Institutional environment including public authorities plays a key role in creating conditions for the development of small and medium-sized enterprises in the regions. It is very important to strengthen the social capital. Its state and relations in the context of the wider institutional infrastructure make up the quality of the business environment. The current EU policy and the contemporary development models assign a special function to the institutions and public administration, and particularly emphasize their role in the activation designed to exploit local growth factors. In the Wielkopolska region in recent years there has been a significant growth of the business supporting institutions, including financial institutions offering support in enhancing innovation in small and medium-sized enterprises. There is a significant concentration of these institutions in the economic center of the region. Knowledge about these institutions is inadequate and evaluation of their quality and service shows that their potential is not properly used. That is why the existence of a significant information gap between the institutional environment and the sector of small and medium-sized enterprises in the Wielkopolska region must be assumed.