Where to get a grant for small business development. How to get a grant to start a business, a first-person guide. Who can get the money

Distribution of grants to start-up entrepreneurs in 2016

There are different forms of support for small businesses, in addition to financing, cash subsidies or grants. This, for example, provides training and internship programs for aspiring entrepreneurs, accounting and legal services for small and medium-sized businesses on free terms, preferential rental of premises and many others. Small businesses in our country are supported under certain programs by both government and non-government organizations. But every entrepreneur has the right to take advantage of free help. For example, the opening of a business in 2015 in the regions is helped by funds for supporting small and medium-sized businesses (state or municipal), employment services, investment and guarantee funds, business schools, technology parks and other institutions.

Grants for small business development 2015-2016. This measure of state support is provided, as a rule, by regional authorities. Priority is given to aspiring businessmen from among the disabled, the unemployed, young people, large families and other social categories. The conditions for receiving grants in each region may be different; specially created commissions review applications, but there are conditions for receiving money. This is a sufficient number of jobs, the amount of revenue, mandatory registration of an enterprise, a certain field of activity of a small or medium-sized business and other aspects. Such support for small businesses 2015 is currently very popular among entrepreneurs: the amount of cash grants can reach 300 thousand rubles. Since 2015, increased to 500 thousand rubles.

Subsidies for start-up entrepreneurs in Moscow and the Moscow region

City and federal programs to support small and medium-sized businesses provide Moscow entrepreneurs and organizations with the opportunity to receive government subsidies in the amount of up to 5 million rubles.

In order to become an applicant for a small business subsidy, you must submit an application to the Department of Science, Industrial Policy and Entrepreneurship, as well as a package of documents, the composition of which depends on the type of subsidy. The decision to provide funds is made by the Industry Commission.

If the decision is positive, the entrepreneur who received the state subsidy is obliged to report on the expenditure of funds within a specified period.

Subsidies for small businesses

Entrepreneurs applying for financial support can contact the state budgetary institution “Small Business of Moscow” for advice. In addition, the departments of the State Budgetary Institution “Small Business of Moscow” have organized the reception of documents for receiving various types of subsidies. Within the framework of the state program “Stimulating Economic Activity”, there is a subprogram “Development of Small and Medium Enterprises in the City of Moscow for 2012-2016.” In accordance with it, small businesses in Moscow are provided with the following types of subsidies:

Subsidy for start-up entrepreneurs

Beginning entrepreneurs in Moscow can receive a subsidy of up to 500,000 rubles from the city budget.

The subsidy can be used for:

Purchase of fixed assets (except cars);
Organization and equipment of workplaces;
Purchase of licensed software;
Office rent (no more than 20% of the total amount of the requested subsidy);
Raw materials and supplies (no more than 20% of the total amount of the requested subsidy).

Conditions for receiving a subsidy:

No more than 2 years must pass from the moment of registration of a legal entity (including individual entrepreneurs);
The average number of employees should be no more than 250 people, sales revenue should not exceed 1 billion rubles, and the total share of participation of the Russian Federation, constituent entities of the Russian Federation, foreign legal entities and foreign citizens should not exceed 25%;
A legal entity (including individual entrepreneurs) must be registered and registered for tax purposes in Moscow and not have overdue debts for taxes, fees and other obligatory payments of the Russian Federation.

Procedure for receiving a subsidy:

With the assistance of employees of the State Budgetary Institution “Small Business of Moscow”, collect a complete set of documents to receive a subsidy;
The collected package of documents is transferred to an expert organization to conduct an examination of the project;
Present the project at a meeting of the Industry Commission at the Department of Science, Industrial Policy and Entrepreneurship of the City of Moscow, which makes a decision regarding the issuance of a subsidy;
If the project is approved by the Industry Commission, enter into an agreement with the Department and receive a subsidy;
A few months after receiving the subsidy, confirm the intended use of budget funds;
In conclusion, confirm the implementation of socio-economic indicators.

Initially, the grant was financial assistance for scientific or design research that did not have obvious commercial goals, but was significant for the development of society as a whole. Today, this subsidy model has been successfully transferred to the problems of maintaining and developing small businesses around the world, including the CIS countries. A distinctive feature of grants from lending and investments on the basis of equity participation is their gratuitous nature. In other words, there is no requirement to repay the money or pay interest on the profits.

On the other hand, the organization that allocates such financing sets as its main condition the solution of a certain social problem (labor migration, unemployment, insufficient development of small businesses), thanks to which a stable economy of the state is formed. Another important point is the mandatory provision of reporting on the use of funds received over a certain period (from 1 year), determined by a specific program.

