SMB

We believe Azerbaijan’s socio-economic development is closely linked with entrepreneurship and its future development!

Training events are being conducted within the framework of the Business Partnership Programme 35 "Startup" Certificates have been issued during the elapsed period of the current year For the attention of entrepreneurs operating in the Gabala and Ismayilli Districts! Interest in SME Houses as an innovative model in the field of business services is increasing Additional 55 people were engaged in training within the framework of the “Karabakh SME 2026” project More than 312,000 services were provided to entrepreneurs in SME Houses in the first half of 2026 Applications of entrepreneurs were considered at KOBİA In the first half of 2026, the KOBİA Call Centre via number 131 responded to approximately 5,000 enquiries The next meeting within the framework of the "Investment Journey" project was held in the city of Aghsu Business projects that have received the "Startup" Certificate are developing

Issuance of investment promotion documents for strategic investment projects is being continued 01.04.26

For the purpose of expanding investment activity in Azerbaijan, further improving the business environment and increasing local production, the period for issuance of the investment promotion document has been extended until 1 January 2029. In this regard, based on the Decree of the President of the Republic of Azerbaijan dated 6 February 2026, the investment promotion document will be issued for projects in the following strategic directions:

- Production projects based on the local raw material base (metal ore, aluminium, oil, gas, chemicals, construction materials, cotton and cocoons);

- Energy production projects based on renewable energy sources;

- Waste management and recycling projects;

- Seawater desalination projects;

- Projects on the establishment of private industrial quarters and production projects implemented by residents of industrial quarters;

- Production projects of non-oil and gas industrial enterprises privatized through investment competitions held after 1 January 2023;

- “First in Azerbaijan” projects implemented in the direction of establishing economic activity fields that are organized for the first time in the Republic of Azerbaijan and that promote the level of self-sufficiency with local products (import substitution) or the increase of the export potential of the non-oil and gas sector;

- Production projects of medicinal products and pharmaceutical products (excluding packaging activity);

- Projects on repair of railway rolling stock and production of its spare parts;

- Production projects of military-purpose products.

Implementation of projects in the above-mentioned directions will increase the use of local raw materials and will serve import substitution and the increase of the export potential of the non-oil and gas sector. These initiatives will provide additional impetus to the development of the public-private partnership model, attraction of new technologies to the country and application of innovative solutions in the industrial sector.

An investment promotion document is a document that provides grounds for obtaining the benefits determined by the Tax Code of the Republic of Azerbaijan and the Law of the Republic of Azerbaijan “On Customs Tariff” for a period of 7 years from the date of obtaining that document. Projects for which an investment promotion document has been issued are exempt from land and property tax, as well as from customs duty and value-added tax (VAT) on the import of machinery, technological equipment and installations. At the same time, a 50% benefit is applied to profit tax or income tax for these projects.

It should be noted that the investment promotion mechanism has been applied in our country since 2016. Up to today, 632 investment promotion documents have been presented to 527 entrepreneurship entities. More than 550 projects for which investment promotion documents have been issued have started activity, and work on the establishment of the other projects is being continued. Up to today, 6,497 confirmation documents have been issued for the import of machinery, technological equipment and installations with a value of 1.4 billion US dollars, and entrepreneurs have obtained benefits in the amount of 337.9 million US dollars from taxes and duties applied to imports.

Entrepreneurs may apply to the Ministry of Economy or to SME Houses (Baku, Ganja, Khachmaz and Yevlakh cities) in order to obtain an investment promotion document.

Detailed information on the directions of strategic investment projects for which issuance of an investment promotion document is envisaged and on the documents required for obtaining the promotion document may be obtained by applying to the 131 Call Center of the Small and Medium Business Development Agency (KOBİA) under the Ministry of Economy.