Innovative activity can be defined as a scientific and technical progress direction, and as the process connected with introducing the results of research and development in production. Russian economy devel-opment is based on the use of intellectual resource pro-viding maximum efficiency of production at the mini-mum level of material inputs. The small commercial enterprises carrying out active innovative activity al-lowing them to create new products and technologies with the minimum expenses play a key role. Recently the importance of innovations increases in the world. The state plays a crucial role in innovative activity development in Russia developing and realizing actions for the support of innovatively active enterprises. In the international practice, small business in market economy is the leading sector of economy, defining rates of its economic growth, structure and quality of GNP (gross national product). Experience of many small innovative enterprises functioning at higher education institutions has shown that their development will be successful only in case of coincidence of national objectives with interests of higher education institution, the management of the enterprise and its employees. Small innovative enterprises requires state support which is carried out in such forms as: creation of investment institutes; holding competitions of innovative projects and works leading to the development of innovative activity of the educational and research organizations, and business in general.