What Fundacja Pole Dialogu does

Fundacja Pole Dialogu is a Polish non-profit foundation established in 2011 in Warsaw, specializing in civic participation, deliberative democracy, and social research. It operates three interconnected service pillars: Dialog (design and facilitation of public consultations, citizens' assemblies, citizen panels, and participatory budgeting), Badania społeczne (evaluations, needs diagnoses, and participation audits), and Edukacja (training and knowledge transfer for schools, NGOs, and public institutions). Its core proprietary methodologies include Narada Obywatelska (Citizens' Assembly), Szkolny Budżet Obywatelski (School Participatory Budget, running since 2018 and now scaled nationally with MEN), and an adapted Nansen Dialogue Method for schools; an accompanying publication library of 60+ guides, reports, and educational games is released under Creative Commons licenses.

The foundation is monetized almost entirely through institutional grants and commissioned public-sector projects rather than commercial pricing. Primary funders and clients include m.st. Warszawa, the Polish Ministry of Education (MEN), the Ministry of Digital Affairs (Ministerstwo Cyfryzacji), and several other municipalities (Legionowo, Lublin, Rzeszów, Kraków, Rydułtowy, Bydgoszcz). International funding sources include Erasmus+, Horizon Europe, Norwegian/EEA Grants (Aktywni Obywatele – Fundusz Krajowy), Swiss cooperation programs, the European Climate Foundation, and Fundacja Heinricha Böll. Distribution is via direct commissioned projects and grant consortium participation with European partners such as Sortition Foundation and Norsensus Mediaforum.

The organization runs with a lean core team of approximately 10 staff plus a broader co-worker network, led by President Mateusz Wojcieszak and co-founder Marta Ostrowska. Its strategic posture is incremental national and European scaling: expanding school-budget work from Warsaw to all of Poland via MEN, launching a corporate-funded dSBO model with Fundacja PZU, and extending climate-policy and youth-participation programming through EU-funded consortium projects.

Name

Fundacja Pole Dialogu

Legal name

Fundacja Pole Dialogu

Website

https://poledialogu.org.pl

Company type

Private

Founded year

2011

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Fundacja Pole Dialogu is a Polish non-profit foundation founded in 2011 that designs and facilitates citizens' assemblies, participatory budgeting, and social research for municipalities, schools, and public institutions across Poland.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Civic Participation and Deliberative Democracy Services

NAICS

Civic and Social Organizations (81341), Social Advocacy Organizations (8133)

SIC

Services-Social Services (8300), Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro primary industry

Civic Education & Community Engagement (Voting, Local Government) (EDAAAFAC)

akta.pro secondary industries

Community Foundations (BPAGAKAB), Social Justice & Human Rights Grantmaking Foundations (BPAGAKAN)

Keywords

• Civic participation consulting
• Deliberative democracy services
• Participatory budgeting programs
• Social research consulting
• Civic education training

Headquarters

HQ city

Warsaw

HQ country

Poland

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Grant Funding: Primary revenue stream from national and international grant programs including Erasmus+, Horizon Europe, Norwegian and EEA Funds (Aktywni Obywatele – Fundusz Krajowy), Swiss cooperation programs, and municipal funding from Warsaw city government.
2. Commissioned Research and Consultations: Social research, evaluations, and consultations conducted on behalf of municipalities, government ministries, and civil society organizations.
3. Training and Education Services: Delivery of training programs, workshops, and educational materials for schools and public institutions on participatory methods and civic engagement.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Fundacja Pole Dialogu designs and facilitates public consultations, citizens' assemblies, citizen panels, participatory budgeting processes, and workshops for Polish municipalities, schools, and civil society organizations. The foundation also conducts social research including evaluations, needs diagnoses, and participation audits, and delivers civic education training programs. Its flagship programs include Szkolny Budżet Obywatelski (School Participatory Budget), Narada Obywatelska (Citizens' Assembly), and Włącz szkołę! (NGO-school cooperation).

