Assessment of the Importance of Measures of State Support for the Development of Small and Medium-Sized Enterprises in the Subjects of the Russian Federation

The study is devoted to assessing the importance of measures of state support for small and medium-sized businesses in the subjects of the Russian Federation. Small and medium-sized enterprises play an important role in the national economy, contributing to GDP growth, job creation and innovation. Government support for SMEs in Russia is represented by various measures, including financial, property, information, consulting and educational forms aimed at creating favorable conditions for the development of entrepreneurship. The author considers the theoretical and methodological foundations of SME support, including a review of the literature (identification of the most significant support measures) and regulatory legal acts. Support measures are also analyzed, and reviews of successful international and Russian practices are provided. The most significant support measures were determined based on the analysis of panel data for 85 subjects of the Russian Federation over the past 4 years. The data array contains information about the number of recipients of each type of support and the amount of support provided. The results of the study showed the most significant support measures, such as educational programs and modules, organization of participation in exhibition and fair events, provision of benefits and deferrals on lease payments, transfer of real estate for rent, as well as financial support - financial leasing and leasing, provision of guarantees and sureties. As a result, the clustering of regions was carried out according to the levels of the most effective support measures. Based on the results of the study, recommendations were made to groups of regions. The proposed recommendations can contribute to improving the investment climate in the regions, increasing the share of small businesses in GDP and creating new jobs, which, in turn, will reduce social tensions and improve the quality of life of the population.