Supporting SMEs in Hungary and the region – details of the Sándor Demján Programme

In addition to large enterprises, small and medium-sized enterprises are a stable and unavoidable part of economic development in a country’s economy. In 2023, there were nearly 800,000 micro, 35,739 small and 5,623 medium-sized enterprises registered in Hungary. The figures show that their activities cannot be ignored, and that these types of businesses can provide the economy with a base that can support continued expansion. The Sándor Demján Programme was set up to develop this and to support businesses, with the primary aim of improving the situation of small and medium-sized enterprises and increasing their operational efficiency. In addition to presenting the programme, this analysis also looks at the situation of small and medium-sized enterprises in Hungary and briefly describes the incentives and state support available to employees of small and medium-sized enterprises in the countries of the region: Austria, Poland and the Czech Republic.

The situation, performance and prospects of small and medium-sized enterprises in Hungary

According to KSH data, a total of 836,311 micro, small and medium-sized enterprises were registered in Hungary in 2023. Of these, most companies were micro-enterprises with 1 employee and micro-enterprises with 2-9 employees, and the fewest were medium-sized enterprises.

Table 1: Change in the number of businesses in Hungary between 2019 and 2023 (in pieces). The data for 2023 are preliminary. Source: KSH, Table 9.1.1.17, 2025.

The table also shows that the number of micro-enterprises with 1 employee decreased most significantly between 2022 and 2023, while the other types of enterprises either decreased less (micro-enterprises with 2-9 employees) or increased in number. There are a number of reasons for the shrinkage, including changes in tax conditions, but also the fact that other forms of entrepreneurship have been chosen instead of the former micro-enterprise, so that in the case of expansion, the values of other categories of enterprises are increased by the decline. The economic challenges of recent years have affected these entrepreneurs the most, with falling demand and inflation affecting micro-enterprises more than small, medium and large enterprises. In terms of territorial distribution, most micro-enterprises (both 1 and 2-9 employees) were operating in Budapest and Pest county in 2023 (53.9% in Budapest and 31.8% in Pest county), with the capital and this region also standing out in terms of small and medium-sized enterprises (KSH, 2025). The lowest number of enterprises was recorded in northern Hungary, with 27.8% of all reported business forms operating here in 2023 (KSH, 2025).

In terms of net sales, 2023 also shows a decline for all types of businesses. The scale of the declines is not significant in most cases, but it does halt the dynamic growth potential of previous years.

Figure 1: Change in net sales revenue of enterprise types in Hungary between 2019 and 2023 (in million HUF). Source of data: KSH, Table 9.1.1.17, 2025. 2023 data are preliminary.

Behind the fall in net sales revenue are the long-term effects of inflation and a contraction in consumer spending. Economic policy measures to reverse this negative trend already started in 2022, but the effects can only be felt in the longer term. The pricing of businesses has also been affected by a number of factors in recent years, such as the rising cost of services used to run businesses (accounting costs, bank charges, administrative expenses), which they have mostly had to incorporate into the consumer price of the product or service they offer. As a result of rising prices, demand has fallen and, at the same time, net sales have been more subdued than in 2022. It is also necessary to take into account the factor that, for enterprises producing products, price increases for several raw materials or changes in the previous supplier relationship have led to the selection of a new supplier partner, which has also had a price-increasing effect.

Figure 2: Change in export sales turnover of enterprise types in Hungary between 2019 and 2023 (in million HUF). ata source: KSH, Table 9.1.1.17, 2025. 2023 data are preliminary.

According to the latest data published by KSH for 2022, 17,440 micro, 10,983 small and 3,960 medium-sized enterprises had export turnover in Hungary (KSH, 2024). This shows that most of the enterprises engaged in export activities were in the medium-sized enterprise sector, where more than 70% of all enterprises are involved in export activities (see table 1). The distribution of export sales revenues also confirms this fact: the export sales revenues of medium-sized enterprises in 2022 amounted to HUF 5,186,931 million, which is double the result achieved by small enterprises. As seen in the previous case of net sales, the decline in revenue is also reflected here in 2023, with the increase in transport costs having a significant impact on export sales revenue, in addition to the reasons already mentioned.

The distribution of added value is another important indicator of the functioning of micro, small and medium-sized enterprises. For all types of businesses, the percentage distribution of value added has been steadily decreasing since 2019, while the nominal amount shows an increase.

Figure 3: Distribution of the value added of enterprise types in Hungary between 2019 and 2023 (expressed as a percentage). Data source: KSH, Table 9.1.1.17, 2025. 2023 data are preliminary.