Donors (sources of subsidies) can be:

State social protection services (employment centers);
Entrepreneurship support departments;
Charitable foundations;
Municipal authorities;
Public organizations, including international ones.

Grant funds can be provided in various formats:

Free cash equivalent- a fixed amount of cash or non-cash money (it can be equal to the requested amount or established by the terms of the program), which is then distributed by the beneficiary as the project develops. This grant can be used for rent, wages, utilities, equipment, etc.
Cash equivalent for the purchase of equipment (less often materials)- funds are allocated strictly for the expenses requested in the application;
Property equivalent- the equipment and materials specified in the application are purchased by the donor and transferred to the beneficiary.

Who can get money for business development

Not everyone can become a beneficiary of grant funds to start their own business. For example, only adult citizens who have the right to conduct business activities can submit an application. Also important factors for making a positive decision may be:

Difficult financial situation and status of the privileged category of the population (unemployed, low-income).
A type of activity that is of particular importance for the region in which the subsidy is received (agricultural sector, education sector).
A type of activity of the enterprise that involves solving a number of social problems (employment of low-income people, demobilized military personnel, persons with disabilities).

Quite often, potential recipients of financial assistance have a question: is it necessary to register a business activity to submit an application. In practice, this depends on the program itself. Thus, grants for starting a business for aspiring entrepreneurs from employment centers and social protection services do not require the preliminary opening of an individual entrepreneur or LLC. In this case, the enterprise is opened only if the application is approved. On the other hand, there are state and independent programs that stipulate not only mandatory pre-registration, but also a fixed minimum for the existence of the enterprise itself (usually at least one year).

How much money can you get from the grant program in 2018?

The amount of gratuitous financing depends on many factors (program conditions, the amount of funds in the fund, the needs of the entrepreneur, etc.). So, for example, for 2018 it is possible to receive the following amounts:

Programs from employment centers- in the amount of the annual unemployment benefit of a specific individual (up to $1000).
Programs for beginning farmers- from $4000 to $50000.
Subsidies from business support funds- up to $5000 (up to 70% of the total investment in the business).
Business development grant from the state for existing enterprises- from $1000.
Grants from international organizations- from $650 for self-employed individuals and from $2000 for an existing business.
State support for organizations conducting scientific activities- from $1000.
Private grants from successful entrepreneurs (most often in the IT field)- from $8000.

Grant programs that involve receiving funds in the form of property stipulate the maximum possible amount, but it may actually be less if the price of equipment or real estate declared by the entrepreneur is below this threshold.

How to apply for a grant

The actual filing of an application for grant funds usually takes place in several stages:

Preliminary application (questionnaire). It indicates the personal data of the entrepreneur (passport data), the planned or ongoing type of activity, financial situation, family composition and other information to obtain a clear description of the applicant. At this stage, the applicant is assessed from the perspective of the general requirements of the program (age, citizenship, place of registration) and it is determined whether he really needs grant funding.
Submission for consideration of a detailed business plan with justification of the requested funds and the relevance of the proposed business idea. At this stage, all additional information is also submitted: letters of recommendation, diplomas of specialized education, a copy of the work record book, preliminary agreements with suppliers and lessors, product samples, invoices for the requested equipment, a current account number for transferring funds, statutory documents and a certificate of registration (upon request). If the receipt of funds is aimed at developing an existing business, an up-to-date description of the enterprise's work and a strategic development plan are provided.
Defense of a business plan before an expert commission. Many people mistakenly believe that they can buy a ready-made business plan and receive grant funds for it. However, each application goes through a defense procedure, during which the entrepreneur presents his idea and answers questions from specialists. In practice, this means that if you are not confident in your plan, or even more so, do not know what is included in it, you may be rejected.

In some cases, subsidy programs may include preliminary training (trainings, seminars, courses on entrepreneurship), which takes place after submitting a preliminary application and aims to help aspiring entrepreneurs write and comprehend a business plan.

