Alexander Dronov: Work on supporting small and medium-sized businesses is carried out continuously

A working meeting with representatives of small and medium-sized businesses was held at the My Business Center. It was attended by the Governor of the Novgorod Region, Alexander Dronov, a Russian Federation Senator, a member of the Federation Council Committee on Economic Policy, Evgenii Dietrikh, representatives of regional authorities, the Federal Corporation for the Development of Small and Medium-Sized Businesses, the Chamber of Commerce and Industry of the region, and business.
Alexander Dronov thanked Evgeny Dietrikh for his attention to the Novgorod business. Small and medium-sized businesses make a significant contribution to the region's economy. More and more residents of the region are eager to start their own businesses. There are 22,500 individual entrepreneurs and legal entities in the region, as well as over 50,000 self-employed individuals.
"We understand how important it is to support businesses. And it's not just about financing. Entrepreneurial activity is also influenced by the availability of conditions for product sales, exports, successful e-commerce, and other factors. Support for entrepreneurship should be multi-layered, clear, and transparent. In this regard, the SME Corporation is our reliable partner. We have been working closely with them since their inception. They offer entrepreneurs effective tools," the Governor said.

The Head of the Region also added that Novgorod entrepreneurs actively use the corporation's property, financial, and educational support, including through the Digital Platform of the SME. With the corporation's assistance, last year, participants of the SVO took part in the federal educational program "SVO business".
"Work on supporting small and medium-sized businesses is carried out continuously. But it cannot be effective without an open dialogue with entrepreneurs.
Today, they have the opportunity to talk about their difficulties and share their ideas. Thanks to Evgenii Ivanovich, these ideas can be broadcast at the federal level. I am confident that this meeting will improve the conditions for entrepreneurship in the region and give our businesses the opportunity to move forward," said Alexander Dronov.
Evgenii Ditrikh thanked the Governor and the Government for their support of business.
"The Federation Council also pays special attention to supporting entrepreneurship. The main task we face today is to exchange views and collect proposals on the difficulties and problems that our entrepreneurs face in the process of business development," said Evgenii Ditrikh.
Denis Nosachev, the Minister of Investment Policy of the region, focused on regional measures to support entrepreneurship at the meeting. He also reported that the volume of private investments in fixed assets increased to 89.5 billion rubles in 2025. The region ranks 9th in the National Rating of the Investment Climate. Over 5 years, 57 investment projects have been implemented, 48.6 billion rubles has been invested, and 2,460 jobs have been created. In 2026, 18 projects are planned to be completed.
In 2025, the Novgorod Small Business Support Fund provided microloans worth over 489 million rubles. The number of individual entrepreneurs and legal entities, as well as self-employed individuals, is increasing, and the number of people employed in SMEs has exceeded 108,000.
Natalia Korotchenkova, State Secretary and Deputy General Director of the Federal Corporation for the Development of Small and Medium-Sized Enterprises, also spoke at the meeting. She spoke about the possibilities of this development institute. In particular, the corporation has been working for 10 years on the main areas of business support measures. These are sales markets, preferential loans, and the protection of entrepreneurs' rights.

Boris Ivanov, Chairman of the Chamber of Commerce and Industry of the Russian Federation, spoke about the role of the Chamber of Commerce and Industry of the Russian Federation in supporting business. It is one of the largest business associations in the country, which consists of 130 regional and municipal divisions.