EN
Economic crises affect all micro- and macroeconomic areas. Particularly vulnerable to unfavorable changes are enterprises where crisis situations are present. They are reflected by falling sales and profitability, increased debt, decreased liquidity and creditability, and inability to pay obligations. In situations of crisis enterprises are often unable to cope with these problems on their own. Then, the state helps enterprises with “soft financing”. The purpose of this paper is to present the state support for entrepreneurs in times of economic crisis in Poland between 2000 and 2010. This paper will be subject to verify three research hypotheses: 1. In a period of recession the intensity of state aid is increasing. 2. Economic crisis leads to changes in financing of state aid – increasing the share of passive forms. 3. Economic downturn leads to reallocation of state aid trends – increase the importance of aid for rescue and restructuring, as well as R&D (R&D&I) and the labor market.