Figure 4: Distribution of the value added of enterprise types in Hungary between 2019 and 2023 (in million HUF). Data source: KSH, Table 9.1.1.17, 2025. 2023 data are preliminary.

The percentage share of value added decreased mainly for micro-enterprises with 2-9 employees between 2019 and 2023; it was 11.7% in 2019 and shrank to 10% in 2023. The decline was similarly high for medium-sized enterprises (1.6%), and a 1.2% decrease was recorded for micro-enterprises with 1 employee. The value added share of small enterprises was also volatile between 2019 and 2023, but here there was a decline only in the last two years, which was preceded by an increase: 14.7% in 2022 and 14.3% in 2023 (KSH, 2025). The nominal amounts increased throughout the period, with the largest increase in small enterprises. In order to reverse the trend and for distribution in percentage terms to start growing again too, technological and other investments are essential. In addition to infrastructure frameworks, the introduction and diffusion of digitalisation solutions, more efficient use of energy and resources, and product/service quality improvements are needed. The implementation of all these may show results not only in terms of added value but also productivity levels.

The development of small and medium-sized enterprises in Hungary and the expansion of their results and operations is not only in the interest of the national economy, but is also a social responsibility. A significant proportion of Hungarian families work in their own businesses, so their livelihoods depend on the success of their enterprises. In order for this development to take place, the Sándor Demján Programme provides support for small and medium-sized enterprises. In the following, we will analyse the details of the programme, outlining the main parts of the scheme and its possibilities.

The Sándor Demján Programme – the example of the support system for SMEs in Hungary

The Sándor Demján Programme, announced in the second half of 2024, aims to promote the development and growth of domestic small and medium-sized enterprises through nine groups of applications. Below is a brief description of these nine areas, including the types of support available (Sándor Demján Programme, 2024).

Capital programme – as shown in the overview of the situation of enterprises, in addition to the general increase in the turnover and export revenues of enterprises, it can also be observed that there is an increase in the size of an enterprise; for example, it goes from a micro to a small or medium-sized enterprise. This leap requires an increase in capital, so if a company cannot raise capital on its own, the capital programme will help it to do so. Under this scheme, the state provides entrepreneurs with a large, low-cost development fund in the form of a loan capital allocation for a period of 6 years, in addition to a token 1% equity stake. By raising capital and expanding the business, not only can the company’s operations and efficiency be improved, but its creditworthiness can also be put in a more favourable position.
“1+1” SME Investment stimulation support programme – in addition to the market validity of the product or service, the quality and usability of the equipment used is of paramount importance for the operation of businesses. This can lead to a higher quality product and improve production efficiency. As part of the scheme, investments in equipment by enterprises are supported so that higher value-added products can be produced. The amount of aid ranges from HUF 5 million to 200 million per enterprise. The state provides 50% of the investment of the enterprise as non-repayable aid. The aid scheme gives priority to the purchase of equipment, but also focuses on digitalisation and renewable energy developments.
“Every business should have its own website” programme – In Hungary, only two thirds of businesses with more than 10 employees have their own website, compared to an EU average of almost 80%. All forms of digitalisation solutions should be used to improve the competitiveness of businesses, as they can help products and services reach more consumers. The main objective of the programme is to reduce the digital gap between Hungarian SMEs and their EU and global competitors. Under the scheme, the government covers the costs of the provision of the digital tools needed to go online, such as a web address, hosting and e-mail address, for a period of two years. It provides support for the development of the image and content of the website and social media platforms, as well as for the use of cyber security and online sales support services.
Discounted (3.5%) Széchenyi Card – in order to encourage investment, the annual interest rate paid by customers on the investment support loan elements of the Széchenyi Card programme has been reduced from the previous 5% to 3.5%:
- Széchenyi Investment Loan Max+;
- Széchenyi Leasing Max+;
- Széchenyi Microloan Max+;
- Agricultural Széchenyi Investment Loan Max+.

Until 30 June 2025, Garantiqa Hitelgarancia Zrt. will provide a free of charge guarantee of a surety that is mandatory for the loan for the first year to enterprises applying for Széchenyi Card investment loan products, in addition to the even more favourable interest rate.

