Zwolnieni z Teorii

What Zwolnieni z Teorii does

Zwolnieni z Teorii is a Polish non-profit foundation (Fundacja), founded in 2013 and headquartered in Warsaw, that operates the largest free social-project Olympiad for Polish secondary school and university students. The foundation runs a web-based platform (zwolnienizteorii.pl) hosted on the Polish Oktawave cloud, providing role-based dashboards for students and teachers and a guided four-stage project workflow (Initiation, Planning, Implementation, Completion). Students form teams of 2-10 and execute self-directed social projects, supported by digital skills guides developed with Google, Project Management Institute (PMI ATP), and IBM SkillsBuild, and by thematic mentoring programs run with corporate partners (e.g., ING's "Krok do przodu," Allegro's "Mam swoje Alle!," Grupa Pracuj's "Kierunek: Dobra Robota"). Top projects are recognized annually at the Wielki Finał (Grand Finale) with Złote, Srebrne and Brązowe Wilki awards presented by senior government officials and corporate CEOs.

The foundation operates on a non-revenue model: participation, training, mentoring, and certificates (PMI international project management, Google digital skills, IBM SkillsBuild) are free for all participants, and all operating costs, events, and platform development are funded through corporate sponsorships and government patronage (Ministry of Education provides honorary patronage and funds a civic-education helpline). The platform has been used by approximately 166,938 participants across 12 editions since 2014, generating 33,829 finalists and 7,551 completed social projects, and is supported by a roster of core partners (ING, Allegro, Enea, Pracuj.pl, Microsoft, JPMorganChase, Allianz, Lidl, Capgemini, Google, IBM, PMI, British Council) plus media patrons (Polsat, TVN24, Forbes, Rzeczpospolita, Radio ESKA, Onet). A small in-house team (Board of 4, Supervisory Board of 2, business development team of ~5) runs operations; the foundation has expanded its offering to include teacher training, the "Narzędziozownik" civic education toolkit tied to Poland's new mandatory civic education curriculum, the annual Trasa Zwolnionych z Teorii school roadshow visiting ~1,200 schools, and the Forum Szkoła w Działaniu multi-stakeholder forum.

Name

Zwolnieni z Teorii

Legal name

Fundacja Zwolnieni z Teorii

Website

https://zwolnienizteorii.pl

Company type

Private

Founded year

2013

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Zwolnieni z Teorii is a Polish non-profit foundation that operates a free nationwide Olympiad and web platform enabling secondary school and university students to design and execute social projects, supported by corporate mentoring and PMI/Google certifications.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Civic Education Programs

NAICS

Educational Services (611), Educational Support Services (6117), Educational Support Services (611710), Grantmaking and Giving Services (81321)

SIC

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

akta.pro primary industry

Title I & Compensatory Education Programs (EDAJAGAJ)

akta.pro secondary industries

International Grantmaking & Development Foundations (BPAGAKAH), Remedial & Academic Intervention Programs (Reading/Math Recovery) (EDAJAGAC)

Keywords

• Social project olympiad
• Civic education programs
• Student project management
• Teacher training platform
• Youth social projects

Headquarters

HQ city

Warsaw

HQ country

Poland

HQ region

Europe

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Non-profit Foundation - No Revenue Model: Zwolnieni z Teorii is a non-profit foundation (Fundacja). Participation in the Zwolnieni z Teorii Olympiad is entirely free for students and teachers. All operations, platform maintenance, certifications, and events are funded through corporate partnerships and sponsorships. The foundation operates on a donation and sponsorship model.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels9 records

Core offering

Fundacja Zwolnieni z Teorii runs a free nationwide social-project Olympiad and accompanying web platform (zwolnienizteorii.pl) that helps Polish secondary school and university students form teams, design, execute and certify real-world social projects through a structured four-stage workflow. Participants receive international PMI project management certificates, Google digital skills certificates, and access mentoring and thematic programs co-developed with corporate partners. The foundation also trains and supports more than 2,000 teachers and recognizes participating schools through an annual Ranking Szkół and a national finale event (Wielki Finał).

