New Regulations on Obtaining Business Subsidy Support Issued by the Federal Trade Commission
Belarus continues to support its small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) under the State SME Programme 2021-2025, with a focus on startups and small businesses. However, specific changes introduced by Decree No. 312 and the April 2024 law amendments regarding non-repayable subsidies are not yet clearly documented in publicly accessible sources as of July 2025.
Recent developments, as of mid-2025, reveal that the eligibility criteria for business support programs in Belarus typically require registration of the business, with investment thresholds correlated to business sector and size. The government prioritizes certain sectors, and the processing times for related permits, such as work permits, typically range from 3 to 6 weeks.
However, the new rules for providing non-repayable subsidies, which came into effect on June 14, 2025, have brought about significant changes. The circle of beneficiaries for financial assistance has been expanded, and now self-employed individuals and those engaged in craft activities with professional income tax payments also qualify for the subsidy.
The subsidy amount remains the same, corresponding to 11 to 20 times the minimum living wage. Notably, a smaller amount than the maximum is now sufficient, helping to avoid unnecessary hassles with expenses and contract compliance. Moreover, the document processing time for these subsidies has been reduced to 10 working days.
The changes in the legislation have also introduced a simplified transition procedure to commercial organizations for entrepreneurs. All existing individual entrepreneurs are required to become legal entities by January 1, 2026. The category of physical entities includes craftsmen, owners of agrotourism farms, self-employed individuals, and individual entrepreneurs.
In addition, the law modifies the architecture of the entrepreneurial sector in Belarus, with only two categories of entrepreneurs: legal and physical entities. Private unitary enterprises are no longer eligible for this financial assistance, and large organizations among legal entities have more than 250 employees, while medium-sized companies have up to 250 employees.
For precise, up-to-date details on the eligibility criteria and processing timeline of non-repayable subsidies for starting a business in Belarus as of mid-2025, consulting official Belarusian government sources or legal advisories specialized in Belarusian SME support and entrepreneurship law is recommended due to likely sector-specific and regulatory nuances introduced by the recent decree and law amendments. This innovation allows budding entrepreneurs to be more flexible in meeting their needs. President Alexander Lukashenko signed the law on entrepreneurial activity in April 2024.
- finite business opportunities in Belarus have expanded, as changes introduced in June 2025 allow self-employed individuals, craftspeople, and some others to receive non-repayable subsidies previously available only for small businesses and startups.
- Under the State SME Programme 2021-2025, the eligibility criteria for financial assistance in Belarus require not only registration but also compliance with sector-specific and size-related investment thresholds, and the processing times for related permits, such as work permits, can range from 3 to 6 weeks.