Export promotion loan scheme – for domestic enterprises, as discussed in the previous section, the export of goods or services is important both as a revenue generator and as a part of foreign market access, including international expansion. In order to help more Hungarian entrepreneurs to get their products to foreign markets, the Sándor Demján Programme also includes export promotion. As part of this, EXIM is relaunching its previously successful products, which are available to both exporting and non-exporting companies for investment, green investment and leasing purposes. The two products available from EXIM are the EXIM Future Exporters Investment and Green Investment Loan and the EXIM Export Stimulus Investment Loan and Leasing. By using these products, businesses can make improvements that will allow them to start exporting their products now or, if they have already done so, to expand their existing cooperation with foreign partners.
Foreign investment promotion (EXIM) loan and (NTH) capital programme – although the number of small and medium-sized enterprises in the structure of outward FDI flows from Hungary has improved over the last decade, large companies still dominate outward FDI flows. The scheme provides support for investments in foreign markets, company start-ups and acquisitions (outward investment), which help to increase the competitiveness of enterprises by acquiring and expanding into new markets. In addition to competitiveness, there are other reasons why businesses can benefit from the opportunities: by expanding abroad, they can grow, increase their revenues and diversify their business risks. The capital programme also aims to help entrepreneurs and their businesses grow from small and medium-sized enterprises to the level of large companies, for example by creating another national champion from the companies.
EU programmes for enterprise development – In 2025, Hungarian SMEs are expected to have access to HUF 650 billion of EU funding. This support is expected to take the form of grants, subsidised loans and a combination of these.
Reducing the administrative burden on SMEs – in the course of its day-to-day operations, a business is obliged to carry out a number of administrative activities that can significantly increase both working time and costs. The Ministry of National Economy has consulted with business professional and interest groups on this issue in order to reduce the administrative burden on businesses as much as possible. In addition to the priority focus area of reducing administrative burdens, three target areas have been identified in the framework of the support programme: data provision, the regulatory environment and tax administration. As part of the programme, these three areas would have forms of support that would reduce the associated administrative burden and thus simplify the operating environment.
Reduction of electricity prices for micro-enterprises – from 1 January 2025, additional micro-enterprises that were not buying from a universal supplier on 18 June 2022 or were established after that date became eligible for universal electricity service. As a result, many more micro-enterprises are able to receive electricity at the cheaper, reduced price, i.e. the price of the universal service for non-residential customers, up to an annual consumption of 4,606 kWh.

The support options presented focus on as many areas as possible that require development for an SME in Hungary. In designing the scheme, policy makers have sought to reinvigorate entrepreneurship and to provide existing businesses with opportunities that can improve competitiveness as well as boost revenues. The following is a comparative overview of three regional countries with regards to support schemes for the SME sector.

Regional comparison of SME support – examples from Austria, Poland and the Czech Republic

The European Union, as well as its member states, attaches great importance to providing appropriate support for small and medium-sized enterprises, which are often the backbone of the economy. The state is therefore also trying to promote their development. In recent years, Eurostat has not provided precise data on the changes in the number of enterprises in the member states, so we can rely on statistical estimates from individual countries. Below we briefly review the forms and methods of state support for small and medium-sized enterprises in Austria, Poland and the Czech Republic.

Austria

The role of SMEs is of particular importance in Austrian economic policy, as they account for more than 90% of all businesses in the country. In addition to job creation, strengthening entrepreneurship and innovation, as well as increasing competitiveness are key factors in SME policy. According to data from 2021, there were 358,600 enterprises registered in Austria, employing more than two million people across the country (BMWET, 2022). In addition to full-time employees, the use of apprentices was also significant, with 52,400 apprentices being trained by SMEs. In terms of the breakdown by type of enterprise, the largest share was at the micro-enterprise level (87%); small enterprises accounted for 11%, while medium-sized enterprises had the smallest share (2%) (SME Research, 2022). The net turnover of SMEs reached €535 billion in 2021, while gross value added was €137 billion in the same year (SME Research, 2022). In terms of both turnover and value added, the share of medium-sized enterprises was the highest compared to other types of enterprises in 2021: 27% for turnover and 23% for value added. The value added per employee in SMEs was €67,500 in 2021, below the €87,500 per employee of large enterprises, meaning the productivity of SMEs was lower than that of large enterprises (SME Research, 2022).

