One of the priority tasks in the region is the development of small and medium-sized businesses.

Considering that lockdowns and restrictions on business activities were in place for almost the entire 2020, the support measures provided in 2021 were aimed at restoring business activity.

As of 01.01.2022 95.3 thousand business entities operate in the region with an increase of 5.7% by 2020, 243.5 thousand people are employed in this area (as of 01/01/22) - every third working resident of the region. In January-December 2021, the volume of their products reached 2,073.6 billion tenge, with an increase of 9.9% compared to the same period in 2020.

In 2021, 3,228 projects were approved for an investment of 131.4 billion tenge as part of the Business Road Map -2025 program. Compared to 2020, the number of funded projects increased by 7.6 times, and the amount of investments increased by 2.7 times. The state support measures provided under this program contributed to the development of the manufacturing industry, construction, trade, healthcare and education services, hotel business, etc.

As a result, 604 new jobs were created at the enterprises of the region . For 1 tenge of subsidies invested by the state, there are 12 tenge of investments. In 2021, the Karaganda region ranks 5th in the Republic of Kazakhstan in terms of the number of projects under the subsidy instrument.

In order to solve the problems of affordable lending for priority projects of the "economy of simple things" in the Karaganda region, 252 enterprises of potential participants in the program were identified for loans of more than 179 billion tenge, of which: 193 projects were approved (60.9 billion tenge ) , including in 2021 - 30 projects (36.6 billion tenge ) . The projects are aimed at the development of the agro-industrial complex, food and manufacturing industries.

The real support for business since 2017 has been the implementation of the new Program for the Development of Productive Employment and Mass Entrepreneurship. In total, in 2021, 745 microcredits were issued for 3 billion tenge, 1230 grants for 717.6 million tenge.

Considering the great need of businesses for concessional lending, since October 2021, micro-crediting has continued through the Atameken Karaganda MFO as part of the Employment Roadmap program . In 2021, 153 preferential microloans were issued in the amount of 903 million tenge.

In 2020, 1,705 start-up entrepreneurs were trained under the Bastau Business project.