From April to October next year, Japan will host the EXPO 2025 world exhibition. The event will be organized in Osaka, an important industrial centre and seaport. Interestingly, this will be the second EXPO exhibition in this city (the first one took place in 1970).
Expo organizers expect 170 participants (161 countries and regions and 9 international organizations). According to the forecasts, the exhibition may be visited by up to 28 million guests.
Such a large event is also a fantastic platform for companies to promote their products and services. To make it easier for entities from the SME sector to participate in this exhibition, the Polish Agency for Enterprise and Development (PARP) is conducting a grant process that will enable financing of up to 50% of the costs of participation.
For whom?
Support will be intended for micro, small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) conducting business in Poland.
Additionally, the entrepreneur must operate within the sector that will be promoted at the Polish pavilion, such as.: Medical and pharmaceutical sector; Construction and finishing sector; Professional electronics, microelectronics, and photonics sector; Green technologies sector (RES, circular economy); IT/ICT sector; Creative industry/gaming sector; Cosmetics sector; Food sector; Rail vehicle sector.
For what type of costs?
The call for proposals will support promotional activities aimed at strengthening the export potential of SME entrepreneurs on international markets.
In the competition announcement, the Polish Agency for Enterprise and Development indicated five types of activities that could be implemented as part of the projects:
- participation of the applicant as an exhibitor in trade fair events indicated in the Promotion Program;
- business trips in order to meet potential contractors, combined with the applicant's participation in trade fair events as a visitor or industry seminars/conferences during the mission taking place in the target markets indicated in the Promotion Program, i.e. Japan, South Korea, the Philippines, Indonesia, Malaysia, Singapore, Thailand, Brunei, Vietnam, Laos, Cambodia;
- promotional campaigns aimed at target markets indicated in the Promotion Program;
- trade mission to the Polish-Japanese Export Forum (May 20th, 2025);
- trade mission to the Polish-Japanese Investment Forum (September 30th, 2025).
On what terms?
Applications for the competition will be accepted from May 28 to June 19, 2024.
PLN 100 million was allocated for the implementation of the competition.
Support will be provided in the form of a subsidy of up to 50% of eligible costs.
The Organizer does not provide for a minimum or maximum value of projects.
The catalog of eligible costs includes:
- costs of renting, building and operating an exhibition stand during the company's participation in a given fair or exhibition;
- costs of business trips of employees participating in fairs, economic missions, including missions to economic forums (according to the unit rate);
- costs of preparing and conducting a promotional campaign aimed at target markets indicated in the Promotion Program;
- indirect costs (7% of eligible direct project costs).
PwC's comment:
Searching for new prospective sales markets is extremely important, especially for the SME sector. Due to their demographics and economic potential, the markets of East Asia can be fascinating for Polish companies. Within the areas of activity indicated in the competition, Polish entrepreneurs are achieving increasing international success. It is worth taking advantage of the opportunity to significantly reduce the costs of such promotion by participating in a grant competition. If you are interested in participating in the program, please contact us.
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