There are two main trends in the Austrian SME support system. One is the development of export support for enterprises, with the aim of increasing their expansion abroad. The other is increasing green energy and emission reduction, in order to promote the areas of energy efficiency at the SME level. The Austrian Federal Digital and Economic Ministry (Bundesministerium für Digitalisierung und Wirtschaftsstandort) and the Austrian Federal Economic Chamber (Wirtschaftskammer Österreich) jointly implement support measures that include development, foreign market access and state support instruments for Austrian SMEs. Over the past decades, several programmes and tenders have been launched to promote internationalisation and the expansion of Austrian SMEs abroad. Under the tendering scheme, which has been in operation since 2003, Austrian exporters can benefit from direct financial support to expand partnerships abroad. Over the past 20 years, 34,300 SMEs have been supported through this method, and since 2019 an additional €25.6 million has been disbursed for targeted SME support. An important part of Austrian SME support is the foreign trade strategy adopted in 2018, which focuses on SMEs and start-ups in addition to priority large companies to strengthen Austrian foreign trade (EU Commission, 2021).

Austria is a leader in energy efficiency and green energy at EU level, and this approach is reflected in the support it provides to SMEs. Austrian SMEs receive financial support of up to €12,000 in the form of so-called eco-vouchers. These can be used for measures that contribute to reducing CO2 emissions, ensuring energy security through renewable energies and adapting to climate change (EU Commission, 2021). External energy consultants can also be used, whose costs up to 50% can also be counted as aid.

In addition to the two main support strands, support for start-ups is also a key element of Austrian economic policy. An earlier measure in 2016 aimed at strengthening the Austrian start-up entrepreneurial sector and creating a supportive ecosystem. It provided €185 million in support and envisaged the creation of 50,000 start-ups by the target date of 2020. The package included the following policy measures:

reducing non-wage labour costs – the federal budget subsidises the employer’s social security contributions for the first three employees for three years;
a risk capital premium – 20% of the annual investment of start-ups (up to €250,000) is reimbursed from public funds;
public foundations to support start-ups;
a digital one-stop shop for business founders – all the information and documents needed to start a business are made available online (Gassler et.al, 2018).

The package of measures has delivered the expected results, with a gradual increase in the number of start-ups until the 2020 coronavirus pandemic, and 15% more start-ups in 2019 than in the previous year.

Overall, the Austrian SME support schemes differ in some respects from the Hungarian solutions, but there are similarities too. Understandably, the needs of enterprises in a given country are the determining factor in the preparation of an aid package, but it is evident that for Austria, as in Hungary, export expansion and energy efficiency improvements are emphasised in the SME sector too.

Czech Republic

Among the countries in the Central and Eastern European region, the Czech Republic and Poland have the highest number of small and medium-sized enterprises. According to Eurostat’s 2019 report, the Czech Republic had 1,057,113 small and medium-sized enterprises, of which micro-enterprises with 0-9 employees had the highest share, 1,017,047 (Eurostat, 2019). 66.4% of Czech employees were employed by an SME in 2019, a significant share, but most of them still prefer to work for large companies due to better conditions (wages, fringe benefits, promotion opportunities).

In terms of Czech SMEs, the share of value added increased steadily between 2014 and 2018, mainly at the micro (39.3%) and small (38.7%) enterprise levels. In 2019, according to aggregate figures, small and medium-sized enterprises accounted for 56% of the total amount (MPO, 2021). Another important factor in regards to SMEs is that they ensure a high participation of the Czech economy in global value chains, and their product exports are characterised by a high level of sophistication. All of these factors have contributed to the Czech economy’s emergence as a regional leader over the last decade. Nevertheless, there are still areas for improvement: in the case of SMEs, it would be important to promote the creation of R&D-based businesses to boost productivity. The Czech Republic’s export partner structure is mainly made up of European, in particular EU countries, so diversification of foreign trade partners could also be a feasible objective for SMEs in the country. The role of Czech SMEs in global value chains may also be worth expanding, as this could create an innovative and favourable business environment in which to further support investment by firms, while increasing productivity and attracting foreign companies.

The former Czech government adopted a strategy for supporting small and medium-sized enterprises for the period 2021-2027. The aim of the programme is to strengthen businesses in the Czech Republic, expand their production capacity and for new businesses to start. This is done through a list of seven areas where the Czech state provides support (MPO, 2021):

