OREANDA-NEWS. January 19, 2016. Moscow School of Management SKOLKOVO in partnership with the Zimin Foundation are launching a programme of educational grants for training under the SKOLKOVO Startup Academy programme. The programme is designed to support promising and innovative business projects proposed by young entrepreneurs.

The contest has three nominations. The best projects will be selected in the following areas: information technologies, biotechnology, and robotics technology.

Five participants with projects considered best by an expert jury will receive grants to study under the educational programme intended for those who want to start their own business or accelerate a current startup project. Training under the SKOLKOVO Startup Academy-9 programme will begin in February 2016.

“Direct support of programmes to develop small business and new technologies is part of the Foundation’s mission and our contribution to the transition to a knowledge-based economy,” said the representatives of the Zimin Foundation.

To participate in the grant programme, fill in an application on the website of the grant programme by January 31, 2016. The participants are required to provide a description of the business project, briefly describe its business model and explain its competitive advantage and novelty.

The programme provides three educational grants of RUB 500,000 each, one grant in the amount of RUB 400,000, and another in the amount of RUB 300,000. Thus, the grant programme covers from 40 to 80% of the cost of the Startup Academy training programme.

After the jury consisting of representatives of the Zimin Foundation and experts of the Business School evaluate the potential of each application, successful applicants will be invited to defend their projects in front of the contest committee in the SKOLKOVO Business School. The results will be announced at the awarding ceremony on February 18, 2016.