Foundation for the Development of the Education System

FRSE is the only institution in Poland that possesses such a broad experience in managing education programmes, especially EU programmes.

National Agency for the Erasmus+ Programme and the European Solidarity Corps

In the past, FRSE has coordinated the Lifelong Learning Programme (Erasmus, Leonardo da Vinci, Comenius and Grundtvig) and Youth in Action in Poland. The reputation of the Foundation has resulted in entrusting it with the responsibilities of the Polish National Agency for the Erasmus+ Programme and the European Solidarity Corps.

Erasmus+ is the EU programme in the fields of education, training, youth and sport for the 2021-2027 period. Education, training, youth and sport are key areas that support citizens in their personal and professional development. High quality, inclusive education and training, as well as informal and non-formal learning, ultimately equip young people and participants of all ages with the qualifications and skills needed for their meaningful participation in democratic society, intercultural understanding, and the successful transition to the labour market. The overall budget of the programme for 2021-2027 is EUR 26.2 billion.

The European Solidarity Corps brings together young people to build a more inclusive society, supporting vulnerable people and responding to societal and humanitarian challenges. It offers an inspiring and empowering experience for young people who want to help, learn and develop and provides a single entry point for such solidarity activities throughout the Union and beyond.

The initiatives related to the Erasmus+ programme and coordinated by FRSE include:

• European Universities
  The European Universities Initiative, implemented under the Erasmus+ programme, is a revolutionary project that aims to modernise European higher education. Key tenets of the initiative are the potential to increase the competitiveness of European universities, improve the quality of education, promote student and faculty mobility, support innovation and research, and strengthen social and cultural cohesion. European Universities are an important step towards a more competitive and united European higher education system.
• InnHUB Innovation Centres
  Erasmus+ InnHUBs are cross-sectoral innovation hubs whose main aim is to promote European education programmes and bring Erasmus+ offers closer together with universities, local authorities, vocational training centres, schools and businesses. Currently, Erasmus+ InnHUB innovation centers are operating in cities such as Kraków, Katowice, Poznań, Gdańsk, Wrocław, Opole and Łodź. In addition, the InnHUB centres support Action 2 of the Erasmus+ programme, which raises awareness about cooperation opportunities for organisations and institutions such as schools, universities or NGOs and businesses.

Other programmes managed by FRSE

The range of other programmes and initiatives that the Foundation manages includes:

• eTwinning,
• Eurodesk,
• Europass,
• Euroguidance,
• Eurydice,
• EPALE.

In addition, FRSE supports cooperation with eastern countries through the Polish-Lithuanian Youth Exchange Fund and the SALTO Eastern Europe and Caucasus Resource Centre. Since 2016, it has also managed the Polish-Ukrainian Youth Exchange Council. FRSE was also the operator of the European Economic Area (EEA) Scholarship and Training Fund.

From 2023, FRSE implements the European Funds for Social Development, which replaced the Operational Programme Knowledge Education Development. 

In 2018, FRSE became the operator of the EEA-funded Education programme. 

FRSE has been nominated by the Ministry of National Education to be the coordinating institution for Poland's preparation for the EuroSkills and WorldSkills competitions. With its acceptance into the WorldSkills community in October 2018, just after a promising start at the 2018 European competition, FRSE began organising qualifiers for the next editions. FRSE was also the organiser of the 8th edition of EuroSkills – the European Championships for Young Professionals, which took place in Gdansk between 5-9 September 2023, for the first time in Poland.

Until 2016, FRSE acted as the Contact Point for the SCIEX Scholarship Fund in Poland. 

Promotional and publishing activities

The Foundation for the Development of the Education System organises many educational events. For years, it has organised competitions aimed at promoting project results. Its flagship initiatives include:

• EDUinspirations: awards for beneficiaries implementing the most interesting and inspiring educational projects.
• European Language Label (ELL): an award encouraging the development of new techniques and initiatives in the field of language learning and teaching, as well as the enhancement of intercultural awareness across Europe.
• Selfie+: a photo competition for beneficiaries of educational programmes managed by FRSE.
• European Innovative Teaching Award (EITA): it aims to recognise the work of teachers (and their schools) who make an exceptional contribution to the profession.

Moreover, in 2018, FRSE launched the Mobile Education Centre – a state-of-the-art scientific and teaching space, which visits various parts of Poland. The main target group of the Mobile Educational Centre is teaching staff who participate in training on how to use modern technology in their work with students.

The Foundation for the Development of the Education System also has its own publishing house, which publishes more than 30 titles a year. In addition, it issues guides, reports, monographs and examples of good practice – all titles are free to download at czytelnia.frse.org.pl. The organisation publishes two educational magazines, which are available to readers for free. These are: “Języki Obce w Szkole” (Languages at School) and “Europa dla Aktywnych” (Europe for the Active).

Attested quality

In 2011, FRSE was awarded a certificate of compliance with ISO 9001:2008 standard in the scope of international and domestic educational programme management. Obtaining the certificate was preceded by many months of preparations to implement the quality policy of the Foundation for the Development of the Education System and to adapt its internal procedures to the needs of modern management tools. The certificate was renewed in 2014. In May 2018, FRSE was awarded a certificate of compliance with ISO 9001:2015 for quality management system.

The Foundation for the Development of the Education System is a State Treasury foundation registered at the District Court for the capital city of Warsaw, Division 16 (Court File no. NS Rej. F 1647/93). The Foundation was registered on 11.10.1993 and it operates on the basis of its Statutes and the Law on Foundations of 6 April 1984.

The Foundation for the Development of the Education System is a member of the Rzetelna Firma (Reliable Company) programme run under the patronage of the KRD Economic Information Bureau. The reliable payer certificate can be found on FRSE webpage on the programme’s portal.