Product overview

Zwolnieni z Teorii is organized as a platform-plus-modules architecture anchored by the main educational platform (zwolnienizteorii.pl), which provides a structured four-stage workflow for social project management (Initiation, Planning, Implementation, Completion) for students and teachers. It operates within the annual Olimpiada Zwolnieni z Teorii — a national social project Olympiad — which is celebrated at the Wielki Finał (Grand Finale) event. The ecosystem includes a dedicated Teacher Platform for lesson materials and student progress monitoring, the IBM SkillsBuild courses integration for competency development, the Narzędziownik civic education support toolkit for the new mandatory civic education subject, the Obywatele Codzienności program with podcasts and webinars, the Ranking Szkół school ranking, the annual Trasa national school tour, and partner programs (ING's 'Krok do przodu', Allegro's 'Mam swoje Alle!', Grupa Pracuj's 'Kierunek: Dobra Robota') offering thematic and mentoring tracks. Participants can earn certificates from Project Management Institute (PMI) ATP, Google, and marketing programs. All offerings are free for participants, funded through business partnerships and public support.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Zwolnieni z Teorii Platform (Platforma edukacyjna) A free online platform for Polish secondary school and university students to form teams, design and execute social projects through a structured four-stage workflow (Initiation, Planning, Implementation, Completion), with practical guides, knowledge resources, forms and team collaboration tools.
• Olimpiada Zwolnieni z Teorii (Social Project Olympiad) An annual nationwide competition in which Polish students and university students create and implement social projects via the Zwolnieni z Teorii platform, culminating in the Wielki Finał Grand Finale where the best projects receive Złote, Srebrne and Brązowe Wilki awards.
• IBM SkillsBuild Courses Integration A partnership offering free IBM SkillsBuild courses on professional skills (Effective Collaboration, Problem Solving through Critical/Creative Thinking, Thoughtful Presentation, Perfect Pitch with AI) with a Zwolnieni z Teorii certificate issued upon completion.
• Wielki Finał (Grand Finale) The annual Grand Finale event - Poland's largest celebration of youth social projects - featuring Wilki award ceremonies, speaker stages, expert workshops, partner exhibition booths, and networking opportunities for finalists, teachers and corporate partners. 521 top projects were celebrated in 2026.
• Ranking Szkół (School Ranking) An annual ranking recognizing Polish secondary schools that actively support students in developing social projects and future competencies such as creativity, cooperation, responsibility and agency, based on student performance in the Olympiad. The TOP 20 are announced at Wielki Finał.
• Obywatele Codzienności (Everyday Citizens) A program providing podcasts, teacher training (online course 'Motywuj do działania!'), webinars such as 'Akcja Motywacja' (rated 9.37/10 by teachers), and downloadable materials (e-books, brochures, curriculum guides) to support civic education in schools.
• Narzędzionik - Wsparcie edukacji obywatelskiej (Teacher Toolbox - Civic Education Support) A toolkit for teachers and students supporting the new mandatory civic education subject introduced in Polish schools in 2025, including lesson scenarios, worksheets, methodological guides, video materials and the 'Zasil szkołę pomysłem!' contest with 25,000 PLN in prizes.
• Forum Szkoła w Działaniu An annual multi-sectoral forum bringing together teachers, experts and institutions to discuss and develop civic education in schools, with panel discussions, workshops and networking focused on practical implementation of social projects within the new civic education curriculum.
• Partner Programs (Programy partnerskie) Thematic and mentoring programs run with corporate partners, including 'Krok do przodu' (ING), 'Mam swoje Alle!' (Allegro) and 'Kierunek: Dobra Robota' (Grupa Pracuj), providing expert knowledge, mentoring and thematic project support for student teams.
• Certyfikat z zarządzania projektami PMI (PMI Project Management Certificate) An international project management certificate issued by Project Management Institute Authorized Training Partner (PMI ATP), awarded to every participant who completes a social project. PMI unites 500,000 project managers worldwide and the certificate is recognized by employers internationally.
• Trasa Zwolnionych z Teorii (National Tour) An annual promotional tour visiting approximately 1,200 schools across Poland to inspire students to create social projects, featuring foundation ambassadors who share their own project stories and present the benefits of Olympiad participation.
• Wilki Awards (Złote, Srebrne, Brązowe Wilki) Prestigious annual awards for the best social projects - Złoty Wilk (Gold Wolf), Srebrny Wilk (Silver Wolf) and Brązowy Wilk (Bronze Wolf) - presented at the Wielki Finał ceremony, with Złote Wilki winners selected by a commission and council of Polish business, media and NGO leaders.

