Penza, 6 June 2011. PenzaNews. The Head of the Department of Business Development of the Penza region Sergey Kapralov commented on the decision of the Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin about creating of a new institution — the Agency of the Strategic Initiatives.

Sergey Kapralov said: "It is necessary to point out that the special accent in the directions of the agency work was done on the medium businesses. The government of Russia considers the medium businesses as one of the basic components of the innovative development of the country. So it is the strategic decision".

The Agency of the Strategic Initiatives was created to support the unique socially important projects and initiatives of the medium businesses, assistance in professional mobility.

Sergey Kapralov said: "The medium businesses work in a highly competitive, a considerable number of workplaces is created by them, such enterprises have the possibility to introduce new innovative technologies. But, meanwhile, the medium businesses are vulnerable for global changes in the economics and that's why, they need state support".

He noticed also that this summer the regional department of the Development of Business would announce the contest for a new kind of state support for business — 500 thousand rubles grants.

Sergey Kapralov said: "During one to three years the enterprises working on the territory of our region can apply for these grants. They are not enterprises which have just entered the market at the startup stage and companies which have occupied their gap in the market and planning the following expansion and modernization".