Anton Sorokin: “You’ll Have Support if You Have a Goal”

July 9 is the second day of the Inter-Regional Youth Forum, “Innovation: Krokhal 2014”. After charging exercises and tasty breakfast, all the participants gathered to listen to the lecture on “Mobilization of federal funding for innovative projects, experience of the Promoting Innovations Fund”. Anton Sorokin, curator of “UMNIK” organization team from the Fund for Assistance to Small Innovative Enterprises in Science and Technology (FASIE ST), came from Moscow to tell the participants of the forum about how to get the money for the project.

Anton Sorokin told that at the time, the Fund was established in order to avoid “brain drain”. There were many projects, but no funding. Thus, specialists had to seek help abroad, or stop doing their projects. Over the years, FASIE ST became stronger and turned into a large organization, which now promotes young specialists. Foundation for Assistance to Small Innovative Enterprises in Science and Technology implements programs to support small innovative enterprises, which are aimed at the creation of high-tech products. There are some programs, which are financed from the Fund. They are medicine, chemistry, ecology, innovation, etc.

Selection takes place in several stages. For example, at the wish of student, project is considered at the higher education institution, then at the regional, and then at the federal levels. “It is possible to get money. Many people are convinced of this”, says Anton Sorokin.

Fund allocates different means, but whether it is 400 000 rubles, or one million, it is the first big contribution to the future of the project. Fund staff knows that innovation and different ideas and, consequently, the future of the country as a strong modern state, depends on the support.