The ‘Research Grants’ project aims to: "Developing and strengthening R&D activities and the use of advanced technologies in micro, small and medium-sized enterprises in Podlasie in order to increase their market competitiveness". A simple and attractive support instrument is designed to encourage and motivate entrepreneurs to carry out business development projects aimed at developing and introducing a new or improved product, service or developing and applying a new or improved operational process. The objective of the project directly corresponds to the objective of Priority I of the European Funds for Podlaskie 2021-2027 Programme, i.e. ‘Developing and strengthening research capacities and the use of advanced technologies’. The project is part of a comprehensive intervention in the area of R&D&I and focuses on supporting enterprises with internal barriers limiting the demand for R&D&I activities and the possibilities of carrying out these activities: mental and competency barriers resulting from a lack of technical and human resources, fear of economic risks, capital shortfalls, etc. One of the preferred target groups are entrepreneurs who have not yet obtained funding for R&D&I activities and do not have experience in undertaking R&D activities. As a result of the grant project, knowledge, innovation, technology and the results of R&D work will be transferred from entities that carry out R&D and have such intellectual assets to entities that have a need, but do not have adequate opportunities to cope with it on their own. The project involves the creation and management of a grant fund. Grants will be used to co-finance SME grant projects with a total value of approx. PLN 8.7 million. to improve the competitiveness of SMEs in Podlasie. Co-financing will cover expenses for conducting the entrepreneur's own research and development works or using the services of other entities that will conduct these works for him, including the purchase of research services, intellectual property rights, patents, licenses, know-how, technological audits, support for the passage of the patent protection procedure. In addition, as a complement to their projects, entrepreneurs will be able to receive funding to improve the competences of employees and managers in the field of: R&D, commercialisation of R&D results, technology transfer and protection of intellectual property and areas related to research and innovation. Entrepreneurs will be able to receive a maximum of PLN 150,000 and no more than 85% of the expenses incurred. Particularly preferred will be entrepreneurs creating innovations subject to application to the patent office in the form of a patent, industrial or utility model. In addition, entrepreneurs who have not yet benefited from support for R&D activities, projects related to activities from the RIS3 core, micro and small entrepreneurs and those projects that will take into account the subject of positive impact on environmental protection (R&D&I works aimed at the development of ecological production processes and efficient use of resources in enterprises will be supported). In material terms, the objective of the project will be achieved, inter alia, by achieving the assumed output and result indicators. In the drafted project documentation, the applicant indicated the mechanisms and organisational capacity of the institutions to ensure that the sustainability of the project results is maintained in accordance with Article 65 of the General Regulation. First of all, the project documentation contains provisions, including in particular in the grant agreement, as well as in the developed project procedures ensuring compliance with this obligation. This is guaranteed by the established mechanisms for securing grant agreements, as well as project control, including durability control, as well as the organisational stability of PFRR.