Nearly 700 companies, municipalities and local governments across Poland will receive financial support of over PLN 590 million under the Cybersecure Waterworks program. These funds will be used to strengthen protection against cyberattacks, including audits, training and the purchase of modern equipment, as announced by the Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Digitization Krzysztof Gawkowski.
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The Digital Poland Project Center (CPPC) has just concluded the grant competition, awarding funding to 688 projects for a total amount of PLN 590 million and 258 thousand. PLN 287. Another 71 units whose applications were assessed positively will receive funds after an increase in the financial pool and changes in the competition regulations. In total, 759 projects with a total value of PLN 624,682 thousand were assessed positively. PLN 987 – said the Deputy Prime Minister during a press conference.
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Cyber threats and critical infrastructure
Minister Gawkowski emphasized that cyber threats against water and sewage companies are becoming more and more common and require a systemic approach. — “The shutdown of one water and sewage plant means tens or even hundreds of thousands of people without water. That is why the Cybersafe Waterworks program has been designed so that as many citizens as possible can feel safe” — he pointed out.
The Ministry of Digitization (MC) increased the initial pool of funds for the program from PLN 313 million to over PLN 590 million, and also extended the deadline for project implementation until the end of 2026. These funds are to be allocated to three key areas: organizational, technical and competence. They include, among others: cybersecurity training, support for managers and network administrators, security audits, as well as the purchase of devices and systems compliant with the highest protection standards.
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Who will benefit and what the funds will be used for
Data from the Ministry of Digital Affairs show that 896 entities from the water and sewage sector took part in the competition. The largest group of applicants, as many as 69 percent, were limited liability companies, which submitted 622 applications worth nearly PLN 576 million. The remaining applications came from municipalities (155 applications for over PLN 118 million), municipal governments (105 applications for approximately PLN 83 million) and joint-stock companies (14 applications for nearly PLN 12 million).
The Ministry of Digital Affairs announced that work is currently underway to provide support to all positively assessed applicants and to extend the project implementation period until December 31, 2026. Initially, the regulations assumed that the funds must be spent by June 30, 2026, which resulted from the investment schedule of the National Reconstruction Plan (KPO), from which some of the funds come.
The Cybersecure Waterworks program, co-financed by the KPO, was announced by the Ministry of Digitization in March 2025. The call for applications lasted from September to October last year, and CPPC assessed them for four months. Two applications were withdrawn before the process was completed, the Center said.
