BGK / School buses for Ukraine

Bank Gospodarstwa Krajowego (BGK) has been supporting struggling Ukraine since the beginning of Russian aggression. Emergency aid, made possible through the bank's cooperation with the European Commission (EC) and Solidarity Fund PL (FSM), is one of the ongoing projects. This support has brought 100 school buses to Ukraine, among other things.

In March 2022, BGK proposed to the EU to set aside funds from the European Commission's Team Europe Initiative on COVID-19 vaccine exchange for the Eastern Partnership countries for emergency aid to Ukraine. The European Commission agreed to the idea, and thus aid worth €25.3 million has been provided to date. The funding for the humanitarian aid comes from the so far unused funds to support the mitigation of the socio-economic impact of the Covid-19 pandemic.

"We are pleased that we were able to use some of the aid that was for vaccines. After the agreement with the European Commission, we were able to provide extensive support to Ukraine, as evidenced by today's buses. We must support Ukraine in its struggle for independence" - Beata Daszyńska-Muzyczka, CEO of BGK, says.

Special support for the youngest

The war in Ukraine has severely affected the education system, affecting around 5.7 million school-aged children and leading to the destruction or damage of more than 2,800 educational facilities. Therefore, the project partners, recognizing this critical situation, decided to provide tangible support to Ukrainian students. Working together, the EC, BGK and Solidarity Fund PL (SFPL) aim to provide Ukrainian students with safe and reliable transportation to enable them to access high quality education.

"We see with what responsibility, with what readiness, Ukrainians are thinking about the future of their country after the war. There is perhaps no greater symbol of this future than school buses for children. Children are the guarantee of Ukraine's victory in this war, and they are the guarantee that Ukraine will be the country that Skovoroda and Stus dreamed of: a country of free and proud citizens," Rafal Dzięciolowski, the president of Solidarity Fund PL, says.

How does it work?

EC is the donor and BGK, as the implementing partner, cooperates closely with the EC and coordinates the disbursement process, and FSM organizes the aid - from purchases to their delivery to Ukraine.

The aid consisted of researching needs, then purchasing goods and delivering them to Ukraine. In the initial phase the necessities included food, hygiene products and medical supplies. As the needs changed, the scope of the aid also changed to psychological support for the veterans' families, as well as the purchase of ambulances and medical equipment. Ukrainian hromadas (municipalities), hospitals, schools and fire brigades were the main recipients of the aid. It was to them that the Foundation reached out through its contacts developed over the years.

BGK's commitment

Sustainable social and economic development of Poland is BGK's mission. BGK's commitment in development aid allows it to pool public donor funds and mobilize private capital. The bank's involvement in building modern aid instruments for developing countries also creates opportunities for Polish companies to engage in international markets.