OREANDA-NEWS. November 22, 2011. The contest commission of the Ministry of Economic Development of Karelia has considered grant applications of the operating innovative companies of the republic. As a result, ten out of 14 applicants have received positive evaluations. They have been granted financial assistance within the Program of the Republic of Karelia for Small and Medium Business Development. In total it was distributed 40 million roubles involved from the federal budget within the scope of co-financing of the Program.

In the course of consideration of applications Valentin Luntsevich, Chairman of the contest commission, Deputy Head of the Republic of Karelia and Minister of Economic Development, has mentioned that the submitted projects obviously possess serious innovative potential, and for the enterprises itis a new stage in developing their production. Extension of grants to the innovative companies is a part of financial support for development of small business of Karelia. In total in 2011 on grants to novice entrepreneurs, grants to the operating innovative companies, training programs and other kinds of support from budgets of all levels it was issued about 100 million roubles.

Valentin Luntsevich has also visited a number of innovative companies that were issued grants, and has discussed existing problems and ways of their solution with their directors. Thus, Director General of Proryv research and development company Vyacheslav Tukhas has told that now for small companies in Petrozavodsk the most urgent issue is rent of production space. Creation of a technopark for stationing of small enterprises paying fixed rental should solve the problem. Valentine Luntsevich, in turn, has noted, that the issue of establishing a technopark in Karelia remains open: work in this direction proceeds. Head of the economic agency has also informed that positive results are achieved through republican financial support of participation of Karelian enterprises in Russian and international exhibitions: thanks to presentations held this year a number of innovative companies have already secured production orders.

Grants for developing of production – up to 5 million roubles – were issued to the following companies: Shungiton Ltd. – for the project of creating of experimental-industrial installation for production of schungit carbon nano-structures. Proryv research and development company will purchase a processing center to produce metering devices. Stalinvest enterprise has received a grant for organization of production of sport equipment. Nelan-Oxide Ltd. uses means of financial support for creation of a system for monitoring products of molecular and atomic structure. Funds for expansion of production of heat-accumulating heating furnaces were also issued to Energoresurs-t company. Stroitehnika Inc. will get the equipment to produce vacuum filters used in ore-dressing and processing industry. The project of Onegokart company concerning purchasing special equipment for production of electronic equipment has also received positive evaluation. With support of the grant the company of Opti-Soft intends to start development of the high technology software for planning and production control systems. Financial assistance for development is also issued to InvestBusinessConsulting company and Engineering Centre of Fire Robots FR.