Quantifiable outcome

• 166,938 total participants across 12 years; 33,829 finalists; 7,551 social projects completed
• +5 more outcomes

Named customers3 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

22 partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• ING Bank Śląski / Fundacja ING DzieciomcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner7-year partner. Fundacja ING Dzieciom co-develops the 'Krok do przodu' program where ING employees mentor student social projects. ING mentors support ~80 mentors; 86 projects completed. ING Bank Śląski sponsors Wielki Finał concerts (Fukaj in 2026). Joanna Dymna-Oszek, Director of ING Bank Śląski, leads the partnership.
• AllegrocoreStrategic or Co-development Partner7-year partner. Runs 'Mam swoje Alle!' mentoring program where 2 Allegro mentors per project support students. 50 Allegro mentors engaged; 30 projects in mentoring. Marta Mikliszańska, Director of Public Policy, represents Allegro.
• Enea / Fundacja Enea - Energia WspólnotycoreStrategic or Co-development Partner7-year partnership with Enea (energy company). ~200 projects supported over 7 years. Fundacja Enea - Energia Wspólnoty co-organizes Forum Szkoła w Działaniu civic education forum and co-develops educational materials. Izabela Rakuć-Kochaniak, Director of ESG, represents both Enea entities.
• Grupa Pracuj (Pracuj.pl)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner7-year partnership. Runs 'Kierunek: Dobra Robota' (Direction: Good Work) program on employment and career competencies. 16 projects completed; 102 participants. Gracjan Fiedorowicz, Board Member of Grupa Pracuj, represents the partnership.
• JPMorganChasecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerSupports youth through mentoring, engaging employees' knowledge and competencies. Sylwia Jagiełło, Executive Director at JPMorganChase, participates in Wielki Finał award ceremonies.
• MicrosoftcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerSupports digital competency development and responsible AI use in schools. Łukasz Foks, Director of AI Skills Initiative, represents Microsoft at events. Featured as partner for IBM SkillsBuild collaboration and AI-focused content.
• AllianzcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerSupports projects about sport and entering adulthood through mentoring by its employees. Monika Leżyńska, Board Member at Allianz, participates in Wielki Finał.
• Lidl PolskacoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerInspires youth to carry out environmental and planetary initiatives. Aleksandra Robaszkiewicz, Corporate Affairs & CSR Director at Lidl Polska, participates in Wielki Finał.
• Nowa Era (Wydawnictwo Nowa Era)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerEngages in initiatives supporting modern education, developing student competencies, and co-creating a safe, open school environment. Andrzej Kozłowski, CEO of Nowa Era, speaks at Wielki Finał and civic education forums. Co-patron of multiple events.
• IBM SkillsBuildcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership provides free IBM SkillsBuild courses for students: Effective Collaboration (70 min), Problem Solving through Critical/Creative Thinking (1h 50min), Thoughtful Presentation (2h 35min), and Perfect Pitch with AI (15 min). Students receive Zwolnieni z Teorii certificates upon completion.
• OktawavecoreTechnology or IntegrationPolish cloud computing provider (oktawave.com) hosts the Zwolnieni z Teorii platform infrastructure. Described as 'polska chmura obliczeniowa' (Polish cloud) powering the foundation's web presence.
• CapgeminicoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner for social projects utilizing AI for real change. Piotr Wierzbicki, CEO Capgemini Polska, attends Wielki Finał. Part of AI-focused project collaboration.
• Fundacja PFR (Polish Development Fund Foundation)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerEqualizes opportunities, supports innovation and entrepreneurship of people from various social groups. Dominika Szczepłek, Board Member, attends Wielki Finał.
• EmitelminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerSupports projects introducing innovation in localities according to smart city ideas. Maciej Pilipczuk, CEO of Emitel, attends Wielki Finał.
• Autopay (Blue Media)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerInspires youth to create projects removing barriers and preventing exclusion.
• British CouncilminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerSupports students and teachers in developing language skills, gaining new qualifications, and soft competencies.
• Project Management Institute (PMI) Authorized Training Partner (ATP)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPMI ATP status enables Zwolnieni z Teorii to issue international project management certificates to all participants completing projects. PMI is a prestigious institution with 500,000 project managers globally. Certificate recognized by employers worldwide.
• Ministerstwo Edukacji Narodowej (Ministry of Education, Poland)coreOthersMinistry provides honorary patronage for foundation activities. Funds the civic education helpline (infolinia merytoryczna) for students and teachers. Official patron: Barbara Nowacka. Ministry officials regularly attend Wielki Finał and civic education forums.
• Ministerstwo Cyfryzacji (Ministry of Digital Affairs, Poland)minorOthersDeputy Prime Minister Krzysztof Gawkowski and Deputy Minister Dariusz Standerski attend Wielki Finał 2026, representing government support for youth digital competencies.
• Forum Ekonomiczne w Karpaczu (Economic Forum in Karpacz)minorOthersMecenas and advisor Jacek Siwicki, CEO of Enterprise Investors, supports foundation participation in public debate. Enterprise Investors serves as a patron.
• Education FirstminorOthersPartner of Wielki Finał 2026, supporting the event as part of its educational initiatives.
• GooglecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerProvides digital skills content (guides on digital skills, marketing) used on the Zwolnieni z Teorii platform. Students can earn Google digital skills certificates in addition to PMI certificates.

