Three countries - members of the EFTA (European Free Trade Association), which are also members of the EEA (European Economic Area), i.e. Norway, Iceland and Liechtenstein, have offered Poland non-refundable financial aid involving two instruments known as: the EEA Financial Mechanism and the Norwegian Financial Mechanism, also referred to as the Norwegian funds.

The amount of EUR 533.51 million granted to Poland will be utilised in the years 2004-2009. The purpose of the Norwegian Financial Mechanism is to reduce the social and economic disparities within the European Economic Area and enable all EEA countries to participate fully in the Internal Market.

The Scholarship and Training Fund (STF) is an initiative supporting the educational cooperation between Poland and the donor countries (Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway), the objective of which is to increase the scope and raise the quality of organising the mobility of students and academics. The STF assumes that EUR 13.3 million will be utilised in the years 2008-2011.

The actions that will be implemented within the STF framework should contribute to the expansion of the students’ and academics’ exchange between Poland and the donor countries and to the tightening of cooperation between educational institutions of those countries.

The STF budget, 90% of which will come from the EEA Financial Mechanism and the Norwegian Financial Mechanism funds and 10% from the Polish State budget, finances the following initiatives:

• exchange of students and academics on the conditions worked out under Erasmus,

• individual scholarships for young researchers (up to 40 years of age) and study visits for employees from educational institutions (education facilities, vocational education institutions, adult education facilities etc.),

• international projects implemented by Polish institutions and by institutions from the donor countries, the aim of which will be to enhance the quality of education and an increased participation of individual units in international undertakings (joint organisation of seminars, conferences, joint development and production of publications, analyses and research related to the need study and the developments of Polish education institutions, intensive courses for students, inter-school cooperation projects),

• projects aimed at improving the quality of education and operation of Polish higher education schools, in particular as regards their readiness to accept foreign students (involving among others development of curricula in foreign languages, development of joint study programmes, working out innovative education methods, improvement of the college/university cooperation with industrial partners and non-academic institutions).

STF objectives

The strategic objective of the Scholarship and Training Fund is to improve the social and economic coherence within the European Economic Area through actions in the field of education between Poland and the donor countries.
The STF’s aims include also:

• broadening knowledge, development of methods that are based upon best practices and transfer of innovative solutions in the field of education and training,
• promoting the mobility of pupils, students, doctoral students, teachers and academics between Poland and the donor countries,
• furthering the cooperation and partnerships between institutions active in the field of education in Poland and on the territories of the donor countries.

Budget and financing

The total amount of funds earmarked for the Scholarship and Training Fund makes up EUR 13.3 million, with 10% of that figure to be ensured by the Polish State budget by means of co-financing input.
The Foundation for the Development of the Education System was designated to perform those actions by both the Ministry of National Education and by the Ministry of Science and Higher Education.