Ilsur Metshin announces the launch of city grants for startups at a meeting with entrepreneurs

Important news has been announced today at the meeting of the coordinating council for the support of small and medium-sized businesses, which was held at the Saidash cultural center.

Coworking in each district

The meeting was held in a new format for entrepreneurs of the strategic session. Market participants identified the main challenges for their business and after brainstorming suggested solutions.

The issue of the cost of rental premises and, as a result, the lack of comfortable working places, was raised by representatives of marketplaces. They proposed to create a business coworking center in the city.

The issue of coworking for marketplaces owners will be resolved in the near future, I. Metshin supported. In the first phase, an office premises on Kosmonavtov Street will be provided for these purposes. The Mayor instructed all the heads of the districts to find similar premises suitable for entrepreneurs, which will be used for coworking centers.

Grants for successful startups

The pilot implementation of any new product requires large financial investments – this problem was voiced by Kazan startup entrepreneurs. They noted that it is necessary to establish interaction between startup developers and local governments through city competitions, which could provide financial support to startup entrepreneurs.

The Mayor of Kazan, after listening to the opinions of entrepreneurs, instructed to hold a competition in the city for grant support for startups.

“Social entrepreneurship requires special attention”

Representatives of social entrepreneurship highlighted the problem of low awareness of the population about services. They proposed to integrate the internet portals of socially-oriented enterprises with the government agencies websites, as well as to focus on the creation of videos with social advertising.

“It is vitally important that people know that there are social entrepreneurs who work with vulnerable population. There are rehabilitation centers, boarding houses, enterprises for sewing work uniform. People should know about this”, - said Daliya Gainanova, Kazan City Duma deputy and the owner of an atelier for sewing clothes for children with disabilities.

“You are doing a very important job and people really need it to know about it. - The Mayor agreed. He noted that the issues of social entrepreneurship require special attention”.

It is planned to develop a special app for businessmen

The Mayor also supported the idea of creating a special app for entrepreneurs, which would accumulate all the relevant information about business and available support measures. “A lack of awareness of small and medium – sized businesses about support is one of the major problems, - said Marat Akhmatov, Adviser to the Chair of the Chamber of Commerce and Industry of Tatarstan. – We propose to create a clear and simple mobile application that will establish communication between the government and the business community. Businessmen will be able to receive notifications about new support measures”.

All the issues voiced by entrepreneurs at the session will be reviewed in detail, said the business ombudsman of Kazan Mikhail Kuznetsov.