The National Training Fund in 2026: who can get a course funded and how to prepare

What the KFS is

The National Training Fund (Krajowy Fundusz Szkoleniowy, KFS) is the part of the Labour Fund set aside for continuing education of people who are already working. The money is distributed by powiat labour offices (powiatowy urząd pracy, PUP). Since 2025 the rules have been set by the Act on the labour market and employment services.

Important: the employee does not apply — the employer does (or a self-employed person, including a sole trader). Support can cover employees, employers, self-employed people and people working on civil-law contracts.

What can be funded

The act lists the costs the fund can cover. It cannot pay for training the employer must provide anyway under other rules (e.g. mandatory health and safety training), for education already funded from other public money, or for anything started before the agreement with the office is signed.

• courses and training,
• exams confirming qualifications and issuing the certificate,
• postgraduate studies,
• medical and psychological tests required for the training or the job after it,
• accident insurance connected with the training.

How much funding

The office can cover up to 70% of training costs; for entities with no more than 9 employees (or none) up to 90%. Per participant, the amount cannot exceed 200% of the average wage in the given year.

The new act also introduced annual caps per applicant: 4 times the average wage for firms with up to 9 people, 8 times for 10–49, 12 times for 50–249 and 14 times for larger ones.

Priorities for 2026

Offices assess applications partly against the priorities set for the year. For 2026 the labour minister, after consulting the Labour Market Council, set four national priorities. Regional governments may add up to three of their own and powiats one.

• better management and communication at work: preventing discrimination and mobbing, social dialogue, workplace integration;
• skills in shortage occupations in the given powiat or region;
• training linked to new processes, technologies and tools, especially digital, AI and 'green' skills;
• skills in health and care services, and in social cooperatives and social enterprises.

How to prepare before the call

Each office announces its own call on its own dates, and the money often runs out quickly. Applications are filed electronically through an individual account on praca.gov.pl to the office covering the company's seat. One condition is paying Labour Fund contributions for at least 6 months before applying (or being exempt by law).

• Pick a specific course and note its programme, hours and how it ends — the office compares the cost with similar offers.
• Check which priority the training fits and prepare a short justification.
• Watch your powiat labour office's website for the call and local priorities.
• Do not start the course before signing the agreement: the fund will not reimburse it.

If you are an employee

You can propose KFS-funded training to your employer yourself. Come with a ready proposal: course name, cost, schedule and how the new skills will help at work. For many small firms this is convincing, because with 90% funding their own contribution is small.