Can businessmen expect financial support in the region...?
Many business owners are unaware of the possibility of obtaining funds and competencies to further develop their businesses. The Polish Investment Zone of Wielkopolska, together with Bank Gospodarstwa Krajowego, the Polish Agency for Enterprise Development and the Industrial Development Agency, came out to meet them. The series of events created has met with great interest. The series of 10 meetings in Wielkopolska was crowned by a conference in Poznań at the MTP and will be resumed in the second half of the year.
What information could entrepreneurs obtain on development opportunities? The Polish Wielkopolska Investment Zone enables companies making new investments in the Wielkopolska region to obtain income tax relief of up to 45% of the value of the planned investment. It was established by the Kostrzyn-Słubice Special Economic Zone, one of the fastest growing Polish special economic zones, both in terms of investment and territory.
- Wielkopolska attracts investors with attractive investment areas, an excellent geographical location, as well as a very good transport network and professional human resources. We support the development of Wielkopolska by promoting the benefits of settling investments within the PSI. Our main task is their good promotion among potential investors, so as to increase the number of SEZ companies in the region," acknowledged Magdalena Hilszer, Vice President of the KSSSE. Sectors covered by public aid in the PSI are modern business services, manufacturing services, research and development, IT and warehousing.
Entrepreneurs are also encouraged to invest by favourable loans offered by Bank Gospodarstwa Krajowego or the Agency for Enterprise Development.
BGK is an institution that supports sustainable social and economic development throughout the country. Its key objective is to provide a comprehensive offer to finance development and fluidity needs. The IDA operates in a similar way, going beyond corporate financing and supporting economic development in Poland for more than 30 years.
Andrzej Rosiek, director of the Entrepreneurs' Service Centre in Poznań of the Industrial Development Agency S.A. comments:
- We have introduced a Loan with Guarantee from KUKE to finance current operations as well as planned investments. In addition, clients can take advantage of a new offer which is an Investment Loan with Bonus for green investments and green entrepreneurs. This is a support for investments with a positive impact on the environment, the protection and restoration of biodiversity and the transition to a closed loop economy.
A wide range of support for businessmen is also provided by PARP. Amongst other things, it helps to expand competencies, provide advice, obtain grants, promote innovative brands or raise the level of cyber security in companies.
The inauguration of the "Is it worth investing?" meetings coincided with the start of the first call that the Polish Agency for Enterprise Development announced under the New Financial Perspective 2021-2027. The SMART Path programme aims to support research and development activities and the implementation of innovations.
- Most of the funds envisaged for this year in the SMART Path will go to micro, small and medium-sized enterprises through us - over 6.5 out of almost 11 billion PLN - informed Maciej Fliger, Director of the Regional Office of PARP in Poznań. - This is a really large pool, but also the competition is announced within the framework of the largest national programme supporting innovativeness in the European Union, i.e. European Funds for Modern Economy. The SMART path is a possibility to obtain support for research and development works and innovation implementation. What's new is that you can also apply for funds to improve your competencies or internationalisation in a single application.
Wielkopolska is an ideal place for investment and business development, and various institutions are making numerous efforts to work together with business people to develop the region.