Further support for entrepreneurs – PAIH creates Polish Trade Offices

PAIH recognizes that Polish companies are increasingly aware of the availability of instruments to support foreign expansion. However, the low participation of the SME sector in the internationalisation of activities is still noticeable. The creation of a network of trade offices in Poland, will allow PAIH to reach out more easily to entrepreneurs, in order to present the Agency's range of support services. This, in turn, will directly contribute to showing them which markets they can reach with their products and what export strategy will be best for them to take.

We want to achieve two things, increase the recognition of PAIH among entrepreneurs as an institution supporting development on foreign markets and facilitate contact with us. Without internationalization, companies are not able to fully exploit their potential for development. Only entering foreign markets allows Polish business to spread its wings. We want PAIH to be a natural association for every entrepreneur who is thinking about expansion, regardless of the size of the company - said Paweł Kurtasz, Chairman of PAIH’s Management Board - To facilitate contact with PAIH, we are creating a network of trade offices throughout the country. The philosophy of their establishment is to act locally, close to companies in a given region - he added.

The offices will be created in cooperation with the Special Economic Zones (SEZ) and entities from the PFR Group. Ultimately, there are plans to open twelve, nine of which will be opened this year. The first three offices located in Wrocław, Opole and Katowice will open in June 2023. They will be created in cooperation with the Wałbrzych SEZ and the Katowice SEZ. Further offices will be established in agreement with the Pomeranian SEZ, Kostrzyn-Słubice SEZ, Łódź SEZ, Warmian-Masurian SEZ, Mielec SEZ and in Krakow. A regional presence will make it possible to better serve the needs of exporters, as well as identify those who can exploit their growth potential more effectively. One of the priorities will also be to strengthen cooperation with local economic and industry organizations. The areas of activity of the regional offices will also include the education of SMEs in the field of export and providing companies with information on foreign markets.

These Polish Trade Offices are a complement to and not a change in PAIH's business model. Those entrepreneurs who prefer to contact PAIH’s Foreign Trade Offices directly, still have the option to do so.

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About the Polish Investment and Trade Agency

The Polish Investment and Trade Agency (PAIH) is an advisory institution belonging to the Polish Development Fund (PFR) Group. This is the first point of contact for exporters and investors. It operates both in Poland and through its network of offices around the world. It strengthens the recognition of Polish brands on international markets, promotes domestic products and services as well as technological solutions made in Poland. The agency helps entrepreneurs to choose their optimal path of expansion abroad. It also supports the inflow of foreign direct investments to Polish and the implementation of Polish investments in the country. PAIH cooperates with the public sector and regional partners, offering, among other things, training, audit and promotion of investment properties, cooperation in the organization of business missions and communication support in the implementation of joint projects.