ASSOCIATION OF POLISH DIRECTORS APPEALS TO THE MINISTRY OF CULTURE TO ANNUL THE KPO

Posted on Sep 4, 2025 in Theatrical

In view of the scandalous outcome of the KPO For Culture programme, SRP demands that the results be annulled and that all applications be reconsidered by experts selected with the cooperation of ZASP, SRP and other cultural organisations!

Association of Polish Directors as an association of artists, professionals and people of culture, we strongly oppose the flawed application evaluation process in the KPO for Culture programme and demand immediate changes.

Warsaw, 2 September 2025

Dear Ms.

Marta Cienkowska

Minister of Culture and National Heritage

The position of the SRP on the irregularities in the 2nd call of the KPO for culture is as follows: We demand a renewed, transparent evaluation of all applications!

Dear Minister,

Acting on behalf of the Association of Polish Directors, representative of the Cultural Sector, in connection with the scandalous irregularities in the second call for applications under Investment A2.5.1: "Programme to support the activities of cultural and creative industries entities to stimulate their development, implemented within the framework of the National Reconstruction and Resilience Plan (NRP)", we demand an immediate clarification and re-evaluation of all submitted applications by an independent body of experts selected in a consultation procedure between the Ministry of Culture and National Heritage, ZASP, SRP and other representative organisations of the cultural sector.

SRP takes the liberty of pointing out several key problems:

1. the catastrophic scale of rejections: more than 80% of grant applications rejected!

According to official data from the programme operator, the National Institute of Music and Dance, 4,765 grant applications were submitted in the second call, of which only 924 received funding. This means that 3 841 applications (80.61%) were rejected!

In the case of scholarships, the situation looks almost as dramatic: 2,376 out of 3,077 applications (77.2%) received 0 - in words, zero points!

Such a scale of rejections is unprecedented in cultural grant programmes and demonstrates, in our view, systemic flaws in the evaluation process.

2. unclear and arbitrary evaluation criteria: "horizontal criteria" as a pretext for mass rejections

The programme operator explains the mass awarding of "0 points" by the non-fulfilment of "formal or horizontal criteria".

However, nobody can answer what these "horizontal criteria" are (!)

There is no public access to detailed guidance on these criteria, making it impossible to verify the reliability of the assessment.

Many applicants report to us that the system showed higher scores for their projects and a positive formal assessment, contradicting the final score of "0 points".

The discretionary and non-transparent nature of the horizontal criteria allows, in our opinion, for their arbitrary interpretation by so-called experts, which leads to arbitrary decisions, not necessarily driven by substantive reasons, but by discretionary and social reasons.

3 Rejection of applications from reputable institutions that had previously received funding

Among the rejected applications were those of state cultural institutions such as:

• Adam Mickiewicz Institute,

• Zachęta National Gallery of Art,

• Warsaw Autumn Festival,

• Sinfonia Varsovia.

These institutions had received funding in previous editions of the programme, which proves that they have sufficient competence to prepare applications that meet the formal requirements.

The fact that identical applications, which previously received high marks, now receive zero points indicates, in our opinion, total discretion and inconsistency in the evaluation process.

4 Flawed evaluation system: one negative evaluation decides the fate of an application

According to the rules of procedure, one negative evaluation at the stage of assessing compliance with the programme objectives was sufficient for a proposal to receive zero points and not be subjected to a detailed evaluation.

In our opinion, such a system:

• Makes it impossible for applications to be reliably reviewed by a larger group of experts.

• Allows arbitrary decisions by single individuals that may be subject to error or bias.

5 Lack of transparency and credibility of the appeals procedure.

The programme operator announces that it expects an appeals rate of 90%7.

In our view, this demonstrates a widespread lack of confidence in the evaluation process.

Nevertheless:

• A clear appeals path is not provided.

• There is a lack of information about the composition and working procedure of the Appeals Committee.

Conclusions and demands of the SRP

In view of the above irregularities, the Association of Polish Directors demands:

• Immediately make available to all applicants the detailed evaluation sheets with the justification for awarding "0 points".

• Re-evaluation of all applications by an independent body of experts selected in a consultation procedure with cultural sector organisations, including ZASP and SRP.

• Disclosure of detailed formal and horizontal criteria and clear guidelines against which applications were assessed.

• Suspension of the appeals review process until these irregularities are clarified.

• A public apology from the programme operator and the Ministry of Culture and National Heritage to all applicants whose projects were treated in an arbitrary and unprofessional manner.

Dear Minister

The cultural sector in Poland deserves transparent, reliable and fair treatment.

We cannot allow arbitrary decisions and systemic glitches to deepen the crisis of confidence in systemic support for culture.

We demand immediate corrective action!

With best regards,

Polish Directors' Association

The welfare of culture - the highest right!

on behalf of SRP

Piotr Tomaszuk

Artur Gotz

Jarosław Jakubowski

Grzegorz Kempinsky

Wojciech Konikiewicz

Tadeusz Deszkiewicz

Paweł Bogocz

For information:

• The President of the Republic of Poland

• Chancellery of the Prime Minister

• Prime Minister of the Republic of Poland

• ZASP

• Sejm Commission for Culture

• Mickiewicz Institute

• PiSF

• Creative Associations

• media