Scale indicators12 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Centrum Edukacji Obywatelskiej (CEO): Poland's leading civic education NGO offering teacher training, lesson materials, and student programs for democratic and civic competencies. Most direct peer given overlapping focus on Polish school-based civic and social action programs.
• Generation Citizen: US-based nonprofit bringing action civics to middle and high school students via teacher-led projects. Most direct international analogue in terms of pedagogy, school-driven social projects, and outcome measurement.
• Olimpiada Przedsiębiorczości (Entrepreneurship Olympiad): Polish national olympiad for secondary school students with similar format (multi-stage competition, official recognition, university admission benefits). Comparable platform-driven student competition model and Ministry of Education standing.
• Enactus Poland: Global student organization running social entrepreneurship projects in universities; Polish chapter focuses on similar experiential learning and corporate-sponsored student competitions. Comparable cohort, sponsorship model, and project-based value proposition.
• Fundacja Szkoła z Klasą: Polish educational foundation running nationwide teacher and school quality programs with corporate partners. Comparable nonprofit-foundation model serving Polish K–12 schools via free programs and corporate sponsorship.
• JA Poland (Junior Achievement Poland): Polish arm of Junior Achievement delivering entrepreneurship and work-readiness programs to secondary students. Closely comparable youth audience, project-based methodology, and corporate partnership model.

Regional players

• Fundacja BNP Paribas (Polish corporate foundation): Polish corporate foundation with parallel civic/educational programming, partnership with schools, and similar funder profile. Comparable CSR-led school engagement model within the same Polish market.

Broad incumbents

• DoSomething.org: Large US youth social action nonprofit running campaigns and volunteer mobilizations. Comparable target demographic and brand-led community model, though broader in scope and digital-first.
• Ashoka Poland: Global network of social entrepreneurs with Poland presence, focused on youth changemaker education and school partnerships. Broader scope but overlapping audience of secondary-school civic and social-impact programming.

Others

• British Council Poland: Active partner of Zwolnieni z Teorii and a broader provider of educational programming to Polish schools. Useful reference for the international educational programming and school partnership approach in the Polish market.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/zwolnienizteorii
• Instagraminstagram.com/zwolnieni_z_teorii
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/zwolnieni-z-teorii

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles12 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 Zwolnieni z Teorii