Micro, small and medium-sized companies in industries that have had to curtail operations or cease operations altogether due to COVID-19 can apply online for support from PFR's Financial Shield 2.0.

The value of granted aid amounts to PLN 13 billion, PLN 6.5 billion for microenterprises employing 1 to 9 people and another PLN 6.5 billion for companies employing from 10 to 249 employees.

The support is available to, among others, restaurants, hotels, travel companies, florists, as well as printing houses, binderies.

Requests are expected to be considered within 24 hours at most, with funds in companies' accounts within a maximum of two business days.

Financial assistance from PFR will be non-refundable, after the entrepreneur meets certain conditions. The assistance from the Financial Shield 2.0 in the case of microenterprises may be counted on by entrepreneurs whose turnover decline is a minimum of 30 percent in the period from Q4 to Q2 or Q4 2020 compared to the same period in 2019.

The amount of funding will depend on the amount of revenue decline: PLN 18 thousand per employee for a decrease of 30-60 percent, PLN 36 thousand for a decrease in revenue of more than 60 percent. The total possible amount of financing for micro businesses is PLN 324 thousand.

For small and medium sized businesses, the decrease in turnover is set at a minimum of 30 percent for the period of Q4 - XII or Q4 2020 compared to the same period in 2019. Funding can be up to 70 percent of the gross loss (before tax) for the months of November 2020 to March 2021. The total amount of funding for SMEs from Financial Shield 2.0 cannot exceed PLN 3.5 million and PLN 72 thousand per employee.