Creating a more favourable business environment – the aim is to create a business environment that not only encourages domestic businesses, but can also motivate foreign companies to enter the market. This requires improving the regulatory environment, cutting red tape, ensuring all possible conditions for growth and competitiveness, and improving the business infrastructure.
Access to finance – the Czech Republic has a relatively weak investment climate, which is not sufficient to motivate start-ups to take off. In addition, entrepreneurs’ awareness of the issue is low, which means that they are not sufficiently aware of the possibilities of financing their business plans and of new forms of financing. The programme aims to raise awareness and improve the investment environment for new start-ups and the availability of finance opportunities for existing businesses.
Access to markets – on average 84% of Czech foreign trade takes place within the EU. Approximately 16,000 Czech SMEs contribute to exports, a figure that remained stable between 2012 and 2019. For most Czech companies, the barriers to foreign market entry include limited access to information, complex licensing procedures, lack of mutual recognition and insufficient knowledge of EU rules. Therefore, Czech SMEs often do not enter the EU market first, but start operating abroad outside the EU, which is inefficient because foreign trade with third countries is traditionally low in the Czech Republic. The scheme encourages businesses to dare to open up to EU countries in addition to traditional foreign markets.
Workforce, skills and education – as in most EU member states, the Czech Republic is facing increasing challenges in digital skills acquisition at both the individual and enterprise level. The use of new technologies is essential for increasing productivity and improving competitiveness, and it is important that not only business tools but also the workforce use them. A major problem in the Czech Republic is the large mismatch between existing skills and market needs in the labour market, so matching and upgrading these is a priority. The starting point for this is to improve cooperation between the education system and the labour market, to support lifelong learning, and to promote and deepen cooperation between schools and businesses. All this must be done in a way that meets the criteria of digitalisation and sustainability.
Research, development and innovation – developing innovation-based businesses can be the key to economic growth. The Czech innovation index score was 84.3 in 2019, below the EU average. Increasing the innovation performance of SMEs is an important step in taking the Czech economy to a higher level of development. The Czech Republic is steadily increasing R&D spending, but it is still below 2% of GDP. Czech micro and small enterprises spend 0.3% of their revenues on research and development, while medium-sized enterprises spend 0.5%. The R&D projects that are carried out and are SME-related are in medium and low-tech sectors, so the development and promotion of this is a priority for economic growth.
Digitalisation – digital economy solutions are not only prominent in increasing productivity and competitiveness, but also offer new opportunities to reduce costs by creating new business models. However, the adoption and use of digital technologies remains a challenge for SMEs in the Czech Republic as well as the EU. The digital divide between businesses can be addressed not only through digital technologies, but also by supporting process innovation or organisational changes and developing digital skills. The programme therefore includes forms of support that provide SMEs with more effective business organisation and production opportunities by incorporating digital solutions.
Building a low-carbon economy and resource efficiency – the low-carbon economy and resource efficiency are key issues that will influence the future of the Czech economy. The Czech economy faces an increasing challenge in achieving climate neutrality by the 2050 target date, which is affected by the large share of industry in the economy. It is therefore appropriate to encourage the use of private investment in the low-carbon economy and energy efficiency, including innovation in this area, as the transition to a low-carbon economy requires significant investment in reducing energy consumption by businesses (MPO, 2021).

In addition to the areas identified, the support programme also aims to reduce the fragmentation of SME support in the Czech Republic, clarify the forms and ways of accessing the available instruments and resources, and present new instruments that can be used, for example, at the EU level, during the period 2021-2027 (MPO, 2021). Support is targeted in particular at regions where it is more difficult for entrepreneurs to operate. The programme also includes a sub-objective to reduce underdevelopment in areas that are more economically backward with the help of businesses.

The Czech support for SMEs is wide-ranging, with objectives that are also included in the Hungarian Sándor Demján Programme. The priorities for the Czech Republic currently include digital catching up, access to external markets and energy efficiency, which are important not only for SMEs but for the Czech economy as a whole.

Poland

Poland had more than two million small and medium-sized enterprises in 2019. This figure is outstanding both at EU and regional level. In terms of business types, most companies were concentrated at the micro-enterprise level (1,918,147) with 0-9 employees, followed by the small enterprise layer (85,850) and then medium-sized enterprises (14,961). Despite the high numbers, Poland has the lowest number of enterprises per capita: 1.9 enterprises per 1,000 Polish inhabitants, compared to 2.8 in Hungary and 4.6 in Germany (Polityka Insight, 2015). The SME sector accounts for 36% of total revenues on average and 29% of value added. SMEs employ 33% of employees in Poland, one of the lowest ratios among EU countries (Polityka Insight, 2015). Overall, although Polish SMEs outnumber their EU counterparts, they lag behind both regional and EU levels in terms of revenue and value added. For this reason, it is particularly important for the Polish government to ensure that their development is sufficiently effective.