What contributes to obtaining a positive decision

The basic scheme for obtaining grant funds is not complicated - you need to choose an organization, submit an application, write and defend a business plan for your future enterprise. On the other hand, in order to receive approval from the expert commission, the entrepreneur must be able to present his idea as worthy of funding. To do this, you should use the following techniques:

Position the idea as useful for society. Particularly popular are projects whose side qualities include environmental protection, general improvement in the quality of life of the population and the development of technology.
Add justified innovative solutions to the project. Ideas and methods of their implementation must be realistic. For example, you cannot request funds to open a travel agency for those who want to go to Mars, but you can plan to open a physical training center for children who dream of flying into space.
Prepare visual material (illustrations, slides, posters, graphs). As a rule, a business plan presents only dry numbers, while the creative design of an idea demonstrates your personal passion for the project, as well as your willingness to make efforts to implement it.
Create an effective team. If a project involves several people instead of just one, it inspires more confidence.
Provide statistical data (with references to correct sources). An analytical approach will show you as a good business strategist.
Tell us about your competitors. Demonstrate that you know the market situation and are not afraid of competition.
Put your own resources into the project. The presence in the project of at least 30% of the entrepreneur’s personal funds (equipment, money, copyrights, etc.) is significant evidence of the seriousness of his intentions.
Don't be afraid to engage in debates with committee members. The main goal of project defense is not only to identify the profitability of the business and the feasibility of financing, but also to assess the entrepreneur’s confidence in achieving his goal. Therefore, you should not be afraid to prove the success of your own ideas.

In what cases can a refusal be received?

There are a number of situations and factors that increase the chances of refusal to subsidize entrepreneurship. These include:

Quite a long lifespan of the enterprise (from 5 years and above). Grant funds are most often given to start-up and young entrepreneurs who need such support due to lack of experience. If, after many years of operation, a company cannot find sources of financing for development, it is perceived as unprofitable.
The project previously received funding through grant programs. If you already have assistance from a particular organization, the chance of receiving another subsidy from the same donor is almost zero. Things are a little better when applying to other organizations, but it is advisable to clarify the rules before submitting an application.
Bad credit history. If you (as an entrepreneur) have debts to banks, utilities, employees or partners, this may come up when an expert commission evaluates your company, which will show you as a bad leader. The exception is unclosed loans and accounts for which there are no late payments.
Having a criminal record for financial fraud or working in a management position in a company that has been declared bankrupt within the previous five years.
Unrealistic (meaningless) idea. As a rule, practical and traditional business models whose prospects are easy to evaluate receive approval.

If your application is rejected for no apparent reason, do not stop. You must first contact the donor organization and inquire about the reasons for the negative decision. Based on the criticism received, you can always correct your own project and resubmit your application.

Reporting to donors after receiving a grant

Before receiving a grant for business development, you need to understand that the funds provided are conditionally free of charge. If they are misdirected, the beneficiary will be financially liable to the donor and the money will need to be returned.

Most often, after sending grant funds, the following requirements are presented to the recipient:

Official registration of business activity (if this has not been done previously).
Providing open access for representatives of the donor organization to reporting regarding the use of grant funds or equipment, upon request, within the period specified by the program (from one year).
Providing various tax and accounting reports for the enterprise, regardless of the current state of affairs (the enterprise does not have to be successful, but it must work).

In addition, in case of receiving a subsidy in direct cash equivalent, a final report on the intended use is also submitted. It is formed at the end of the grant agreement and consists of two mandatory parts:

Analytical- description of the results of the work performed using investments.
Financial- accounts and agreements under which grant funds were used. Each expense item is listed in a summary table and payment documents are attached.

Grant funding for start-up entrepreneurs is one of the best channels for raising funds. Therefore, knowing how to get a grant for small business development in 2018, you can start developing your own business today with minimal risks.

Moving to the countryside confronted our family with a fact: there is no work in the village. This means you need to create your own workplace and generate income yourself. The choice of direction of activity was also obvious - agriculture in the Novgorod region needs to be improved.

Nine of my mistakes on the way to a grant

There were no special savings left - everything was spent on moving, and starting such a seasonal business from scratch is difficult. You will want to eat tomorrow, but the income from livestock or crop production will not be received soon. The same fact predetermined the refusal to apply for a loan - the bank would have to pay regularly, and it was impossible to grow agricultural products taking into account the loan repayment schedule.

Entrepreneur Petr Tatarintsev received a grant for starting a business of 150,000 rubles and shares his experience with visitors to the Moneymaker Factory.

The all-knowing Internet comes to the rescue, where you need to look not for how to earn 100,000 rubles in two days with minimal investment, but for very specific information about financial support for aspiring entrepreneurs. It turned out that in every region of the country there are at least two different programs to support newly minted businessmen:

Subsidy under the self-employment program, provided based on the results of an interview and defense of your business plan at the Employment Center - 58.8 thousand rubles for every unemployed person who will be employed in a newly created enterprise;
Grant for aspiring entrepreneurs from the Ministry of Economic Development with the direct participation of regions organizing competitive selection and evaluation of applications - 300 thousand rubles for the implementation of the project.

