About the Foundation

The Cooperation Fund Foundation was established by the State Treasury in September 1990. It was founded in response to the need for a non-political, specialised and efficient organisation that would transparently manage aid funds on behalf of the Government and assist the implementation of EU supported projects.
The principal goal of the Foundation was to stimulate and support democratic transition and development of the Polish economy, by assisting government institutions that co-ordinate foreign aid and in particular, by accepting and distributing funds and material aid offered by the European Union, other international bodies and foreign governmental and private institutions.
The Cooperation Fund Foundation has fulfilled its role through the implementation of programmes and projects that support specific economic sectors and public life areas, co-financed from pre-accession funds (PHARE) and other EU funds, as well as through the management of entrusted foreign aid funds, disbursed by the aid coordinator.
Over seventeen years of its activity, the Cooperation Fund has changed from a small organisation, employing a dozen people, into a high capacity institution, managing hundreds of millions of euros and playing an important role in Poland's preparations for EU membership and its overall socio-economic growth. This was possible thanks to the principles underlying the Foundation's activity since the beginning of its existence: flexible response to Poland's development needs (with a special focus on the integration process), openness to co-operation with various partners, from the local to the international level and the transparency of operating policies and procedures.
Among numerous programmes, realised by the Foundation, were programmes supporting the development of entrepreneurship, civic society and rural districts as also those supporting education reforms, local initiatives and development, including local self-government. In practice the activities of the Foundation covered most of the social and economic development of Poland after 1989. Some programmes are continued still today, especially those closely related to the preparation of Polish institution for operating within the European Union. The existence of efficient structures and procedures was confirmed by the EDIS accreditation, granted unconditionally by the European Commission in 2004.
Currently, the Cooperation Fund Foundation is realising over a dozen different programmes, including the „EQUAL Initiative", aiming at eliminating all forms of inequality and discrimination on the labour market, "Fund for Non-Government Organisations" aiming at reducing social and economic disparities and developing civil societies, education oriented programmes such as „Europass" and „ReferNet" and rural programmes like the „Agrolinia".
Among the significant tasks of the Foundation is also the coordination and financial and contracting management of Phare Institution Building and Transition Facility projects.

The programmes implemented by the Cooperation Fund Foundation are managed by the following organisation units:
- Central Finance and Contracts unit - co-ordinates and manages the financial and contracts part of projects implemented within PHARE (Institution Building) and Transition Facility programmes, supporting
- certain economy sectors and public administration institutions. The principle Beneficiaries of such programmes are public (ministries, government agencies) and municipal administration institutions as well as non-government organisations. The CFCU organises tendering procurement procedures, implements, monitors and finances agreements signed as result of the tendering procedures, framework agreements and grant competitions for non-government organisations and self-government administration. Moreover, the CFCU manages twinning projects.
- The Bureau for Rural Programmes aims at supporting the transition of rural areas and helps their inhabitants. Currently, the Bureau is implementing three programmes: Agrolinia (supporting rural areas in their preparation to operate efficiently in the EU and consisting of an investment credit line for the agriculture and food processing sector and activities supporting co-operative banks and rural communities), Agro-Smak 2 (promotion and protection of Polish traditional and regional products) and Agro-Info (providing farmers and rural communities with information necessary for their efficient operation in the EU).
- Task Force for Training and Human Resources supports initiatives aimed at adjusting the vocational education system to requirements of the labour market, promotes innovation in vocational schools, enhances clarity of qualifications and competencies and facilitates meeting the requirements arising from Poland's accession to the European Union. In the past the TFTHR was implementing such programmes as Leonardo da Vinci, Forum for Vocational Education and European Education. The programmes currently implemented include:
• EQUAL Initiative, a tool supporting creation of model solutions that allow elimination of all forms of inequality and discrimination in the labour market;
• Europass, a European Commission initiative, which enables EU citizens a better documentation and presentation of their competencies and professional skills throughout Europe;
• European Centre for Development of Vocational Education (CEDEFOP), a European Commission agency supporting development and promotion of vocational education and training in the EU countries. The programme co-ordinates ReferNet - a network with a purpose to create in each member state a system of collecting information on vocational education and related topics and a study tour programme, aiming at acquainting people with vocational education and training systems as well as specifics of the labour market in EU countries.
- The Fund for Non-Governmental Organisations (FOP), established within the Norwegian Financial Mechanism and the European Economic Area Financial Mechanism (EEA), aims at reducing social and economic disparities within the EEA area, developing the civil society in Poland and promoting gender equality.
- The CPF Aid Programmes Department implements decisions of the Office of the Committee for European Integration regarding spending of so called Counterpart Funds (CPF), non-repayable foreign aid sourced from sales of foreign material support for Poland.
- Bureau for System Solutions was created to promote system solutions worked out by the Partnerships for Development and currently is implementing three projects:
• promoting best practices in rural areas
• promoting social economy in Poland
• dissemination of results supporting vocational education