RFRIT prepares new measure to support IT developers with marketing grants

CHELYABINSK. May 26 (Interfax) - The Russian IT Development Fund (RFRIT), the operator of state support for the development and rollout of digital solutions in Russia, plans to launch grants to support marketing for Russian IT developers that could total about 1.5 billion rubles, an advisor to the fund's CEO, Mikhail Azovtsev said.

"Often companies have a product, a very strong team of developers, but they don't really know what do next with the product, how to promote it, who to sell it to, how to build a marketing campaign. I expect that the new measure of support will help eliminate this gap and supplement support with grants for marketing. The amount of funds for this year and next is about 1.5 billion [rubles]," Azovtsev said Thursday at the first national forum Import Substitution: New Opportunities in Chelyabinsk.

However, the measure will only be launched after legal issues are resolved, he said. "At this point I'm not announcing that this program is operating, but I really hope that we'll announce this in the next month," Azovtsev said.

He recalled that the RFRIT is the largest provider of financial support for the IT sector in Russia. It handed out about 10 billion rubles in grants in 2019-2021, as a result of which more than 115 projects are being implemented and about 20-25 projects have been completed.

Companies can currently access 550 grants under government resolutions for the development and rollout of IT solutions.

"A competition for development [of IT solutions] is already underway, we're taking applications. More than 250 applications have already been submitted. A program to support rollout [of IT solutions], where an industrial enterprise rolls out Russian solutions, is being finalized. All that's left is to finalize tender documentation, go through minor approvals and we will announce soon that we're accepting applications for rollout," Azovtsev said.

He also said that there is a measure to support digitization of small and medium businesses launched in 2021 under which such businesses can buy the most popular solutions on the market at a 50% discount.