I failed with the first option - back in March, 5 people had already applied for the only subsidy allocated to our district under a quota. Having decided that I could not withstand such fierce competition, and the amount was not so attractive to fight for, I went to the administration for information to find out the conditions for receiving a grant under the second option.

In the department of economics and agriculture I was welcomed with open arms. Our area is not particularly prosperous and business is tight here, so they are ready to support every new business “from start to finish.” It was thanks to this that I eventually went through all the steps of the procedure for obtaining a grant - in any local authority they were willing to meet me and help me correct my mistakes. Otherwise I won’t see this money.

Error 1. Information about the program: a territorial reference is needed

I naively thought that the information I received on the Internet about government subsidies was quite sufficient. It turned out that the federal program operates throughout the country, but its main conditions are left to the regional authorities. Current information can only be obtained from the regulations of the relevant region.

The peculiarity of this procedure for preparing and approving specific criteria and program activities is that first the region must approve its version of the program, and on its basis a comprehensive document will be developed directly in the region. As a result, the main parameters and conditions for issuing grants to start-up entrepreneurs in our locality were adjusted only by June.

Mistake 2. Registration: no need to rush

I studied the final version of the competition regulations after the registration of the individual entrepreneur. If I had not listened to the tax inspector and chosen other OKVED codes, I would not have been able to take part in the competitive selection, because only businesses in the following areas can count on state support:

agriculture (OKVED 01.1 - 01.4);
construction (OKVED 45.2 - 45.4);
manufacturing (OKVED 15, 17-22 and 24 - 37);
social, communal and personal services (OKVED 74.7, 74.84, 93);
craft activities.

A specific area sets its own priorities, so in our case these types of activities included livestock farming, and in the neighboring area, all other things being equal, a grant was allocated to manufacturing enterprises. Although, even if the type of activity I had chosen had not been classified as a priority, there was still enough time to make changes and add the necessary OKVED.

Mistake 3. Collecting documents: pay attention to their expiration date

After quickly registering with the tax office and registering as an employer in extra-budgetary funds, according to the requirements of the program, it was still necessary to acquire a bank account. At the Sberbank branch, an account was opened for me in a few days; all I had to do was fill out a signature card and write a corresponding application with a request to open a current account for an individual entrepreneur. The received bank account agreement had to supplement the following package of documents for submitting an application for participation in the grant competition:

Certificate of registration of individual entrepreneur;
Passport and TIN certificate;
Extract from the Unified State Register of Individual Entrepreneurs;
Information letter with statistics codes;
Certificate from the tax office confirming the absence of debt;
Certificate from the Pension Fund, Social Insurance Fund, Compulsory Medical Insurance Fund confirming the absence of debt to them;
A personally written certificate of the amount of revenue for previous reporting periods (why is it needed if I have just registered as an entrepreneur?);
Certificate of the average number of employees for the past year (of course, all zeros).

Addition: Leave an application to open a current account with Sberbank.

It was necessary to take into account two factors - the speed of issuing all these documents and their validity period. An extract from the Unified State Register of Individual Entrepreneurs loses its relevance in 30 days, a certificate from the tax office in 10 days, and it is better to take confirmation of the absence of obligations to extra-budgetary funds on the same day when you plan to submit the application.

I had to order certificates several times that had lost their “freshness,” but it’s good that they were free. In addition, at the last moment I was saved by the opportunity to order an urgent extract from the Unified State Register of Individual Entrepreneurs, which takes 1-2 days to prepare, rather than 5 working days.

Mistake 4. Business plan: following a specific format

To participate in the program to support beginning entrepreneurs, you need not only to present registration documents, but also to describe in detail your upcoming activities. For this purpose, not just any business plan downloaded from the Internet is suitable, but a comprehensive document drawn up based on the results of training in courses on business fundamentals.

In Veliky Novgorod, on the basis of the Entrepreneurship Support Fund, training was organized for everyone who wanted to receive government support in the form of a free subsidy.

As someone who has a higher education in economics, I did not need to take these short-term courses; I only needed to use the proposed scheme to draw up a business plan when submitting an application. The rest underwent training and attached a certificate of completion of these courses to their application for participation in the Entrepreneurship Support Program.

