CBI Pro-Akademia

Since 2014, Research and Innovation Centre Pro-Akademia has been running the Biomass and Waste Valorisation Laboratory, which supports the organisation’s scientific and research activities in the fields of sustainable energy, the bioeconomy and the circular economy. The laboratory conducts research into biomass and solid biofuels, including pellets and briquettes, both for research and development projects and for collaboration with public administration, the scientific sector, businesses and individual customers.
The project addresses the need to further professionalise RIC Pro-Akademia’s research facilities and to adapt laboratory activities to the growing regulatory and quality requirements in the field of fuel biomass research. The implementation of a management system compliant with PN-EN ISO/IEC 17025 will streamline laboratory processes, confirm the organisation’s research competence and enhance the reliability of test results used in expert, project and community activities.
The project forms part of the implementation of the RIC Pro-Akademia Development Strategy for 2025–2030, aimed at diversifying funding sources, strengthening institutional and staff stability, and making better use of the organisation’s infrastructure potential between grant cycles. Strengthening the laboratory is significant not only organisationally but also socially: it will increase the availability of independent, reliable and reproducible research on the quality of biomass and solid biofuels.

Scope of Activities

The project includes three main activities:

• Consulting on the implementation of a management system compliant with PN-EN ISO/IEC 17025: This activity includes specialized expert support in the design, implementation, and launch of a laboratory testing quality management system. It encompasses an analysis of the laboratory’s operations, team training, the development of system documentation and testing procedures, support in method validation, an internal audit, and a management review.
• Purchase and implementation of testing standards necessary for compliance with PN-EN ISO/IEC 17025: The project includes the purchase of current testing standards related to the testing of biomass and solid biofuels, including standards for the determination of moisture content, ash content, calorific value, mechanical strength, bulk density, and sample preparation and collection. The standards will be implemented into laboratory practice and integrated into the quality management system documentation.
• Preparation and submission of an application for accreditation to the Polish Centre for Accreditation: The final stage of the project involves preparing complete accreditation documentation, defining the scope of accreditation, submitting the application to the Polish Centre for Accreditation, and completing the key stage of the procedure, i.e., the laboratory’s accreditation assessment.

Project Results

The direct result of the project will be the implementation of a functioning quality management system for laboratory testing compliant with PN-EN ISO/IEC 17025, ensuring access to current testing standards, and the formal initiation of the accreditation procedure at the Polish Centre for Accreditation. The project also aims to enhance the CBI Pro-Akademia team’s competence regarding the requirements of ISO/IEC 17025.

The implementation of the project will contribute to increasing the reliability and usefulness of the test results conducted by CBI Pro-Akademia. The strengthened laboratory will be able to more effectively support public administration, courts, non-governmental organizations, the scientific sector, businesses, and consumers in the area of assessing the quality of biomass and solid biofuels.

The project is also significant for the organization’s further development as an independent expert resource operating at the intersection of science, administration, the market, and society. The implementation of the quality system and the initiation of the accreditation process will enhance CBI Pro-Akademia’s capacity to participate in public consultations, advocacy activities, and national and international projects based on reliable research data. The results of the project are intended to be sustainable and utilized after the end of funding, including through the maintenance of the quality system, the use of purchased standards, and the continuation of the accreditation process. 

Funding

The project “Institutional Strengthening of Laboratories for Better Mission Implementation and Financial Stability” is co-financed by the National Institute of Freedom – Center for Civil Society Development under the PROO Civil Society Organization Development Program.

• Program: PROO Civil Society Organization Development Program
• Name of the public task: Institutional strengthening of laboratories for better mission fulfillment and financial stability
• Grant amount: 50,000.00 PLN
• Total value of the task: 54,446.13 PLN
• Date of contract signing: 25.05.2026

All communications, publications, and materials related to the implementation of the project, issued by the Pro-Akademia Research and Innovation Center independently or jointly with other entities, in any form and using any means, reflect solely the opinion of their author. NIW-CRSO is not responsible for the use of the information contained therein.