A significant amount has been allocated in the 2026 budget law for the development of higher education and science. A fairly large share of these funds is expected to be directed towards supporting scientific research and training academic staff. In addition, medical research and medical schools will receive particular attention. What funding is planned for 2026? What does the Breakthrough Technology Development Fund initiative provide for? Let’s discuss this in today’s article.
Distribution of budget funds for education and science
The Ministry of Science and Higher Education of the Republic of Poland is the main executive authority responsible for distributing state funding in the fields of science and higher education. The “State Budget for 2026” Act of 9 January 2026 sets out the overall volume of budget expenditure, including funds allocated to education and scientific research.
The distribution of funding is carried out by the Ministry on the basis of budget programmes and targeted subsidies, as well as in accordance with the provisions of The “Law on Higher Education and Science” of 20 July 2018. Funds are channelled through several main mechanisms, in particular base funding for universities, support for doctoral programmes and scholarship schemes, funding for research infrastructure, as well as grant competitions administered by specialised agencies (in particular Narodowe Centrum Nauki and Narodowe Centrum Badań i Rozwoju).
Key funding priorities in 2026
In 2026, budget funding for higher education and science in Poland is primarily directed towards the functioning of the system of universities and research institutions, as well as research infrastructure and the implementation of research programmes. This also includes funding for grants and applied/practical research and innovation (B+R), which is partly distributed through relevant ministries and institutions depending on the thematic area.
It is particularly important that the funding will cover all universities, including medical schools, as well as medical research, which has become a priority of state policy in recent years.
Funding for Polish education and science in 2026
In 2026, the budget for education and science in Poland will amount to PLN 44.26 billion, which, according to the Ministry of Finance, is PLN 1 billion higher than in 2025.
Most of the funds (PLN 41.12 billion) will be directed towards ensuring the functioning of the higher education and science system, including the education of students, doctoral candidates and research staff. This amount also includes scholarship exchange and financial support for students and doctoral candidates.
Several ministries are responsible for implementing this task. The main part of this amount will go to the Ministry of Science and Higher Education, which will have PLN 33.7 billion under its control, including PLN 26.2 billion for education and research (a subsidy). This amount also includes, among other things, a subsidy for the National Science Centre (PLN 1.75 billion – unchanged compared with the current level).
In other ministries, spending on science and higher education is expected as follows: the Ministry of Health – PLN 3.7 billion, the Ministry of National Defence – PLN 1.6 billion, the Ministry of Culture and National Heritage – PLN 1.2 billion, the Ministry of Infrastructure – PLN 631 million, the Ministry of the Interior and Administration – PLN 278 million, the Ministry of Justice – PLN 62.9 million.
Together with the Polish Academy of Sciences (PLN 129.5 million) and the Central Office of Measures (Główny Urząd Miar), these institutions will have more than PLN 7 billion in total, which is 4.7 times less than the Ministry of Science and Higher Education.
Areas of funding allocation in 2026
| Field | Budget | Purpose |
| Higher education and science | PLN 41.12 billion | training of students, doctoral students, etc. |
| Practical research (B+R) | PLN 3.14 billion | innovation, applied research, cooperation with business |
| Ministries and institutions | PLN 7 billion | education and research expenditure |
| Educational and scientific subsidies | PLN 26.2 billion | basic funding for higher education institutions and science |
| Narodowe Centrum Nauki | PLN 1.75 billion | grants and fundamental research |
Research and innovation
As PLN 3.14 billion has been allocated solely to research with practical applications, these funds will be directed to financing projects that may impact the economy and clinical practice. It is also emphasised that these investments are of key importance for the development of science, the growth of innovation and strengthening the competitiveness of Polish science and the economy in the international environment.
The effectiveness of this strategy will be determined, in particular, by the number of international patents obtained by Polish scientists at the European Patent Office and the United States Patent and Trademark Office. For medical universities, this means an opportunity to accelerate the introduction of innovative treatment methods, the use of new devices and medical solutions.
Breakthrough Technology Development Fund
The President of Poland, Karol Nawrocki, also signed a legislative initiative on new support for universities and business. This initiative aims to complement existing instruments such as the National Centre for Research and Development and the Polish Development Fund, offering faster access to funding and broader support.
The Fund will have a budget of PLN 5 billion per year and will provide full direct support to Polish companies that develop technologies of strategic importance. It is important to note that the draft “Breakthrough Technology Development Fund” Act provides for an annual budget payment of no less than PLN 5 billion; however, the cap on state budget expenditure as a result of implementing the law for 2026 is PLN 2.5 billion, and from 2027 – PLN 5 billion.
Part of the funds will be directed to research and development projects, as well as cooperation between universities, industry and public institutions.
The Fund’s budget will be allocated to the following areas:
- biotechnology
- medicine
- artificial intelligence
- robotics
- space technologies
- digital technologies
- environmental technologies
- neurotechnologies
The allocated funds will be directed to universities, institutes of the Polish Academy of Sciences and research institutes. Decisions on the allocation of funds will be taken through an open competition.
In addition, a Council for New Technologies has been established, which will cooperate in the management of the Fund. The main task of this council is to create a forum for dialogue on issues that are crucial for Poland’s technological and economic development.
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