The business plan needed:

indicate the features of production;
describe the products manufactured;
characterize the organizational processes at the enterprise, taking into account the calendar plan;
calculate the required amount of investment;
forecast financial flows;
list possible risks and ways to minimize them.

In the additional application form attached to this document, it was necessary to calculate the budgetary efficiency of the project - the volume of tax deductions, and also indicate the number of jobs created. It was necessary to calculate other project indicators using the given formulas.

Mistake 5. Expense items: you can’t spend on everything

Funds received from the budget can be spent exclusively on those purposes that are specified as clearly and transparently as possible in the business plan and application. No deviation is provided. An additional limitation is the fact that only fixed assets that are directly involved in the business and generate income can be purchased with the grant funds. You cannot pay off debts to creditors or pay salaries to employees or make other current expenses using the grant.

For this reason, when filling out the application, I had to immediately think through the process of acquiring assets, taking into account the fact that I would have to confirm the intended use of funds - with payment documents. Difficulties arose - it was difficult for me to confirm the fact of the purchase and sale transaction of farm animals in private household plots.

It was necessary to draw up an agreement between an individual and an individual entrepreneur, which took into account all the main parameters of this transaction. Subsequently, this agreement became part of the report on the expenditure of budget funds and they did not immediately agree to accept it.

Mistake 6. Competition: important selection criteria

The commission takes into account only a few of the most important criteria to evaluate applicants, assigning points to each indicator:

Job creation - from 1 to 5 points when employing 1 to 10 workers or more;
Applicant's age under 30 years - 1 point, over - 0 points;
Own investments from 0 to 100% of the project cost - from 1 to 5 points;
Priority activities - 1 point, any other permitted activity - 0 points.

A prerequisite is that the entrepreneur must register for no longer than one year, as well as carry out activities in the territory of the region where he was registered. There are other indicators that the commission evaluates; they are spelled out in the regulations of the competition and, as it turns out, differ significantly in different regions of the country.

Mistake 7. Regional characteristics of the grant program

I was very mistaken that I had comprehensive information about the program, having studied the experience of several regions. It turned out that in the Novgorod region a grant can be received in the amount of 70% of the cost of the entire project, and also based on the fact of expenses.

That is, in order for me to receive 300 thousand from the budget, I would first need to make documented expenses for a similar amount and plan to shell out at least another 130 thousand rubles from my own pocket for business development.

In 2013, in other regions, for example, in the Sverdlovsk region, to participate in the program it is enough to undergo training, write a business proposal and pay 15% of the costs of launching a newly registered company, the rest will be paid for through a grant from the budget. In St. Petersburg, the ratio of own and requested funds from the budget should be 30 and 70%, respectively. Well, I had to curb my appetites and be content with the amount of 150 thousand rubles, because I had already invested approximately that much in my farming and could confirm these expenses with receipts.

Error 8. Deadlines for receiving funds: delay in payments from the budget

But I was unable to meet the expected expenses at my own expense in order to compensate them with funds from the budget - I decided to wait for the grant to be paid and then buy all the necessary equipment and young animals. This was another mistake of mine. During my first visits to the administration, when I was still conducting reconnaissance, I congratulated the employees on March 8, and when I came for the money, I congratulated them on the New Year.

Despite the fact that the money arrived in my account on December 20, I had to report on the expenses made on the 25th so that the administration would have time to accept the report before the end of the year. It was this feature of budget subsidies that cost me many lost months and nerves. The procedure for submitting grant reports turned out to be the simplest - I brought sales receipts for the purchase of equipment and an agreement for the purchase of farm animals, in the amount corresponding to the application with a business plan.

Mistake 9. Reporting: late implementation of the project

Since I did not receive the money in June, as expected, my entire project execution schedule shifted somewhat. In the spring of next year, I should have already received a solid income and given work to 3 residents of the area. However, this was only done with a delay of six months.

To report at the end of the first quarter, I must provide the administration with a certificate of the average number of personnel and a certificate of tax deductions and the absence of debt before payments to the budget and extra-budgetary funds. As a result, they only asked me for an explanation about the reason for such a delay in the development of my farm and did not demand a return of the funds received, although under the terms of the agreement they could well have been forced to return this money. By the end of this year, I reached the planned sales volumes and capacity of my enterprise.

Now that I have experience interacting with local administration and knowledge of the nuances of receiving and using budget funds, I understand that free cheese is not only in a mousetrap.

A grant is usually understood as funds allocated by a sponsor for some purpose. The sponsor can be the state, private individuals, commercial enterprises, various unions and foundations. Goals can also be different - these include scientific research, experimental work, business development, organizing events and much more.

