Participants benefits

Tax incentives

Project participants using the general taxation system will be granted the following incentives:

  • Exemption from profit tax.
  • Exemption from value-added tax (except for VAT paid for the import of goods to the Russian Federation).
  • Exemption from corporate property tax.
  • Reduced rate on insurance premiums – 14%.
  • Reimbursement (exemption from payment) on customs duty and VAT on goods imported for the construction and equipping of facilities at Skolkovo or for research activities at Skolkovo

The incentives for participants are not dependent on the area of activities within the project.

Additional financing

Members of the Skolkovo Foundation may be eligible for a grant to fund their projects. The amount of financing is dependent on what stage the project has reached.

Typical grants:

  • Concept stage (mini-grant) – up to 5 million rubles
  • Seed stage – up to 30 million rubles
  • Early stage – up to 150 million rubles
  • Advanced stage – up to 300 million rubles

Requirements for co-financing (% of total budget):

  • Concept stage (mini-grant) – no co-financing required
  • Seed stage – at least 25%
  • Early stage – at least 50%
  • Advanced stage – at least 75%

Micro-grant support:

Skolkovo Foundation residents can apply for micro-grants for the following purposes:

  • The protection of intellectual property (for example, to pay for the procedure of registering patents abroad) – up to 1.5 million rubles
  • Prototyping (for example, undergoing an independent test of a lab sample to confirm its properties) – up to 1.5 million rubles
  • Carrying out tests (for example, creating a prototype for the main body or mechanism of an electrical device) – up to 1.5 million rubles
  • Taking part in conferences and exhibitions (for example, taking part in a specialist international exhibition in order to demonstrate the company’s project) – up to 500,000 rubles.

More detailed information about micro-grants can be found here: http://sk.ru/foundation/grants-experts/p/grants-experts_microgrants.aspx

The main principles of grant funding are determined by the Grant Policy of the Skolkovo Foundation.

Services on preferential terms

The subsidiary companies of the Skolkovo Foundation provide project members with services on preferential terms:

Services offered by Skolkovo Technopark for project members:

  • Accounting (registration, recordkeeping, filing of reports)
  • Human resources recordkeeping and recruiting
  • Human resources recordkeeping and recruiting
  • Legal services
  • Consulting on accounting, tax and grant recordkeeping as well as compiling reports
  • Seminars and training

Intellectual property services

The Skolkovo Intellectual Property Center provides project members with the following intellectual property services:

  • Consultation on the patenting of technologies, intellectual property issues as well as issues related to the application of intellectual property legislation
  • The preparation and filing with the Federal Service for Intellectual Property (Rospatent) of patent applications for inventions, a utility model, industrial design as well as declarations on the state registration of programs for computer software and databases. Document management with Rospatent with regards to applications and declarations filed. The preparation of reports for expert evaluation requests
  • Representing the interests of project members in the chamber for patent disputes and courts as well as settling disputes with the assistance of a mediator. The preparation of the necessary documents
  • Pre-contract work. The preparation of draft contracts on the administering of rights to obtain a patent and exclusive rights (on the alienation of the right to obtain a patent, on the alienation of exclusive and licensing rights, on the pledge of exclusive rights, on changes to copyright holders, etc.), contracts on research, development and technological work, employment contracts as regards the ownership of rights to obtain a patent and exclusive rights. The preparation of internal documents for project members in matters of intellectual property, including the regulated relations of “employee – employer”
  • The filing of contracts on the termination of the exclusive right for state registration with Rospatent in instances specified by applicable law.

For all questions concerning intellectual property, please contact Vitaly Kastalsky, the general director of Skolkovo Intellectual Property Centre, by phone at: +7 (495) 967 01 48 (extension 2184) or by email at:VKastalskiy@sk.ru

Customs relief

The Skolkovo Innovation Center Customs Finance Company provides project members with the following services:

  • a customs representative for the import of goods required to perform research activities as well as for their use during the construction, equipping and fitting of real estate facilities at Skolkovo
  • consultation support as well as other related services required for the import of goods

Please note that the import of goods via the Customs and Financial Company is a mandatory condition to obtain reimbursement for the payment of the import customs duty and VAT as well as reduced tariff rates for the services of the customs representative (More...).

Preferential software

All residents of Skolkovo will have the opportunity to acquire software products from the leading software suppliers: Microsoft, Adobe, Abby, Parallels, Eset and others at significant discounts.

Simplified procedure for hiring foreign employees

The Skolkovo Foundation helps project members with foreign citizenship to prepare the necessary documents for employment in Russia and handles issues with the Federal Migration Service. In addition:

  • Foreign citizens employed by the Skolkovo project and their families are not subject to quotas thanks to the Federal Law “On the Skolkovo Innovation Center”
  • Family members of highly skilled foreign specialists involved in the project automatically receive permission to work in Russia

Information and PR support

Project members may count on information support for their activities under the project through various channels as well as assistance in organizing promotional and information activities. Services provided to project members include the following:

  • Information coverage of activities (the preparation and distribution of announcements and press releases, the publication of news, the preparation of press clippings)
  • The organization, preparation and support of conferences, seminars, exhibits, special projects and other events. Organizational and information support at events
  • The initiation and organization of television and radio coverage involving residents
  • Work with journalists’ queries as well as the organization of interviews and comments for the media
  • Promotion in the blogosphere, mentioning in press materials, continuous updates and the compilation of member contacts in the media databases