In recent years, the Polish state support system for SMEs has started to separate the forms of support available at the Polish central level from those available at the EU level. The Polish Agency for Enterprise Development (PARP) was established at the state level to make state and EU support available to businesses and to develop the country’s entrepreneurial sector. It contributes to the development and effective implementation of public policy on entrepreneurship, innovation and the adaptability of employees. In line with the “think small first” principle, the agency pays particular attention to the needs of the SME sector in all its activities (PARP, 2025).

The agency provides support for small and medium-sized enterprises in six areas:

Start-up market – three types of support aim to reduce the initial difficulties of entering the market and make it more manageable. Firstly, development and mentoring programmes are offered for early-stage innovative businesses. Second, a comprehensive support programme is available in the eastern Polish provinces (Warmińsko-Mazurskie, Podlaskie, Lubelskie, Świętokrzyskie, Podkarpackie and Mazowieckie, excluding Warsaw and its surrounding districts), offering tailor-made incubation plans for start-ups.
Start platforms for new ideas – businesses operating in the Eastern Poland macro-region are also eligible for different types of support than companies in the rest of the country. To help the region catch up and broaden the entrepreneurial mindset, PARP has set up the Startup Platform and other publicly funded incubation programmes. These help small entrepreneurs to access grants and resources to launch their first product or service on the market.
Training and skills development – PARP runs training and skills development courses for entrepreneurs to help them analyse their business opportunities in the long term and learn the steps to run it effectively. Priority is given to businesses whose innovative ideas can give them a competitive edge.
Investing in innovation – PARP gives priority to SMEs that bring innovative products and services to the Polish market. In addition to the entrepreneur, the agency supports the whole business team to ensure that the project is implemented in a favourable business environment and with the right expertise. In addition to encouraging the investment of larger companies, this support method is also aimed at promoting the entry of start-ups into foreign markets.
Expansion abroad – in addition to supporting small and medium-sized enterprises in Poland, PARP is also working in the long term to help more of these companies to establish themselves abroad. As well as providing ways to address marketing and organisational challenges, it also provides financial support to entrepreneurs wishing to expand abroad.
Development infrastructure – sustainability is also becoming an increasing focus for Polish companies, and to achieve it, it is essential that results are also achieved at the SME level. The grants, part EU funds and part Polish funds, provide subsidies to businesses in three areas: sustainable urban mobility, road infrastructure and sustainable tourism. PARP intends to use the subsidies for urban mobility and sustainable tourism mainly for the development of the Eastern Poland region, so it is businesses operating there that can benefit from it (PARP, 2025).

In addition to subsidies, PARP also conducts ongoing research among entrepreneurs in Poland to find out what kind of state or EU support would be most appropriate for them. In addition to the overall market picture, it also prepares tailor-made materials for individual businesses on request, focusing on horizontal aspects such as innovation and competitiveness, as well as more specific areas related to entrepreneurship, such as family businesses, micro-enterprises and high-tech companies (PARP, 2025).

The support system for small and medium-sized enterprises in Poland is currently still partially merged with support from EU funds. They are being separated and clarified so that entrepreneurs operating in Poland can more easily and transparently access the form of aid that is most beneficial to them. The current agency system is useful in a number of ways: firstly, it assesses national needs and makes recommendations to decision-makers. Second, it produces reports, even at the level of small enterprises, that allow entrepreneurs to decide for themselves on the ideal support and operating conditions for their business. Developing entrepreneurs in the country through the Eastern Poland priority grants and reducing economic fragmentation is also an important part of its work, as is creating sustainable transport and tourism.

Summary, conclusion

Support for small and medium-sized enterprises at the state level, as we have seen, is not only a priority of Hungarian economic policy, but is also a strong feature in other countries in the region. In Austria, energy efficiency and the use of renewable energies in the operation of businesses are high on the support agenda. In the Czech Republic, research and innovation, digitalisation and training opportunities are more prominent in the support schemes. In Poland, in addition to reducing economic fragmentation, entering external markets is one of the main objectives of supporting SMEs.

The Sándor Demján Programme in Hungary stands out at the regional level in terms of the diversity of its support. In addition to raising capital, export promotion, access to foreign markets and lowering electricity prices are also included in the forms of support. The success of the scheme is also demonstrated by the fact that by the end of April 2025, 1,885 applications worth HUF 137 billion had been submitted for the investment stimulus. The volume of applications in other areas is similarly high, therefore the ministry is expected to allow for additional funding to ensure that more small and medium-sized enterprises are able to participate in the programme (AzÜzlet, 2025).

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