The function of the Ombudsman for Small and Medium-sized Entrepreneurs in the Economic practice of the SME sector

Abstract

On June 22, 2018, the office of the Ombudsman for Small and Medium-sized Entrepreneurs (SME Ombudsman) was established. The article presents the process and path that the concept of the Office of the Ombudsman for SMEs has undergone since its appearance – over 10 years ago, and the provisions of the Act on the Ombudsman for Small and Medium-sized Entrepreneurs, defining the tasks of this new institution. Against this background, the results of the survey on the awareness of the institution of the Ombudsman for SMEs among entrepreneurs and their assessment of the activity of this office were presented. The survey was conducted among micro, small and mediumsized enterprises in the period August – October 2021. The main thesis of the article is that the activities of the SME Ombudsman are not clearly articulated in relation to the relevant scope of competence. Insufficient promotion of not so much the activities as the office itself and the scope of its statutory competences means that after more than three years, Polish micro, small and medium entrepreneurs still know little about such an office.