As of today, the capital's entrepreneurs can take advantage of 17 types of support measures. This year alone, the city authorities have approved more than 500 applications from companies to the amount of more than half a billion rubles. This funding can be used by business representatives to reimburse equipment costs or to compensate them for expenditures on franchises, advertising and promotion.

The Department for Entrepreneurship and Innovative Development of Moscow told the Made in Russia editorial board exactly what benefits are available in the Russian capital and how they can be used.

With the help of existing support measures, companies can repay the commission of marketplace services or compensate for the costs associated with working in online food delivery services. In addition, funding can be spent on staff training, exports, participation in exhibitions and festivals, franchisees or reimbursement of advertising and internet promotion costs.

Benefits are also available to residents of technology parks, creative and social entrepreneurs, hotels, commercial co-working spaces, educational and leisure institutions.

PRIORITY SECTORS AND GRANTS FOR INNOVATIVE PROJECTS

Till the end of this year in Moscow preferential loans will be given to small and medium-sized business, whose activity relates to the priority branches. It is about the companies engaged in agriculture, manufacturing production, health care, education, culture and sport spheres. In addition, these include the activities of hotels and catering, information technology, domestic and inbound tourism.

Such businesses can get a loan with a maximum rate of 7%.

"In addition, companies can apply for grants for complex innovation projects. Through the grant companies can offset up to 15% of the project costs, but not more than two hundred million rubles per year, or a total of not more than 600 million rubles over three years, "- the department told.

This year in Moscow there is a new grant which can be applied for by intersectoral clusters. In this case the city grants financial support to participants of inter-branch associations The Moscow innovation cluster (MIC). According to the requirements, consortiums of 2-5 MIC participants should work on the project.

Moscow businessmen who do not have sufficient collateral can obtain guarantee assistance from the capital's Moscow Fund for Small Business Credit Support.

HELP TO STARTUPS AND IT-COMPANIES

Today, startups in Moscow can count on financial support from the MoscowSeedFund . For this purpose, the fund implements various programmes together with investors, accelerators and the Moscow Stock Exchange.

Innovative companies may obtain soft loans from the fund at the very early stages, namely when developing an idea or a minimum viable product, entering the market and attracting the first customers.

The department said that a wide range of non-financial support measures in Moscow is provided by IT-companies within Moscow innovation cluster. It is the platform for innovation implementation and interaction between large companies, start-ups, industry, educational and scientific organizations and the city.

As of today, more than 22 thousand organizations from almost 80 Russian regions have already joined the cluster, and it is mostly small and medium businesses.

"Technology companies can take advantage of such services as technological competitions, patent exchange, premises lease, contract manufacturing exchange. Owing to participation in programs of IIC development, technological companies have already attracted more than 800 million rubles of investments and carried out more than 100 pilot tests at sites of partners and the city", - the press-service explained.

Besides companies may use InvestUpackingservice, if they need help with bringing an idea to realization. Today more than 100 projects with a real potential for growth and scalinghave taken advantage of this programme .

TheMoscow Innovations Agencylaunched the startup support programmes at various stages of the life cycleto stimulate the work of IT companies.

The programs are aimed at supporting startups at different life cycle stages. With their help, they can develop and scale their business, test an innovative product in the urban environment, start communication with city structures, big business and venture investors.

"Forthose who have experience, enthusiasm and a team of like-minded people, but no ready-made IT-product, it is possible to create it within one of the hackathons. It is an IT-competition, during which the specialists from all over Russia (developers, data scientists, designers, marketing specialists, product managers) within a limited period of time together solve the task from the customer - create a new digital product", - they told in the department and specified that in this case the hackathons' tasks are assigned to city authorities and major businesses. As the result of such work are ready-made solutions of urgent city problems, and the best of them receive the monetary award for product development.

PUMP UP YOUR BUSINESS

For those who have a legal entity and a ready technological product, the program "Moscow Accelerator".The program is based on the unique features of the Moscow Accelerator, where each track is conducted in partnership with corporations. The program is aimed at accelerating technological startups, attract financing, venture investments, increase their turnover, scale up and start cooperating with large businesses.

For example, until August 13th. you can apply to participate in the AI Factory track. It is held in partnership with Rostelecom, Energy Without Borders Foundation, SAP and Kirov Plant.

There is also an educational program StartHub.Moscow for the development of technological entrepreneurship. One hundred people are selected for this program every six months. ITstart-ups in various fields. For five months, participants optimize business processes, multiply business performance, find new customers and attract investments.

"The format of the program is on-the-job business development - participants can attend only those events and meetings that are interesting to them. In the final stage of the program entrepreneurs get an opportunity to present their product to representatives of corporations, venture capitalists and business angels", - the press service of the Department said.

The companies in Moscow that do not have a platform for approbation IT-products, may use the programme of pilot testing of innovations. It includes more than 130 urban and commercial sites, on the basis of which it is possible to test their developments, determine their effectiveness and get feedback.

In two years, over 80 tests have been conducted within the framework of the program, another 30 are currently underway.

Made in Russia // Made in Russia

Author: Ksenia Gustova