Thanks to recent legislative changes, the leasing industry has entered a fully digital era. Mariusz Włodarczyk, Managing Director of Santander Leasing, discusses how simplified procedures and new technologies are impacting the market and why small and medium-sized businesses are a priority.
Tomasz Goss-Strzelecki, Bankier.pl: What's this year like for the leasing industry, which in recent years has been known for its high growth rate, significantly exceeding GDP growth? Is this still the case this year?
Mariusz Włodarczyk, Managing Director of Santander Leasing: “ In the first half of 2025, the leasing industry in Poland continued to be highly active and played a key role in financing corporate investments. However, the market structure is changing, reflecting increased caution from companies. According to data from the Polish Leasing Association and industry reports for 2025, leasing finances approximately 45% of investments in movable fixed assets in Polish companies – the highest rate in Europe, higher than in countries such as Germany and France.”
The main drivers for using alternatives to traditional bank loans remain growing investment needs, the pursuit of low-emissions, digital transformation, and further international expansion. Projects related to environmental efficiency, renewable energy sources, and process automation are also gaining importance.
How does leasing for small and medium-sized enterprises contribute to the growth of your company and the evolution of the entire leasing industry?
Leasing for small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) is a key component of Santander Leasing's business and a key growth factor for the leasing industry in Poland. This tool also has a macroeconomic dimension – according to the latest data from the Polish Agency for Enterprise Development (PARP), the SME segment generates nearly half of Poland's GDP. By actively supporting this sector – both through a comprehensive, flexible product offering and the implementation of innovative solutions that address the real needs of customers in this segment – Santander Leasing makes a tangible contribution to supporting economic development and the modernization of the Polish corporate sector.
Financing provided to small and medium-sized enterprises accounts for over half of Santander Leasing's leasing portfolio. In the first quarter of 2025, the value of financed assets for this segment reached nearly PLN 1.5 billion, representing a 6.6% increase compared to the previous year. These figures clearly demonstrate that SMEs are very keen to choose leasing as their preferred form of financing, offering flexible terms. Thanks to this, entrepreneurs can count on rapid modernization of their operations without the pressure of a high down payment and bureaucratic formalities, increasing their competitiveness and establishing lasting business relationships with Santander Leasing.
Is it precisely because SMEs constitute a key group of your customers that you decided to get to know them better through opinion research and the report that was recently published?
The SME segment plays a key role in Santander Leasing's operations – currently, 90% of our customers are small and medium-sized enterprises, and we have been actively supporting their development for over 26 years. This was one of the main reasons for conducting in-depth research and preparing a dedicated report. To best address the real needs, expectations, and challenges of entrepreneurs, we focused on extensive research: both hard market data and the direct opinions of SME owners and managers, as well as commentary from renowned experts. The newly published report not only presents the current state of this segment but, above all, helps us better understand its motivations, barriers, and specific characteristics. Our commitment stems from the belief that proper identification and understanding of this key element of the entire economy significantly contributes to building partnership-based, long-term relationships with our customers.
What picture of small and medium-sized enterprises emerges from this report?
The report “The Image of Small and Medium-Sized Enterprises in Poland” paints a multidimensional and realistic picture of this sector – active and dynamically responding to changes in the environment. Research confirms that Polish entrepreneurs are extremely committed and responsible, although as many as 65% of them feel overwhelmed by their responsibilities, which highlights the need for support and optimization of business processes. Their most important business motivations remain independence (59%) and passion (36%).
Experts emphasize that leasing plays a key role in supporting the development of SMEs – 40% of entrepreneurs identify it as a primary financing tool, enabling quick and flexible investments. Modern, digital leasing solutions allow companies to effectively expand their vehicle fleets, modernize their machinery, and invest in more efficient technologies. The report also highlights the environmentally friendly investment habits of SMEs – entrepreneurs in this sector are increasingly pursuing projects related to renewable energy sources, electromobility, and automation, aligning with green transformation trends and responding to the challenges of the modern economy.
Despite the burden of regulations, administrative burdens, and stereotypes, the optimism and entrepreneurship of this group, along with access to flexible financial tools like leasing, create a solid foundation for further development. Therefore, for us at Santander Leasing, our mission is clear: to provide solutions that not only finance SMEs' operations but also actively support their digital and “green” transformation. Dialogue with customers and tailoring our offerings to their unique needs should be a priority for all industry players, as together we shape the future of modern business in Poland.
Will the report's findings impact Santander Leasing's approach to SME clients? What can small and medium-sized businesses expect in terms of service and product offerings, among other things?
