Guarantee breakthrough: SMEs of the Far East have attracted more than 50 billion since the beginning of the year

Since the beginning of 2025, entrepreneurs of the Far East from the segment of small and medium-sized businesses have been able to attract about 50.8 billion rubles using the mechanisms provided by participants in the National Guarantee System. According to the press service of the SME Corporation, the volume of such support increased by about 2.5 billion rubles, which is equivalent to an increase of 5% compared to the same period last year. Izvestia investigated what became the main factors of this growth, as well as what measures are planned to further increase the availability of guarantees for entrepreneurs in the region.

Key indicators

Small and medium-sized businesses are actively using the opportunities of preferential regimes operating in the Far East, the press service of Yuri Trutnev, Deputy Prime Minister and Presidential Plenipotentiary Representative in the Far Eastern Federal District, told Izvestia. The region has territories of advanced development (TOP), the Free port of Vladivostok (SPV) and the Arctic Zone of the Russian Federation (AZRF), in which 2,856 residents are registered, 2,488 of them are representatives of SMEs. During 2025, 260 agreements were concluded, and 232 of them were signed by small and medium-sized businesses.

"The total amount of investments provided for by the projects of the residents of the TOP, SPV and AZRF amounts to 9975.9 billion rubles, of which 4742.6 billion have already been disbursed, including 695.5 billion rubles invested in 2025," Trutnev's representatives noted.

Photo: IZVESTIA/Sergey Lantyukhov

At the same time, the share of SMEs accounts for 2504.3 billion rubles of planned investments. In fact, 759.1 billion rubles were sold, including 118.1 billion rubles this year.

One of the key sources of positive dynamics was the expansion of the share of investment projects, Alexander Isaevich, CEO of the SME Corporation, told Izvestia. If a year ago this indicator was at the level of 27.7%, now it has increased to 37.7%. In fact, we have almost reached a situation where local entrepreneurs use every second tool of the National Guarantee System to launch or develop investment projects. Since the beginning of the year, small and medium—sized businesses in the Far East have allocated 19.2 billion rubles for such purposes, which is 44% more than in the same period last year.

— According to the industry structure, several areas stand out especially noticeably, — he noted. — The largest increase occurred in the scientific and technical sphere, where the volume of financing with the use of state support measures has more than tripled. The development of infrastructure construction also made a significant contribution, with an increase of about 1.7 times. Manufacturing industries also showed positive dynamics, increasing the volume of support received by 11%.

The territory of growth: why investors prefer investments in the Far East

What role do government programs and support measures play?

Growth Tools

Entrepreneurs of the Far East are actively using the mechanism of "umbrella" guarantees of the SME Corporation, which allows them to cover up to 50% of the loan amount and provides access to financing even in the absence of the necessary collateral, Alexander Isaevich emphasized. At the same time, companies from large regions of the district, such as Primorsky and Khabarovsk Territories, actively use most of the available limits. To support businesses in the remaining territories of the Far Eastern Federal District, a separate additional limit of guarantees was opened for them this year in the amount of 7.7 billion rubles. This made it possible to attract debt financing for local SMEs totaling at least 15.4 billion rubles.

Photo: IZVESTIA/Anna Selina

— In addition, there is a separate limit on "umbrella" guarantees for regional banks that do not apply rating models when lending to SMEs. There are banks among them that are actively operating in the Far Eastern Federal District," he said.

Investment projects have become a key driver of increasing support for small and medium-sized businesses in the Far East since the beginning of 2025, Ekaterina Shveeva, Associate Professor of the Department of Management and GMU at the Faculty of Economics and Management at MGUT Razumovsky, noted in an interview with Izvestia. The financing raised for their implementation increased by 40% compared to the same period in 2024.

Keep the plan: deputies proposed to finalize the budget for 2026-2028

What goals are fixed in it as the main ones and what can interfere with the execution of the financial plan

In the future, it is planned to introduce a single preferential treatment for businesses, which will significantly simplify access to support tools and support for new initiatives of entrepreneurs, she recalled. Such a regime will include a differentiated set of benefits depending on the company's line of business, as well as the preservation of preferences for existing residents. This will create additional stability for investors who have already invested in the development of their projects, and will be an incentive to attract new capital investments to the region.

Thanks to this approach, she said, it is expected that SMEs will be able to develop production faster, innovate and increase the share of high-tech projects, which will generally strengthen the economy of the Far East.

Photo: IZVESTIA/Dmitry Korotaev

There is still a positive trend in investment in the Far East — its volumes continue to increase, despite the general economic stagnation, the director of the Research Center for Spatial Analysis and Regional Diagnostics at the Institute of Applied Economic Research (IPEI) told Izvestia Dmitry Zemlyansky Presidential Academy. A significant role in this process is played by the inflow of funds to small and medium-sized businesses, which is becoming an important driver of regional development. To support investment activity in the Far Eastern Federal District, an extensive system of measures has been formed, the key element of which is preferential treatment.

According to him, guarantees remain a particularly important tool for SMEs, allowing them to compensate for the limited collateral base, which is often the main obstacle when trying to obtain bank financing along with high interest rates. Such measures help entrepreneurs to attract loans for the implementation of new projects, modernization of production facilities and expansion of activities. In general, support for SMEs through guarantees and preferential conditions contributes to a more balanced growth of the region's economy and a stronger business environment.