Product overview

Fundacja Pole Dialogu is a Polish civic participation foundation offering three interconnected service pillars: Dialog (public consultations, citizens' assemblies, citizen panels, and facilitation services), Badania społeczne (social research including evaluations and needs assessments), and Edukacja (education and training programs). The foundation supplements these core services with educational games (Włącz Zmianę! card game and memory game), practical guides (Kodeks Dobrej Współpracy), and various project programs including Szkolny Budżet Obywatelski (School Participatory Budget - now expanded nationally through MEN), Włącz szkołę! (school-NGO cooperation), Narady obywatelskie (Citizens' Assemblies), Panele obywatelskie (Citizens' Panels), Szkoła w Sąsiedztwie (school-neighborhood relations), Włącznik (youth participation in institutions), Pozarządownik Szkolny (NGO-school cooperation), and Domy Otwarte (care home community engagement). The organization focuses on deliberative democracy tools, civic education, and strengthening citizen participation in public decision-making across Warsaw schools, municipalities, and institutions.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Dialog (Social Consultations and Participatory Processes)

Quantifiable outcome

• Szkolny Budżet Obywatelski implemented in 10+ editions across Warsaw schools
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers10 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

33 partnerships are on record, tiered core, major and minor.

• Centrum Edukacji Obywatelskiej (CEO)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerLong-term strategic partnership with CEO for school education projects including Pozarządownik Szkolny, Włącz szkołę!, and other civic education initiatives. Co-develop educational materials, training programs, and school engagement methodologies.
• Norsensus MediaforumcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerNorwegian partner providing expertise in storytelling, design thinking, and media communication for civic engagement projects. Supports communication and promotion of participatory initiatives.
• Fundacja SortitioncoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerEuropean partnership for organizing European Citizens' Panels in Poland. Responsible for recruitment processes for EU-wide deliberative democracy initiatives.
• Fundacja StoczniamajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaboration on citizen panels and social research projects including Warsaw Climate Panel and Rzeszów Climate Panel.
• European Climate FoundationmajorGTM or Marketing PartnerResearch partnership on climate policy, climate negationism studies, and climate communication projects.
• Fundacja Heinricha Bölla (Warsaw)majorStrategic or Co-development PartnerResearch collaboration on climate policy, rural attitudes, and political attitudes including publications on climate change, EU policy, and gender in politics.
• Fundacja SocLabmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaboration on youth participatory budgeting research and methodologies, including Visegrad Youth Participates project and school budget guides.
• Instytut na Rzecz EkorozwojumajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerLong-standing partnership on energy citizenship and climate narada (citizens' assembly) methodology including Włącz się! energy projects.
• Ośrodek Badań nad Migracjami UWminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaboration on intercultural neighborly dialogue project in Lublin under INNOVATE program (Horizon Europe).
• Fundacja Civis PolonusminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership on Młodzież ma wpływ! project for youth participation in decision-making.
• Pracownia Zrównoważonego RozwojuminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaboration on European Citizens' Panel on crises for Poland recruitment.
• Pogotowie FacylitacyjneminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerDevelopment of discussion games including Włącz Zmianę! card game on civil society organizations.
• Association People's Parliament (Serbia)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerEuropean partnership in Erasmus+ Youth Together project for youth policy development.
• Association of Cultural Heritage Education in FinlandminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerEuropean partnership in Erasmus+ Youth Together project for youth policy development.
• CRISP Crisis Simulation for Peace (Germany)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerEuropean partnership in Erasmus+ Youth Together project for youth policy development.
• Shared Future CIC (UK)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership in Youth PB Accelerator project for youth participatory budgeting methodology development.
• Community Places (UK)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership in Youth PB Accelerator project for youth participatory budgeting methodology development.
• Medialab UGR (Spain)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership in Youth PB Accelerator project for youth participatory budgeting methodology development.
• Fundacja PZUcoreGTM or Marketing PartnerFunding partnership for Dialogowy Szkolny Budżet Obywatelski (dSBO) project, supporting implementation in 10 schools across Poland in 2026.