Our experience and the latest analyses, including those included in the “Image of Small and Medium-Sized Enterprises in Poland” report, allow us to better understand the challenges and needs of this group of entrepreneurs. For this reason, Santander Leasing consistently develops and refines its product offering, striving to provide the widest possible range of solutions tailored to the diverse requirements of businesses – from flexible financing terms, through simplified contracting procedures, to access to digital tools (such as our eBOK24 portal – available 24/7, where customers can check contract and payment information, as well as remotely complete many activities related to the contract or their relationship with us), which significantly shorten service times and reduce formalities. We systematically gather feedback and monitor trends to ensure our offering is not only competitive but, above all, practical. We strive to act responsibly, listening to the voice of entrepreneurs and adapting to market realities, prioritizing transparency, accessibility, and support at every stage of the relationship – from initial contact throughout the entire contract period. Thanks to this holistic approach, Santander Leasing becomes not only a financing provider, but above all a partner who understands the specificity of the SME sector.
What types of purchases are most often financed by small and medium-sized businesses today?
Our latest internal data shows that in 2025, small and medium-sized businesses will most often choose to lease light vehicles – both passenger cars and trucks up to 3.5 tons. This group accounts for over 40% of all new contracts concluded within our product offerings, and in leasing contracts alone, it constitutes as much as 70%, clearly confirming the dominant position of light vehicles in SME sector investments.
How does the government subsidy program work for electric vehicle leasing?
The “NaszEauto” program, implemented by the National Fund for Environmental Protection and Water Management, has stimulated interest in leasing new electric cars in 2025. Subsidies are available to individuals and sole proprietors – a base amount of PLN 30,000, with the possibility of increasing support to up to PLN 40,000 in certain circumstances (e.g., scrapping an old car). The subsidy can be used to cover the initial payment, provided the car remains in use in Poland for at least two years.
The conclusions drawn from market observations are clear: subsidies can significantly reduce the barrier to entry into electromobility for individuals and the self-employed. This mechanism promotes the widespread adoption of electromobility in the microenterprise and self-employed segments, becoming a viable tool for transforming transport towards zero-emissions. As a result, the offer of leasing financing for electric vehicles is rapidly expanding, and customer interest is growing.
At the same time, the program focuses on supporting individuals and micro-entrepreneurs, which allows it to effectively support this group, although its impact on large fleet players remains limited. However, experts point out that even in this format, the program effectively promotes green technologies and stimulates the development of charging infrastructure and electric vehicle offerings in the leasing market.
The leasing industry is in constant contact with the National Fund for Environmental Protection and Water Management, discussing issues related to the implementation of the NaszEauto program. The Fund faces some challenges in processing applications and distributing funds, and these are the subject of debate, as is the possibility of expanding the program to include additional electric vehicles and entities currently excluded from it (e.g., commercial companies).
As of July 13th, the leasing industry has entered the digital era with the introduction of regulations enabling fully remote contracting. Will Santander Leasing customers also have this option? What does this change mean for the industry?
This regulation represents a significant change in leasing industry processes, responding to growing market and customer demands for speed, security, and ease of doing business. Electronic leasing agreements were also concluded before July 13th, utilizing advanced digital technologies such as qualified electronic signatures and the bioPodpist (signature of an electronic document with a stylus on a monitor screen), introduced at Santander Leasing, remote identity authentication (e.g., using biometrics), and eIDAS systems, which guarantee the integrity, authenticity, and durability of documents. These solutions now also include the ability to conclude agreements using a document, for example, via an electronic portal using text messages to approve transactions. We combine regulatory requirements, developed solutions, and the experience we have gained using qualified electronic signatures with the simplifications that this document allows. Importantly, for both our clients and us, this means in practice that agreements have the full legal force of those signed with a traditional handwritten signature, eliminating the risk of disputes over their validity.
Santander Leasing implements digital solutions in accordance with best practices and legal requirements, minimizing risk and ensuring customer data protection. Additionally, mechanisms are in place to counteract fraud and abuse, including thorough identity verification and protection against duplicate document use. This means customers can expect not only the convenience and speed of concluding an online contract, but also the high level of protection for their interests and transaction security. Modern digital tools also reduce the risk of errors or document loss, and a complete electronic evidence trail facilitates the resolution of any disputes.
The introduction of fully digital leasing processes increases the sector's competitiveness, accelerates investment decision-making by enterprises, especially SMEs and micro-enterprises, and facilitates access to financing for emerging businesses. This is a step towards full automation and optimization of the leasing process, which – as industry analyses indicate – will positively impact market dynamics and increase its efficiency. The introduction of remote signing also aligns with the broader trend of automation, reducing bureaucracy, and building a better customer experience.
Mariusz Włodarczyk, Managing Director of Santander Leasing ()
TGS
