History of the PFNteam100 project . Each medal won by a beneficiary of the PFNteam100 programme is a separate success story

We would like to present to you one of the Polish National Foundation’s key projects. Through the PFNteam100 scholarship programme, we have a real opportunity to support young sportsmen and sportswomen representing dozens of Olympic and Paralympic disciplines. Each medal won by a beneficiary of the PFNteam100 programme is a separate success story earned with self-discipline and dedication, passion and hard work through continuous development.

As the Polish National Foundation team, we are proud to support Polish Olympians and Paralympians who, by naturally representing Poland in the international arena, become sports ambassadors of Poland.

Proprietary scholarship programme

PFNteam100 is a proprietary scholarship programme dedicated to sportspeople developing their talents. It is aimed to provide direct support, outside sporting associations, to young sportspeople in developing their careers and making their sports dreams come true. Under the team100—and then PFNteam100—project, the Polish National Foundation has supported as many as 433 sportspeople representing 49 Olympic and Paralympic disciplines. This support has contributed to achieving a result of 582 medals won at European as well as World Championships. The above number includes nine Olympic and seven Paralympic medals won by PFN beneficiaries. The scholarship programme implemented by PFN has benefited such world sports stars as the tennis player Iga Świątek, the athletes Sofia Ennaoui, Ewa Swoboda, Pia Skrzyszowska, Natalia Kaczmarek, Joanna Mazur, Konrad Bukowiecki, Patryk Dobek and Maciej Lepiato, the speed skater Natalia Maliszewska and the ski jumpers Aleksander Zniszczoł, Andrzej Stękała and Klemens Murańka.

A professional sports career generally entails huge financial outlays. The cost of equipment, training and expert support, as well as participation in sporting events itself is frequently beyond sportspeople’s financial capabilities, often slowing down their careers or even putting an end to them altogether. PFNteam100 was the first programme of its kind in Poland, aimed towards launching scholarships for talented Polish sportspeople, National Team members. Our programme has allowed them to combine a sporting career with study, improve their skills, and at the same time to represent our country with dignity in the international arena. What made the project unique was the fact that its beneficiaries were free to decide on how to allocate the funds they received under the project. Thus, depending on their needs, it could have been the purchase of equipment, training, supplementation, medical support, housing rental or, for example, participation in sporting events.

Principles have also been an important element of the programme for the participating sportsmen and sportswomen, who confirmed their commitment to them by signing the „Code of Ethics”, obligating the contestants to respect the fair play principles in sports competition, to represent Poland with dignity at home and abroad, and to champion the good name of our Homeland. Thus, our sportspeople have become ambassadors of Poland who have promoted our country around the world with their achievements and their attitude.

Given the programme’s success, in 2022 the PFNteam100 project was transferred to the Ministry of Sport and Tourism.

New project formula

Initially, the PFNteam100 programme envisaged supporting contestants representing Olympic disciplines only, but in 2022, after its core was transferred to the Ministry, it was decided to expand the project to include sportspeople from other disciplines as well.

The rally driver Mikołaj Marczyk, regarded as one of the best Polish rally drivers of the younger generation, has become one of the first beneficiaries of the new programme formula. In 2019, „Miko” became the youngest competitor ever to win the Polish Rally Champion title. He and his pilot, Szymon Gospodarczyk, are part of the PFNteam100. For example, the two gentlemen have won multiple times the Barbórka Rally - the most important rally event in Poland.

Mikołaj Marczyk summed up our collaboration as follows:

“Entering into cooperation with the Polish National Foundation is an honour and major support for me in organizing my debut season of competing in the WRC 2 World Rally Championship. National support is also part of my mission to achieve the best possible results and represent Poland internationally among competitors from around the world. As a Pole, I am proud to represent our white and red national colours abroad, so I am glad that with the support of the Polish National Foundation I will be able to achieve better results”-

In 2023, two new sportspeople joined the ranks of the programme’s beneficiaries: Maja Dziarnowska, a bronze medalist at the 2022 iQFOiL European Windsurfing Championships, and Wiktor Przyjemski, 2022 Team Speedway Junior World Champion. It is worth noting here that Maja Dziarnowska, on the Polish National Team since 2009, will compete at the XXXIII Olympic Games in Paris in 2024, while Wiktor Przyjemski is credited with a talent of the same stature as Tomasz Gollob and Bartosz Zmarzlik. Already under the wings of the new version of the PFNteam100 scholarship programme, the speedway rider won the title of European Under-19 Individual Speedway Champion, and triumphed along with his teammates in the Team Speedway Junior World Championship final. Our speedway rider has also scored triumphs at the Team Speedway Junior European Championship and the European Pairs Speedway Junior Championship.

The above examples show that despite the change in its formula, the Polish National Foundation’s scholarship programme does not lose its importance, providing a springboard for Polish sportspeople on their way to professional success, and giving their fans a chance to enjoy the sports successes of our white-and-red flag representatives.

The PFNteam100 project would not have been possible without our Donors. We would therefore like to extend our warmest thanks to the Founders of the Polish National Foundation: PKO BP S.A., Enea S.A., Energa S.A., WSE S.A., Grupa Azoty S.A., KGHM Polska Miedź S.A., Grupa LOTOS S.A., PKN ORLEN S.A., PGE S.A., PGNIG S.A., PGZ S.A., PHN S.A., PKP S.A., PWPW S.A., PZU S.A., Tauron Polska Energia S.A. and Totalizator Sportowy Sp. z o.o.