• m.st. WarszawacoreGTM or Marketing PartnerMajor municipal funding partner supporting numerous projects including Szkolny Budżet Obywatelski, Pozarządownik Szkolny, Szkoła w Sąsiedztwie, and other civic education initiatives.
• Ministerstwo CyfryzacjicoreGTM or Marketing PartnerGovernment partner supporting Panel Obywatelski Dzieci i Młodzieży (PODiM) - first citizen panel for youth supported by central administration in Poland.
• Ministerstwo Edukacji NarodowejcoreGTM or Marketing PartnerGovernment funding partner for national Szkolny Budżet Obywatelski implementation support program.
• Biuro Parlamentu Europejskiego w PolsceminorGTM or Marketing PartnerEuropean Parliament Office in Poland commissioned project on podcasts for civic education on climate change in schools.
• Fundacja ObserwatoriumminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership in Bardzo Młoda Kultura project for youth cultural participation.
• Federacja MazowiaminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership in Bardzo Młoda Kultura project for youth cultural participation.
• Kolektyw BadawczyminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership in Bardzo Młoda Kultura project for youth cultural participation.
• Mazowiecki Instytut KulturyminorGTM or Marketing PartnerImplementing partner for Bardzo Młoda Kultura Mazowieckie edition.
• Fundacja Optimum ParetominorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaboration on Kraków Transport Panel organization.
• Krytyka PolitycznaminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerResearch collaboration on political attitudes studies including Polityczny cynizm Polaków, Polacy za Ukrainą, and other sociological research publications.
• Fundacja im. Friedricha EbertaminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerResearch collaboration on political and social studies including Polish attitudes toward Ukraine.
• Stowarzyszenie Praktyków Dramy STOP-KLATKAminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership for Włącznik repository development on youth engagement in institutions.
• Arthouse KołowaminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaboration on cultural diagnosis for Targówek Mieszkaniowy.
• ClientEarthminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerResearch partnership for environmental and climate-related social research projects.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Fundacja SocLab: Polish social-lab foundation specializing in participatory budgeting, civic research, and youth participation; a collaboration partner on Visegrad Youth Participates and school budget methodology, making it a direct peer in the participatory-budgeting niche.
• Centrum Edukacji Obywatelskiej (CEO): Major Polish civic education NGO delivering school programs, teacher training, and youth participation projects; a long-term co-development partner of Pole Dialogu on Włącz szkołę! and Pozarządówka Szkolny, with overlapping methodology and target audiences.
• Fundacja Stocznia: Polish civic participation foundation that designs and runs citizens' panels, social consultations, and policy research for governments and NGOs; a direct peer collaborating with Pole Dialogu on Warsaw and Rzeszów Climate Panels.
• Sortition Foundation: UK-based foundation that designs and runs citizens' assemblies and European Citizens' Panels; a direct European peer that Pole Dialogu partners with on European-level panel recruitment and methodology.
• Instytut na Rzecz Ekorozwoju (INEKO): Polish institute working on sustainable development and energy citizenship, including citizen assemblies on energy; a long-standing Pole Dialogu partner that operates in the same climate-democracy niche domestically.

Broad incumbents

• International IDEA: Intergovernmental organization supporting democratic innovation and citizens' participation globally; comparable mission to Pole Dialogu at the European policy and methodology level, with similar funding base (EU member states, grants).
• Fundacja im. Stefana Batorego: Large Polish grantmaking and civic-society foundation that funds democratic participation, watchdog, and education programs across the country; a broad incumbent that overlaps with Pole Dialogu's civic-participation mission at the ecosystem-funder level rather than direct delivery.
• Involve Foundation: Established UK charity pioneering deliberative democracy, citizens' assemblies, and participatory research; comparable service portfolio (dialogue, research, training) to Pole Dialogu but at a larger, more mature scale.

Others

• European Climate Foundation: Major European philanthropic funder of climate policy; Pole Dialogu's research partner on climate negationism and Climate Panels, making it a funding/ecosystem peer rather than a delivery competitor.

Emerging players

• newDemocracy Foundation: Australia-based research and development organization for deliberative democracy and citizens' panels; operates at a similar niche scale to Pole Dialogu but in a different geography, sharing methodology-DNA around sortition-based assemblies.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/poledialogu
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/fundacja-pole-dialogu

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles8 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Fundacja Pole Dialogu