Are you considering entering foreign markets with your goods or services? Take advantage of the assistance offered by Polish institutions. You can count on substantive assistance (market information) as well as financial assistance (guarantees, foreign trade subsidies).
Information support in foreign trade is offered by, among others:
- National Chamber of Commerce
- Polish Investment and Trade Agency
- Polish Agency for Enterprise Development
- Polish Development Fund
- Investor and Exporter Assistance Centres (usually operating at the Marshal Offices of individual provinces or at regional Regional Development Agencies).
As part of the support, the company can obtain:
- assistance in establishing contacts with entrepreneurs from abroad
- provision of databases with information on foreign counterparties
- assistance in initial contacts between national and foreign entrepreneurs
- distribution of offers by Polish entrepreneurs interested in exporting
- displaying promotional and advertising material of Polish companies, for example at exhibition events
- promotion of Polish companies in other countries
- providing up-to-date market information needed to plan, organise exports and/or investments outside Poland, for example in the form of business guides
- helping to identify local market risks
- providing information on current economic events, for example international trade fairs
- the organisation of missions, trips and meetings abroad.
The subsidies available to companies granted by the minister responsible for the economy are a tool to support the activities of Polish entrepreneurs in their endeavours to promote exports and to help them expand into foreign markets and shape the competitive position of Polish entrepreneurs, as well as contributing to an increase in the level of exports of Polish products on the world market.
The aid is granted as a subsidy for co-financing the costs of organising conferences, seminars, webinars, workshops, training courses, presentations, fairs, exhibitions, industry meetings and economic forums, participation in economic missions.
Available grants from European Union funds – can be obtained by signing a contract with an institution that deals with the transfer of grants. The document sets out responsibilities and authority, the project implementation plan and budget, and details from the project settlement. The form and type of grant available depends on the region of operation.
Exporting can bring even a small company many benefits, such as:
- new markets,
- mitigating risk,
- improving the company’s image,
- new knowledge and expertise,
- extending the product life cycle,
- a reduction in unit production costs.
There are many ways to enter foreign markets, such as through:
- indirect exports,
- direct exports,
- licence sales,
- creation of a joint venture with a foreign partner,
- creation of a foreign subsidiary,
- opening your own production facility abroad.
Business support by regional organisations is provided for, among other things:
- Promotion programmes to increase entrepreneurs’ access to traditional, as well as prospective, export markets.
- Conduct an information campaign to promote the undertaking of export and investment activities by companies to sources of information on export markets.
- Conducting research among exporters and potential exporters and monitoring trends in export and investment activities of companies in foreign markets.