The essence of such an investment is that a person provides himself with work and is responsible for his own income. Why doesn't he open his own business himself? This requires money. Even if a new entrepreneur has his own equipment and materials, he will need a place to work, and will also need to pay some taxes. Due to these moments, one’s own funds are often not enough, and the state helps to compensate for the shortfall.

There are other grants for business, but they are no longer related to its opening.

Changes for 2018

In different regions there are own rules allocation of subsidies for self-employment. But they all have one thing in common - to receive such a grant you need to contact the employment service at your place of registration. They will tell you in detail about programs to support small businesses in a particular region.

Why is this information so closely related to the employment service? This fact has a simple explanation: only persons who have reached the age of majority and are registered at their place of residence as unemployed can apply for funds for self-employment. There are also a number of restrictions that prevent you from receiving a grant.

If the activity of the future entrepreneur involves being associated with alcohol, tobacco products, trade and rental of real estate, and supply activities, then he will have to open his own business at his own expense. It is quite natural that, first of all, money is allocated to start production. The grant amounts are also different in different regions. But in most regions the amount is 300,000 rubles.

What are there

State support for self-employment was discussed above, but this is not the only money that can be received for the development of small businesses. In each region there are also your sponsors. Most often these are unions of entrepreneurs who establish their own grants.

You can receive additional funds from the state to organize jobs. This is especially true in those regions where support programs operate.

Don’t think that once the sponsor allocates money, he will forget about it forever. After a year of work, you will have to give a full report, which should describe every ruble spent.

Application deadlines

To receive a government grant for small business development, you must submit an application. This is a regular application that is written at the employment service if the applicant has unemployed status.

The deadlines are also different in different regions. Most often applications are collected at the end of the year, which is associated with the formation of a budget for the new year and the inclusion of relevant expenses in it. But in some regions applications are collected at the beginning of the year. From the moment you submit your application until you receive the money, it can take from 2 to 12 months.

What do you need to get a grant?

To receive one from the employment service, you first need to write an application. This is not difficult to do - service specialists will tell you how. You will also need to present identification. Next, most likely, you will be asked to fill out a special questionnaire.

If the applicant has a special education in the field of the business he is opening, then he should attach documents certifying this fact. This is not a mandatory requirement, but it can play a decisive role when considering an application.

And most importantly, it is submitted to the commission for consideration business plan. In other words, you need to convince the commission that the money will not be wasted, but will be used for a good cause. Preference is given to manufacturing and agriculture. In second place is the service sector. When it comes to financing research and innovation, it is better to contact the Union of Entrepreneurs or foreign investors.

For what purposes is the subsidy given?

State subsidy for self-employment will not be able to completely cover all costs of starting a business. It is assumed that the funds received can be spent on renting premises or purchasing some equipment or materials. Therefore, business mergers are encouraged with this subsidy.

In an example it might look like this. Someone has a friend who does, for example, tailoring. He has a small workshop, but he is not against expanding it or changing models by purchasing new equipment.

The applicant submits a business plan, which indicates the economic effect of this acquisition: increased income of the enterprise, creation of new jobs, increased sales.

In fact, it turns out that a former unemployed person enters an already existing enterprise with his own capital. This option is welcome because the enterprise is already operating, it has proven itself, and this is a guarantee that the money will not be wasted.

But in order to receive a grant to open a small business, it is not at all necessary to have friends who are entrepreneurs. You just need to write a good business plan. And when going to the Employment Center with an application, you need to think carefully about everything. There are some things to always keep in mind:

The money allocated by the state does not cover all the costs of opening an enterprise. This means that in order to open this enterprise, you need to be ready to invest your capital.
The money received cannot be spent on wages.
All expenses must be documented. Purchased equipment requires sales receipts, which means it cannot be purchased secondhand. The rental of the premises will also have to be formalized.
At the end of the tax period, you will have to pay all tax rates.

If you still decide to apply for a government grant to start a business, then it’s time to start writing a business plan. Of course, you don’t have to write it yourself, but order it from a consulting agency. The funds invested in its writing will be documented (the agency will issue a receipt) and can be reimbursed through a subsidy.

A standard business plan includes the following points:

Name;
target;
tasks:
general provisions;
market analysis and marketing plan;
costs;
production schedule;
investments.

Let's consider each point separately.

