Pomerania Development Agency Co. (Agencja Rozwoju Pomorza – APR) is one of the pioneering agencies of regional development in Poland, established in 1992, as an initiative of the voivodeship authorities.

Agency’s mission is acting to the benefit of harmonious growth of Pomerania through supporting businesses and authorities in the region, as well as initiating and giving assistance to economic ventures of local importance. ARP is also an institution which defines standards of help for entrepreneurship in Pomerania, as well as an important partner for self-government units in terms of regional development approach creation. Agency’s representatives are officially engaged, as an active party, in the preparation of regional development strategies and economic policy.

ARP implements EU Funds for businesses and institutions, enhancing entrepreneurship, and carries through projects of essential significance for Pomerania. The institution manages the Capital Found, investing in innovative venture ideas. The Agency runs also the Investors’ Care Service responsible for economic promotion of the region and direct foreign investments and provides information, consulting and training services for SME sector. The Agency runs also European projects of local, national and international importance. CIRTOINNO – Circular Economy Tools to Support Innovation in Green and Blue Tourism SMEs – is one of them. ARP is a Lead Partner in this action. The Project is realized by seven Partners from four countries: Poland, Lithuania, Sweden and Denmark. The main idea of the project is to increase the innovativeness of small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) in the tourism sector (accommodation, spa, gastronomy) and in the blue and green economy of the South Baltic region, by integrating selected elements of the circular economy (CE) into their services, products and business models. The CIRTOINNO project is co-financed by the European Regional Development Fund under the Interreg South Baltic Programme 2014-2020.