Funding for AI training for companies - how to effectively obtain funds from BUR and PARP

> How to obtain funding for AI training for companies in 2025

Funding for AI training for companies in 2025 is widely available primarily through two channels: the Development Services Database (BUR) and the National Training Fund (KFS). Enterprises from the SME sector can count on refunds ranging from 50% to even 80% of net costs, which drastically lowers the barrier to entry into modern technologies. These funds come from EU sources (FERS and regional programs) and are awarded for increasing the digital competencies of employees. To benefit from the grant, a company must have an entry in the BUR registry or submit an application to the relevant Labor Office under KFS priorities, which in the coming year focus on digitalization and the application of artificial intelligence.

Most small and medium-sized enterprises do not realize that giant EU funds are waiting for solid technological implementations and competency audits. You do not have to finance development entirely out of your own pocket, as BUR funding can cover the lion's share of expenses for organizing processes for algorithms. Often, it is the lack of knowledge about these mechanisms that makes teams waste time on tedious tasks instead of checking how AI training for companies realistically increases efficiency in daily work.

At 01tech, as engineers educating the market, we observe that the most effective model is a combination of theory and practice. Comprehensive AI training for business is not just about learning how to write prompts, but primarily about identifying places where technology can generate a measurable return on investment (ROI). Before you invest in expensive dedicated applications, it is worth training management and operational staff using available support programs. A detailed comparison of available educational paths can be found in our material AI training for companies guide, which explains step by step how to avoid market noise and focus on tools that provide a real advantage.

The process of obtaining funds for development in the area of artificial intelligence includes several stages:

• SME status verification - determining the size of the company and the applicable funding level.
• Choosing a regional operator - each part of Poland has a different institution managing the pool of PARP funds.
• Searching for a certified service - the training must be visible in the registry and have appropriate quality confirmed by an audit.
• Settlement based on effects - usually, you pay for the service first and then receive a refund to the company account after presenting completion certificates.

For organizations that want to go a step further, the optimal solution is process automations, which we implement in parallel with the training program. Thanks to this, employees not only know how to use the tools but work in an environment that eliminates human errors when rewriting data. This strategic approach ensures that technology becomes an integral part of the company, rather than just a temporary curiosity.

> Development Services Database (BUR) - a simple path to AI training funding

Baza Uslug Rozwojowych (BUR) is currently the most effective and least complicated system for financing digital competencies for the SME sector in Poland. Managed by PARP, the platform allows entrepreneurs to recover up to 80% of the costs invested in human resources development. In practice, this means that comprehensive AI training for business becomes available for a fraction of the market price, allowing for a leap in productivity without burdening the company budget.

As engineers who build process automations every day, we see that BUR is the fastest path for entrepreneurs wanting to outpace the competition. The mechanism is transparent: you find a certified operator in your province, report the need to train the team in building assistants or data analysis, and the state subsidizes the training voucher. This is the perfect moment to take a solid step forward and implement technology that truly changes the rules of the game.

Who can benefit from training vouchers for artificial intelligence?

Eligibility for the BUR program is based on the status of the enterprise and the number of employees. The program is dedicated to micro, small, and medium-sized companies that want to increase their technological competencies. Participation conditions usually include:

• Micro-enterprises - companies employing up to 10 employees, often receiving the highest level of percentage support.
• Small and medium-sized companies - entities employing up to 249 people, where funds can be allocated to the development of entire operational departments.
• Regional criterion - funds are distributed by regional operators, which means that detailed rules and recruitment deadlines may vary depending on the province.

It is worth emphasizing that investing in knowledge is only the first step. Properly planned training allows you to understand when it is worth investing in dedicated applications and when ready-made tools are enough. A detailed AI training for companies guide suggests how not to waste these funds on general theory. Especially AI training for managers oriented towards designing processes with agents provides a chance for a measurable ROI from AI training, translating into hundreds of hours of work saved annually.

> National Training Fund and PARP programs as an alternative for large companies

While the Development Services Database is an ideal choice for the SME sector, larger organizations or companies planning mass AI training for companies should look towards the National Training Fund (KFS). These funds, managed by District Labor Offices, are available to any employer who employs at least one employee. KFS is particularly attractive because funding priorities often include support for lifelong learning in connection with the implementation of new technologies and work tools in companies.

If your goal is the wide implementation of an entire digital work environment in a company employing dozens of people, it is also worth following targeted competitions from the Polish Agency for Enterprise Development (PARP). These programs are often dedicated to broadly understood digital transformation. At 01tech, as engineers, we suggest that in such projects, funds are allocated not only to the AI training for business itself, but to full-fledged technological audits and infrastructure reconstruction. This is important because building systems on partnership principles requires solid substantive preparation even before writing the first line of code.

