Recovery of 154,000 PLN in subsidies after another firm's errors
We took over an application that was rejected by ARiMR. After writing the correction and clarifying legal issues, the agency granted the full amount of funding.
The client submitted an application for support for warehouse modernization, but received a refusal decision. The previous consulting firm poorly described the financial plan and ARiMR rejected the project. We took over the case in May 2024, when there were only 11 days left to file an appeal.
The challenge
The main problem was that Agro-Handel Wielkopolska wanted to buy a new line for sorting vegetables, but the advisor entered incorrect technical parameters. The machines did not fit the dimensions of the hall given in the construction documents. The Agency considered this a substantive error and rejected the application, which blocked the company's path to funds for the next 24 months.
The company was losing not only 154,000 PLN in non-reimbursable aid, but also an important contract with a supermarket chain. Without the new line, they were unable to prepare 38 tons of goods per week in the appropriate standard. The owner, Andrzej, was convinced that the case was lost and he would have to take an expensive commercial loan at 9.2% per annum.
Our approach
We started with an audit of the entire documentation in 48 hours. Our specialist went personally to the company's seat in Grodzisk Wielkopolski to check the real dimensions of the hall and the machines. We found 3 specific errors in the previous advisor's calculations, which were enough to correct with new technical drawings and a statement from the equipment manufacturer.
Instead of writing general pleas for mercy, we prepared a hard legal analysis. We used an administrative court judgment from March 2023, which concerned an almost identical situation. The appeal documentation counted exactly 74 pages and contained a precise description of cash flows, which was previously simply confusing.
The solution
We filed an official appeal to the ARiMR regional office exactly on June 4, 2024. We attached a corrected investment plan and a new opinion on innovation, which we obtained from an appraiser in 3 business days. Meridian Greater Poland watched every signature on every page, so that the official had no reason to reject the documents for formal reasons.
We also provided a full list of attachments that were missing in the first attempt, including current certificates from the tax office. Thanks to this, the agency did not have to send calls for supplements, which shortened the entire process by 34 days. We acted quickly because we knew that every day of delay was a real loss for the farm.
Results
The Agency accepted our arguments and restored the application for evaluation. Agro-Handel Wielkopolska received the full amount of funding in mid-July. The company bought the machines and signed a contract with a retail chain, avoiding debt at the bank.
Timeline
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May 22, 2024Analysis of errors in the rejected application and local vision in the hall
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June 4, 2024Submission of a 74-page appeal to ARiMR in Poznań
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July 19, 2024Receiving a positive decision on granting 154,000 PLN
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August 5, 2024Signing the funding agreement by the client
"Initially, I thought that 150 thousand zlotys was lost due to a stupid mistake in the papers. Meridian Greater Poland in two weeks straightened out what others couldn't handle for a year. We know the land and the numbers, it shows with them."