The public procurement market in Poland is currently worth around PLN 587 billion a year, yet the vast majority of businesses still do not use it. According to the Polish Economic Institute’s report Billions on the Table, as many as seven out of ten private companies have never submitted a bid in a public tender and are not even considering doing so. The government wants to change this. The adopted State Procurement Policy for 2026–2029 provides for greater support for the SME sector, simplification of procedures and a departure from viewing public procurement solely through the lens of the lowest price.
Billions Are Available, but Companies Are Reluctant to Reach for Them
The scale of untapped potential is enormous. According to data from the Polish Economic Institute, only 13% of companies attempted to participate in a tender procedure in 2025. For many businesses, the public procurement market remains too complicated, too formalised and burdened with significant procedural risk.
The new procurement policy is intended to change this. The government has announced, among other things, broader use of advance payments, faster payments, simpler language in documentation and greater dialogue with businesses even before a procedure is announced.
“A large proportion of entrepreneurs from the SME sector are still not active in the public procurement market. If the new solutions genuinely reduce barriers to entry, this could be one of the most important changes for the SME sector in years,” says attorney Michał Liżewski, partner at LEGALLY.SMART and a specialist in public procurement law.
The End of the “Lowest Price” Era?
Experts point out that the new procurement policy also signals a change in the state’s philosophy towards public procurement. Security of supply, innovation and the development of domestic economic potential are expected to play an increasingly important role.
In practice, this means moving away from an approach in which the outcome of a tender is determined primarily by price.
“Public procurement, especially in sectors of strategic importance, is no longer merely a purchasing procedure. The state is increasingly treating it as a tool for strengthening economic security and increasing innovation in the public sector,” emphasises attorney Liżewski.
New Opportunities for SMEs, but Also New Requirements
Experts indicate that opening the market more widely to smaller companies will also require greater professionalisation on the contractors’ side. Transparency, risk management, documentation quality and the ability to meet increasingly complex requirements set by contracting authorities will become more important.
Entrepreneurs who prepare their organisations in advance for operating in the public market may gain an advantage over their competitors.
“For many companies, the coming years will be a period of learning a new market. Those who build public procurement competences early enough may find themselves among the biggest beneficiaries of the changes,” says attorney Michał Liżewski.
According to the expert, the adopted procurement policy shows that multi-billion public funds are increasingly intended to support not only the implementation of investments, but also the development of the domestic economy and the strengthening of Polish companies’ position.
