About company and its owner
Company MWS Consulting was established at the beggining of 2015 in Warsaw, Poland.
It’s founder and owner is Marek Szczepański, Ph.D.
Marek is experienced manager and advisor. His main area of expertise is programming and implementation of public policies in the fields of regional and local development, entrepreneurship, SME support, labour market, urban revitalization and development.
He graduated from the Faculty of Law and Administration at the University of Warsaw and MBA studies at the International Management School in Warsaw. Marek obtained PhD degree in management at Kozminski University in Warsaw.
Marek has over 25 years of professional experience including over 20 years in the positions associated with the EU funds programming and distribution.
He is one of the most experienced experts in EU funds in Poland, specialising in financial instruments.
Before starting own business Marek was Deputy CEO at Agencja Rozwoju Przemysłu S.A. (Industrial Development Agency JSC – the state-owned development company).
In years 2009-2015 he worked as Managing Director in Bank Gospodarstwa Krajowego (the state-owned development bank), responsible for implementation of projects co-financed by EU funds under 2007-2013 programming period with total value of approx. EUR 1bn.
In years 2007-2009 Marek was CEO at PSDB Ltd., a consulting company specializing in advisory services, evaluations and trainings in EU funds’ area.
In years 2003-2005 he was the Undersecretary of State in the Ministry of Economy and Labour. He was responsible for supervision of several EU operational programmes 2004-2006, labour policy and tourism policy.
He also worked in the Ministry of Labour and Social Policy and the Polish Agency for Enterprise Development as director of units responsible for EU funds.
Since Apr. 2021 Marek is Director of the Public Programmes and UE Funds Department in BOŚ Bank SA (Warsaw, Poland).
Marek is experienced trainer and lecturer in the area of EU funds.
Offer
MWS Consulting offers broad range of specialist consultancy services in the following areas:
- Design and implementation of the EU financial instruments.
- Programming and implementation of public policies for: regional and local development, SME support, entrepreneurship, urban revitalization and development, labour market.
- Tailor-made trainings and coaching in the areas of the EU funds.
Implemented projects
Since 2015 Marek participated as a trainer in over 20 training workshops/seminars on EU financial instruments organized by Lexxion Publisher mbH https://www.lexxion.eu/en/ , including:
- - „Successful Implementation and Modification of Financial Instruments” (Oct. 2020, on-line training)
- - „Interactive Online Course on Management and Control of ESI Funds During and Post COVID-19 Crisis” (June 2020, on-line training)
- - „EU Financial Instruments: Equity, Quasi-Equity, Loans and Guarantees” (Nov. 2019, Milan)
- - „Masterclass on Financial Instruments” (September 2019, Rome)
- - „Advanced Summer Course: How to Use Financial Instruments Effectively” (June 2019, Como)
- - „How to Implement Compliant Financial Instruments in 2014-2020 and Beyond” (March 2019, Nice)
- - „Essentials of Financial Instruments” (Dec. 2018, London)
- - „EU Financial Instruments: Equity, Quasi-Equity, Loans and Guarantees” (Oct. 2018, Barcelona)
- - „How to Use Financial Instruments Effectively – Key Features and Practical Advice” (June 2018, Rome)
- - „Setting Up Effective and Compliant Financial Instruments” (March 2018, Amsterdam)
- - „EU Financial Instruments: Equity, Quasi‐Equity, Loans and Guarantees” (Nov. 2017, London)
- - „Advanced Summer Course on EU Financial Instruments: Current Challenges for Set-up and Management” (July 2017, The Hague)
- - „Advanced Seminar Financial Instruments: Selection and Cooperation with Financial Intermediaries” (April 2017, Rome)
- - „Implementation of Financial Instruments in Cooperation with Financial Intermediaries” (in-house training for SID Banka) (May 2016, Ljubljana)
Since 2016 Marek works as merit coordinator, speaker and moderator at over 50 trainings on EU financial instruments, organized in Warsaw by J.W.Consulting http://www.jwconsulting.pl
Topics covered during the trainings included inter-alia: set-up of financial instruments (FI) and instruments combining in one operation FI and grant; development and update of ex-ante assessment and investment strategy, selection of financial intermediaries, control and audit.
In recent years Marek Szczepanski and his company MWS Consulting have implemented number of advisory projects, including:
- Nov. 2023 (Vilnius, Lithuania): Marek moderated fi-compass thematic workshop 'Financing RePowerEU - Shared management financial instruments combined with grants'. The event was organised by the European Commission's Directorate-General for Regional and Urban Policy (DG REGIO) and the European Investment Bank (EIB) https://events.fi-compass.eu/event/afd4e2b1-ddca-41a2-8b73-29657f5606de/summary
- March 2023: during ‘FI CAMPUS 2023 – Financial instruments in changing times’ Marek was moderator of the session „Financial instruments 2021-2027 – Financing the green transition”. The event was organised by the European Commission and EIB. https://events.fi-compass.eu/event/6c54c9a3-6d52-47a6-a6fb-ca177bbb6792/summary
- Since June 2019: Marek provides advisory services to the Mazovia Marshal Office (Warsaw) on the re-use of funds allocated to financial instruments within 2007-2013 regional operational programme.
- Since June 2017: Programme Manager of „Loans for Learning” project, implemented by Regional Development Agency in Starachowice. Project - financed by the ESF – is one the rare examples of using in Poland „repayable assistance” http://inwestujwrozwoj.pl/en/
- April 2019-Dec. 2021: Marek was the Key Expert for Financial Instruments in project ‘Improving access to finance of private sector for competitiveness and innovation’ implemented by PricewaterhouseCoopers d.o.o. Beograd. Aim of the project (financed from EU pre-accession funds under the Instrument for pre-accession-IPA) was to increase private sector competitiveness in Montenegro with a focus on micro, small and medium enterprises.
- Dec. 2021: speaker at webinar ‘Can financial instruments help promoting rural infrastructure?’ organised by the European Commission – Directorate-General for Agriculture and Rural Development (DG AGRI) in partnership with the European Investment Bank (EIB), under fi-compass platform.
- Dec. 2016-March 2021: Marek provided advisory services for Alior Bank (Alior has been selected as the financial intermediary for financial instruments (loans) under the 2014-2020 Digital Poland OP and Regional OPs).
- March–Nov. 2018: Expert in the project „Setting up of a National Development Bank of Romania„ (implemented by PricewaterhouseCoopers under European Commission Structural Reform Support Service). Project’s objective was to create a detailed and evidence-based foundations for creation of development bank.
- March–Sept. 2018: Main expert in the update of ex-ante assessment for financial instruments in ‘Rural Development Programme 2014-2020” conducted by PwC for European Investment Bank and the Polish Ministry for Agriculture and Rural Development
- June 2018-March 2021: Member of the Investment Board for financial instruments in Lubuskie Region: group of experts advising Managing Authority of Regional Operational Programme 2014-2020.
- July–Sept. 2018: Speaker at training workshops „EU Funds for small and medium-sized enterprises operating in Poland” for Ukrainian entrepreneurs. Workshops - conducted in Lviv, Chernivtsi and Khmenlnytskyy - were organised by PPV Knowledge Networks Limited under the project EU4Business.
- Aug. 2017 and Dec. 2016: Advisory services on programming and implementation EU financial instruments for SID Banka - Slovenian state owned development bank.
- Sept. 2016: Speaker at international seminar „Are governance reforms really transforming the State in the Republic of Kazakhstan?” organised in Astana by the OECD.
Contact
marek@mwsconsulting.pl
mobile: +48 502 323 963
