Ministry of Development Funds and Policy Regional Committee, organizes a call for projects for the Polish-Swiss Programme Urban Development, financed by the Second Edition of Swiss Financial Aid selected EU Member States. To participate in the Program are invited 139 medium-sized cities.

After a detailed analysis of the conditions of participation in the Programme, the development needs of Ełk resulting from the strategic documents and the degree of preparation of investment tasks, The City of Ełk has initially identified the activities that can be included in the project. On At this stage of the project, the activities are of a general nature. We invite you to to read and comment on these proposals in the Survey THE INTERNET. Your views will be taken into account in the specific scopes of individual activities.

What areas in Ełk can be Covered by:

Thematic area: Public transport

Measure 1: Improving the functioning of public transport bus service (purchase of buses with the necessary infrastructure; construction of public transport optimisation project; development of a Sustainable Plan Urban Mobility; implementation of an electronic ticket system; analysis passability of streets/intersections by public transport buses)

Activity 2: Development of public transport infrastructure (technical designs for the construction of interchanges; reconstruction of stops Bus; dynamic passenger information systems at stops; construction/modernization of bicycle paths)

Thematic area: Improving public safety

Activity 1: Improvement of road safety (Tempo zone) 30 in the center; road safety analysis/audit; Fire Brigade equipment Municipal and District Police Headquarters in Ełk with equipment to ensure that the road safety; educational activities)

Activity 2: Use of modern digital and technological solutions in order to ensure the safety of the inhabitants of Ełk (expansion of the Integrated Security System of the City of Ełk; Digital security of the office and units Public; educational activities)

Thematic area: Energy efficiency and energy Renewable

Action 1: Energy-efficient street lighting (replacement of mercury and sodium luminaires with energy-saving LED luminaires; equipping street lighting fixtures with systems control system to reduce the light intensity at night)

Thematic area: Nature conservation and biodiversity

Action 1: Sustainable management of water resources (preparation of analyses, concepts, technical documentation on the management of rainwater; development of a concept for the reclamation of Lake Ełk; bioremediation of the pond in the Północ II housing estate; design of a system of small green areas, the so-called green acupuncture; Educational campaign on saving water and water protection)

Thematic area: Financing for micro, small and medium-sized enterprises

Activity 1: Development of the local economy (design of the system investor service and economic promotion; grants for the development of SMEs - Local Grant Fund; development of a local concept for supporting entrepreneurship)

How the process will proceed project selection? The first stage consists in the preparation of the Initial Proposal (until 16 December 2024), containing comprehensive activities to be carried out in implementation can significantly contribute to improving the situation of the city and the improving the quality of life of residents. An important element of the project evaluation will be degree of preparation for implementation, e.g. possession of technical documentation, permits, arrangements.

Cities whose Initial Proposals projects will be best scored, will be invited to participate in the second stage, i.e. to prepare Complete Project Proposals. Third stage already includes the implementation of the project.

Minimum grant amount is PLN 44,848,000, and the maximum is PLN 80,726,400. You can apply for co-financing of up to 100% of expenses. The project must be completed by March 31 2029

With the details of the call (regulations, evaluation criteria, list of eligible expenditures, thematic areas, etc.) You can read on the Programme website. We also encourage you to watch the recording of the webinar entitled "ABC in the Polish-Swiss Urban Development Program".

We invite all of us to cooperate with us individuals, organisations, institutions and others interested in contributing to the work of the on the preparation of the project. Contact: Department of Strategy and Development of the City Hall Ełk, tel. 87 73 26 132, e-mail: strategia@um.elk.pl