Name. Here you should indicate that this is a business plan for, for example, a sewing workshop.
Target. This is where you should think seriously for the first time. Why is this enterprise being opened? Is there no one in the area to hem your trousers? City residents can't buy themselves a decent coat? Or maybe this particular workshop will sew coats 5 times cheaper than existing ones? In general, only the goal determines the means, and the direction of movement too. But, let's assume that the goal is defined. Let's move on to the next point.
Tasks. These are ways to achieve goals. Let's return to the sewing workshop. Most likely, someone already has someone to hem your trousers. We will dress the population. The goal is to dress well and cheaply, which means the task is to purchase economical equipment, find suppliers of inexpensive but good fabrics, and ensure the supply of cheap sewing accessories. Even renting premises at a reasonable price will help reduce the cost of products.
General provisions. Where will we work? What do we do? How much is it? Who is the ideal client? How much is he willing to pay? How will we sell the finished products? How will we advertise it?
Market analysis and marketing plan. To correctly describe this point, and it is very necessary, first of all, for the entrepreneur himself, you can do it in two ways. First, you can take a local business directory and see how many similar businesses exist in a given locality. For a formal business plan, we can limit ourselves to this by entering their number and imagining how we will withstand the competition. But, if you work seriously, then it is better to visit all these enterprises in person under the guise of a conditional client. This is the only way to draw a conclusion about their strengths and weaknesses. Something can be learned, but something, on the contrary, can be rejected. It is in this approach that the individuality of the enterprise is born, its unique flavor, which makes it possible to withstand competition.
Costs. They will definitely happen, they should be planned in advance. Costs include everything that is not pure profit: rent of premises, wages, costs of purchasing materials and even possible defects.
Production schedule. What, when and in what quantity do we produce?
Investments. When receiving a government grant to start a business, they provide a description of where the money received will be invested.

Basic mistakes

Beginning entrepreneurs often make mistakes when writing business plans. Among them following:

it cannot be stated that the money received in the form of a grant is the fixed assets of the enterprise;
public money should be only part of the investment;
you should not write that you are going to work alone: the more employees you specify, the greater social significance the entire project acquires;
the requirements are unproven: if some equipment is required, then it is necessary to prove that it is really needed;
vague requirements: you need to clearly indicate what the money is supposed to be spent on;
The distribution routes for manufactured products are not indicated (it is necessary to clearly indicate what is being supplied and where);
the business plan does not meet the volume criterion (a normally drawn up business plan is at least 60 pages of printed text);
low profitability of the project (the state is not interested in how much is enough for this or that citizen to live, it is interested in contributions to the budget - the more you earn, the more you give);
lack of project performance indicators: before writing a business plan, understand abbreviations such as NPV, IRR, BCR and PBP;
drawing up a business plan (you should strictly follow the proposed form and comply with all requirements).

Annual reporting

After a year of work, after receiving a grant, you will have to submit reports on the work of the enterprise - these are documents on the money spent, the results of the efficiency of the enterprise, and taxes paid.

Even if something went wrong, it will not be possible to close during the control year. You need to be prepared for this when applying for a government grant to start a business.

An interview on how to get 300,000 rubles to start a business is presented below.

Traditionally, any decision to start your own business always promises both bright prospects and unforeseen difficulties for the novice entrepreneur. Problems with suppliers, misunderstandings with clients, natural force majeure - all this leads to colossal expenses that were not included in the preliminary business plan. Limited capital is an integral “attribute” of a beginning entrepreneur, and each new material collapse can be a real blow to the gut. At the same time, not all young businessmen succeed in finding an investor and convincing him that it is reasonable to finance the project.

Grants for the development of small businesses, which are allocated under various public and private programs, are intended to save the situation and help the entrepreneur at an early stage.

What are these programs? Who can take part in the competitive selection? How are entrepreneurial funds allocated and distributed?

In this article we will understand the basic concepts and provisions of grant assistance in our country in 2019.

Read also: How to get a loan for small business development

What is a grant and the basic principles of its distribution

A grant for small business development is considered to be gratuitous financial assistance from government programs, projects, competitions, and financial institutions, allocated to aspiring entrepreneurs as an incentive for the presented implementation of a business model. This leads to an understanding of the main requirement for receiving a grant: the prototype of the idea and the business model must solve some social problem and provide obvious benefits.

In the traditional sense, there is a basic definition of how grant aid is distributed:

Firstly, the activities of a private businessman must relate to the production/sale of goods and services at the level of a small business;

Secondly, only entrepreneurs whose activities have been active for at least 12 months can count on participation in the state grant program, and this requirement automatically “weeds out” the youngest aspiring businessmen.

