
Applications accepted for substantive evaluation are evaluated according to the following criteria:
A. Compliance with the objectives of the competition
The project meets the objectives of the competition, such as:
- promoting dialogue and cooperation between Poles and nations of Eastern Europe,
- building intercultural ties with respect for national and cultural identity,
- combating stereotypes and disseminating knowledge of the history, culture and heritage of the nations of Central and Eastern Europe.
B. Content-related quality of the project
- clear and realistic definition of project objectives
- originality and innovation of the project,
- impact of the project on the target groups and possibility to achieve sustainable results.
C. Realism of project implementation
- the timetable and action plan are detailed, coherent and achievable within the planned timeframe,
- whether the project budget is realistic and adequate for the planned activities.
D. Effectiveness of the budget
- ratio of financial outlays to the expected effects of the project,
- reasonableness of expenditure in relation to the planned activities.
E. Extent of the project's impact
- number and variety of participants or recipients of the project,
- possibility to continue activities after the end of co-financing,
- impact of the project on the development of intercultural dialogue and cooperation.
F. Experience and capacity of the applicant
- previous experience of implementing similar projects,
- organisational and logistical capacity of the applicant.
The date of transfer of the Centre's grant will be specified in the agreement. The recipient of the grant is required to set up a separate bank account to support it.