By choosing a grant path from PARP, you gain the opportunity to finance comprehensive changes that will realistically impact team efficiency. These types of programs support:

• Digital maturity audit - a thorough analysis of where your company loses time on routine and where process automations will bring the highest return on investment.
• Development of a transformation strategy - planning development where the approach to technology financing and code ownership is key to avoiding subscription traps.
• Specialized training - dedicated workshops, such as AI training for managers, which teach process design using agents and technological change management.

It is worth remembering that recruitment under KFS usually takes place at the beginning of the year, and PARP competitions have strictly defined timeframes. For large players, this is often the only way to finance AI implementation in the company at the enterprise level, combining staff education with real software and infrastructure development.

> Step by step - how to fund AI training for business

Obtaining funds for technological education in the SME sector often seems like a bureaucratic challenge, but in reality, the procedure is transparent and logical. To fund AI training for business, Polish companies most often use the Development Services Database (BUR), where the level of funding reaches from 50% to even 80% of the project value. The entire process, despite the technical entourage, boils down to four specific steps that eliminate the risk of application rejection.

Funding procedure according to 01tech engineering standards:

• Engineering needs analysis - instead of talking to a salesperson, you meet with the 01tech technical team. We determine what competencies your team realistically needs to recover time wasted on repetitive tasks.
• Verification in the BUR system - you create an account in the Development Services Database and confirm the company status (micro, small, or medium) with a local operator in your province.
• Submitting a voucher application - this process is now largely automated. Operators verify your demand and award a specific pool of funds (points or vouchers) for a specific development service.
• Implementation of closed training sessions - after signing the contract, we carry out workshops directly at the client's site, working on the living organism of your company and real data.

Understanding this mechanism is fundamental, as discussed further in our AI training for companies - guide, which indicates how to avoid market noise and focus on tools generating profit.

Preparing the application and analyzing the team's development needs

The key to obtaining a high score in the funding application is the technical justification of how the implementation of artificial intelligence will affect the competitiveness of your enterprise. The document should not contain generalities about "modernity", but hard data indicating bottlenecks in current processes. If your employees spend 15 hours a week on manual reporting, the training must show how process automations designed for your needs will reduce this time to a few minutes.

When preparing the arguments, it is worth focusing on the aspect of measurability. A properly formulated justification shows that investing in engineering knowledge will allow for the use of advanced large language models (LLM) to analyze market data or automate communication, which will directly translate into AI in business ROI. EU fund operators look more favorably on applications that demonstrate specific savings in human resources and the possibility of shifting them to higher value-added tasks, which forms the foundation of the long-term growth strategy of any modern company.

> Questions and answers regarding AI training grants (FAQ)

The process of obtaining EU funds for new technologies is sometimes perceived as complicated, but in reality, mechanisms such as the Development Services Database (BUR) are designed to simplify the educational path for the SME sector as much as possible. Below we have collected specific answers to issues that most often arise during our technical consultations with entrepreneurs.

What is the maximum funding for AI training for one employee?

The value of funding is strictly dependent on regional operational programs and the available pool of funds in a given province. Usually, entrepreneurs can count on covering up to 80% of the net costs of the service, which in practice means that AI training for companies becomes an investment with a very low entry threshold. Amount limits per employee usually oscillate between 5000 and 8000 PLN, with operators applying additional hourly rate restrictions (often between 150 and 250 PLN per teaching hour).

Can a sole proprietorship (B2B) receive funds from BUR?

Yes, people running a sole proprietorship are treated as micro-enterprises and have the full right to use European funds for competency development. It is worth knowing whether you have to pay for everything in advance. This depends on the operator in a given province - very often we, as the contractor, settle directly from the voucher pool, and the client pays only their 20% own contribution. This is a huge facilitation for the financial liquidity of smaller entities that want to implement professional ChatGPT training for business without having to freeze large amounts.

What conditions must a company meet to settle an AI grant?

The key to success is choosing a training company entered in the BUR registry with an appropriate quality certificate (e.g., ISO or MSUES). After the workshops are completed, it is necessary to fill out evaluation questionnaires and present certificates confirming the acquisition of skills. However, educational goals must be clearly separated from implementation goals. A question often arises: does the funding also cover writing code? Vouchers from BUR concern the knowledge, audit, and consulting itself. If after the training you decide that your processes require deeper technology, physical code writing is financed from separate investment programs. In such situations, we build dedicated applications for clients or implement advanced process automations, which allow for a measurable AI in business ROI through real recovery of the team's time.