Thirdly, a mandatory condition for the provision of a grant is the “white” credit reputation of the grant candidate and the absence of any misunderstandings with the tax authorities.

All applications from applicants for participation in the small business support grant program are analyzed in detail by commissions specially created for this purpose, and sometimes this procedure can take a long time.

It must be said that the list of fundamental requirements can be expanded in accordance with programs in different regions of the Russian Federation.

Who provides this assistance and for what purposes?

In understanding grant activities, there is a significant distinction between sources of funding: money can be allocated by both public and private foundations. At the same time, representatives of both categories of funds can put forward a number of individual requirements for potential beneficiaries.

Let us note that the social component of business will always be a priority for selection by government funds. Supports the state and small businesses in the field of education and agriculture.

But commercial fund structures more often provide grant support to entrepreneurs in the field of economics, innovative startups, marketing analytics, medicine, etc.

It is important for an applicant for a grant to realize that in the event of a positive outcome and a monetary tranche is allocated to him, it is strictly prohibited to dispose of the funds at his own discretion or use them for personal needs. The purposes of financing must be declared in advance. The Commission welcomes the purchase of equipment for the production and implementation of innovative technologies. Money may be allocated for renting a site or purchasing raw materials. A controversial point is the cost of wages to employees. If private foundations allow such an appointment, then the public foundation will consider it inappropriate.

Requirements for applicants

In addition to the main general criterion - the relationship of the activity to the category of small business, Federal Law No. 209 offers details of the conditions for belonging to it, and, accordingly, the possibility of admission to the grant competition. This document clearly regulates

criteria by which a business activity can be determined to be eligible for investment with the help of a grant. Among them are the following requirements:

registration of a legal entity in accordance with all required standards;

the presence of a certain number of official jobs;

the entrepreneur must have a certain level of income for the calendar period;

training in entrepreneurial fundamentals at the small business support fund in relation to the region of residence.

It is also important to remember that the competitive selection commission will monitor the possibility of providing grants to applicants in the past, and if this fact is confirmed, you most likely will not have to count on a new grant.

Procedure and conditions for receiving grants

As mentioned above, the key conditions for success for a worthy applicant, in the opinion of the commission members, are the economic feasibility of the project, innovation, demand for the product or service, and, of course, social significance for society.

Where should you start if you decide to embark on the difficult path of competitive selection for a potential grant?

First, you need to “polish” all aspects of your business plan: it should be as clear and structured as possible, understandable in its purpose and the usefulness of its results.

Next, contact the small business support fund in your region. The fund's employees will fill out the entire package of necessary documents and help you formulate an application for consideration by a special grant commission.

Thirdly, the applicant must not have any financial debts to tax authorities and other financial institutions.

List of documents for receiving a grant

The procedure for preparing the package needed to participate in a grant competition for aspiring entrepreneurs in 2019 is quite simple. Let's look at what documents are required in the competitor's application.

Business plan for the project: clear and structured in its abstracts. Here it is necessary to indicate the time frame, cost limits, and detail the possible risks. The more details, the better.

Passport (original and copy) of a Russian citizen;

Certificate of registration of an individual entrepreneur;

Charter documents of the enterprise (originals and copies) and a document confirming that this type of business belongs to the category of small;

The application itself, drawn up according to a template (it will be provided by the small business development fund at your place of residence).

However, this list is only a basic list of key documents and may be partially modified depending on the rules of various fund programs.

In what cases can they refuse?

It’s interesting, and sometimes offensive, but even following a clear order in preparing documents and writing out, at first glance, an absolutely brilliant business plan does not provide any guarantees that grant funding will be allocated for your idea. "Why?" - you ask, and we will answer: often enthusiasm alone will not be a sufficient argument for the commission distributing grants.

It is very likely that you will be denied support if they do not find evidence of work experience in this activity, or if past experience suddenly turns out to be a failure.

Irrational use of grant support funds (if this happened in the past) can also leave a negative imprint on the decision of the competition commission.

But those who are most likely to be denied a grant to support business are companies from those areas of activity that funds are prohibited from financing by law. This is justified by the fact that their business is not socially significant and does not develop the economy of the region, or the country as a whole. These include:

Credit communities, investment funds, insurance companies, pawnshops and currency brokers;

Lottery and bookmaking companies;

Companies that produce or sell products subject to excise taxes (passenger cars and motorcycles, fuel, cigarettes and alcoholic products).