Role of Universities in the Infrastructure to Support Small and Medium-Sized Business

The purpose of this work is to analyze activities of existing infrastructure facilities that support small and medium-sized businesses in the Russian Federation within the framework of the theoretical paradigm of national projects and state programs, to identify contradictions between the declared goals (tasks) and the actual achieved results, and to justify the role of universities in this process. Universities are considered as scientific and training centers for development of entrepreneurial culture and creation of entrepreneurial spirit. In this regard, the author justifies the need to review existing approaches to the entrepreneurship support, in particular in the youth environment, taking into account functions that higher education institutions implement and their potential in this area.