More than 50 participants of the "YOUR business" project joined the business games.

      September 4, 2026 5:00 PM Economy 55 participants of the "YOUR business" project joined business games in eight municipalities of the Nizhny Novgorod region. The events took place in the Chkalovsky, Balakhna, Vad, Volodarsk, Pavlovsk, Semyonov, Sergach, and Uren districts. The "YOUR business" project is implemented by the Ministry of Industry of the Nizhny Novgorod region and the regional center "My Business" with the support of the branch of the "Defenders of the Fatherland" fund, the "Work of Russia" personnel center, the regional Ministry of Demography and Human Capital Development, and the Center for Social Sphere Innovations in accordance with the goals and objectives of the federal project "Small and Medium Entrepreneurship" of the national project "Effective and Competitive Economy." "The 'YOUR business' program is designed as a unique practice where veterans of the special military operation and their family members can develop their projects from scratch. Participants received training in the basics of entrepreneurship, studied current trends in business, and acquired the necessary knowledge to launch their own ventures. At the business games, together with mentors, they applied this knowledge in practice: identified target audiences, studied the market, calculated necessary investments, and structured their ideas into ready-made projects. The 24 best projects received certificates worth 100,000 rubles for promotion on social networks and the opportunity to present their initiatives in a competitive selection in Nizhny Novgorod," said Maxim Cherkasov, Minister of Industry, Trade, and Entrepreneurship of the Nizhny Novgorod region. The best initiatives were recognized in various fields: wood and metal production and processing, production of paving stones and curbs, epoxy resin products and knives, sewing production, beekeeping, and the production of hot and cold smoked products. The winners also plan to develop services in the fields of car repair, public catering, and trade, including a café-bakery and a pancake house, as well as a car workshop and a service for gearbox repairs. Among the social and educational projects are a children's dance school, a military-patriotic camp for children, and training in effective communication in media. Experts included heads of enterprises, active entrepreneurs, and representatives of business associations in the region. They helped participants assess the viability of ideas, find growth points, and consider the real conditions of doing business. The winner of the business game in the Uren municipal district was veteran Vasily Pospelov. In his homeland, the Tonkin municipal district, he is developing a beekeeping farm called "Gifts of the Earth of the Old Believers." Vasily has been engaged in beekeeping for nine years. Initially, the apiary was part of a personal subsidiary farm, but today it is a full-fledged business project. The apiary contains 50 bee families. Before participating in the special military operation, Vasily worked in a real estate agency. He went to the special military operation zone as part of a group from the Nizhny Novgorod Cossack Society. After completing his contract, he returned home and decided to focus on agriculture. "Now my task is to turn the apiary into a sustainable business that will generate income. I use state support comprehensively for the development of the project. Experts from the regional center 'My Business' help me select suitable tools. I have already become a winner of the 'Agromotivator' grant competition and completed training at the 'Farmers' School' through the regional Ministry of Agriculture. I joined the 'YOUR business' project to expand my knowledge in entrepreneurship. The program thoroughly covered the financial model, and together with my mentor, we refined the project and determined how to promote it. As a result of the business game, I received a certificate worth 100,000 rubles for promoting the project on social networks. A group has already been created on social networks, and the first sales will begin through it soon. In the future, I plan to combine beekeeping, agritourism, and social initiatives into one project. I want to engage in this business permanently, develop it, and earn income from it," said Vasily Pospelov. It is worth noting that the "YOUR business" project helps veterans of the special military operation and their family members go from a business idea to opening their own business. With the support of the Governor of the Nizhny Novgorod region, Gleb Nikitin, 10 million rubles have been allocated from the regional budget in 2026 to compensate for expenses related to entrepreneurial activities for participants of the "YOUR business" project. In addition, the 10 best initiatives will receive assistance in creating a trademark, developing a website, and advertising promotion. Training on packaging businesses into franchises is provided for active entrepreneurs, and the five best will be helped to bring projects to this stage. The subsidy will reduce the financial burden and create additional opportunities for business expansion. The "YOUR business" project will be implemented until September 2026. Also, as part of the project, participants undergo professional diagnostics at the "Work of Russia" personnel center and receive support from the branch of the State Fund "Defenders of the Fatherland." It is expected that more than 190 people will participate in the "YOUR business" project during its implementation. It is worth noting that all measures to support business at the federal and regional levels can be found at the "My Business" center (mybusiness52.rf), which operates within the framework of the federal project "Small and Medium Entrepreneurship" of the national project "Effective and Competitive Economy." The center has a hotline "My Business," where all necessary information can also be obtained. The hotline phone number is 8 (800) 301-29-94 (the call is free). The national project "Effective and Competitive Economy," initiated by the President of the Russian Federation Vladimir Putin, will become the main tool for forming a new growth model. It includes federal projects aimed at developing small and medium entrepreneurship, increasing labor productivity, growing investment activity, low-carbon development, and developing the state system of statistics and forecasting. NIA "Nizhny Novgorod" has channels on Telegram and MAX. Subscribe to stay updated on the main events, exclusive materials, and operational information. Copyright © 1999—2025 NIA "Nizhny Novgorod." When reprinting, a hyperlink to NIA "Nizhny Novgorod" is mandatory. This resource may contain materials 18+