The Foundation for Assistance to Small Innovative Enterprises in Science and Technology (hereinafter - the Foundation) is a non-profit organisation established as the federal state budgetary institution in 1994. The Foundation is coordinated by the Supervisory Board, which is approved by the Government of the Russian Federation. The main objectives of the Foundation include:

• Implementation of the State policy on development and support of small enterprises in scientific and technical sphere;
• Direct financial, informational and other aid to small innovative enterprises which develop and implement new types of high-tech products and technologies based on the intellectual property of these enterprises;
• Establishment and development of infrastructure to support small innovative business;
• Promoting new job creation for efficient use of scientific and technological capacity existing in the Russian Federation;
• Attraction of extra-budgetary investments into small innovative business;
• New hires’ training (including involvement of young people in innovative programmes).

The Foundation currently implements the innovative development programmes which aim to create new and develop already existing high-tech companies, commercialize scientific and technological activities, attract investments into small innovative businesses and create new jobs. By implementing these objectives, the Foundation annually provides financial support to more than 1,500 small innovative enterprises. During the history of its operations, the Foundation received more than 55,000 applications for all announced programs, concluded more than 13,000 contracts for research and development, supported more than 12,000 young innovators and created more than 4,500 startups.
Participation of small innovative companies in the Fund's programs allows to drive scientific ideas to sustainable business creation which becomes attractive for domestic and foreign investors. Innovative projects of enterprises are assessed by the independent expertise on their scientific and technological novelty, feasibility and market sales potential.
Regional representatives of the Foundation are active in 65 regions of the Russian Federation. The main priorities of the Fund in the upcoming years encompass:

• Implementation of programmes to support small innovative enterprises that implement scientific and technological projects fitting the corresponding priority areas of modernisation and technological development of the Russian Federation;
• Increasing the scale of seed and pre-seed funding for programmes, involvement of young people in innovations;
• One of the main priorities for the Foundation is to create sustainable interaction with development institutions, as well as active participation in implementation of innovative lift mechanism and support for small innovative businesses that are established in accordance with №217-FZ (Federal Law);
• Further development of the regional network of representative offices of the Foundation, involvement of new regions in the innovation process;
• Provision of financial support in the form of grants to small innovative enterprises which are engaged in creation and promotion of centers focusing on certification of and obtaining patents for the intellectual activity of small innovative businesses;
• Promoting development of export-oriented small innovation business and international cooperation that will expand opportunities for the integration of Russian small innovative companies into the international innovation environment through cooperation with existing partners of the Foundation and attraction of new international organisations.