Among the 2026 laureates are: SBU “Moszakupki”, ROSTIC’S, VTB Bank, SCU “Sotskaznacheystvo Moscow”, VTB Education, MTS, FONBET, NL company, EDINY TSUPIS, “EGIS-RUS”, “NIZHFARM” group of companies.
Behind the beautiful phrase “social project” today, there is increasingly a very specific question: what has changed as a result of its implementation? Assistance must be targeted, an educational initiative must provide practical skills, a medical project must reach those who find it difficult to obtain such help in the usual way. And, what is especially important for business, a working project gradually ceases to exist separately from the company’s main activities.
The program participants themselves directly point this out. “Good intentions are not enough for a social project: the effect must be verifiable. Therefore, business is moving from one-off actions to systemic projects with measurable results. A quality project is sustainable, scalable, and engages target audiences, and this can only be achieved in partnership with business, government, and NGOs,” noted Ekaterina Grishunina, head of the “MTS Nas Kasayetsya” project.
One example of such an intersection of social objectives and business practice is ROSTIC’S project “Ustrayvaysya” (Get Hired). “Initially, the “Ustrayvaysya” project, launched jointly with the “Otkryvaya Gorizonty” (Opening Horizons) foundation, was conceived as a social initiative – to give teenagers from orphanages the opportunity to try different professions and gain their first safe work experience. But in the very first year, it became clear: this is a story about mutual value. The children receive support and a first step into a profession, and the business gets motivated and loyal employees. Since 2025, more than 3300 children have participated in the project, 632 of whom have found employment: 137 people joined the ROSTIC’S team, and the rest were employed by partner employers,” shared Anna Muromtseva, HR Director of the ROSTIC’S fast-food restaurant chain.
A similar logic can be seen in educational projects. Here, businesses are less and less limited to the role of a sponsor and are increasingly becoming the authors of their own educational products – from school programs to financial lectures.
The SBU “Moszakupki” project, for example, has significantly increased its audience over the years. “The second victory in the “Best Social Projects of Russia” award proves that the project not only maintains a high standard but also develops with the city. Since 2015, the number of participants has grown from 88 to 4700 schoolchildren annually. Over 11 years, the project has covered more than 35 thousand children and has become extremely popular in the capital,” noted Evgenia Bondarenko, director of SBU “Moszakupki”.
At VTB, the educational agenda extends to a skill directly related to daily life – money management. Anna Kravets, Managing Director of VTB Education, shared: “Managing personal finances is a vital skill for modern people. To enable our clients, their loved ones, and anyone interested to develop this skill, the VTB Education team launched a financial literacy lecture series. Bank employees across Russia conduct hundreds of events monthly on a wide range of topics – from financial security to the basics of sound lending and investments.”
Moreover, an educational project no longer necessarily looks like a lecture or a classic lesson. VTB Education, for example, uses the format of a historical management simulation. Tatyana Vavilova, Director of VTB Education, said: “The historical management simulation “Gosudarev sovet pri Petre I” (Sovereign’s Council under Peter I) allows participants not only to immerse themselves in a historical era but also to experience firsthand the decision-making process in conditions of uncertainty, taking into account the interests of different parties, and to see the consequences of their choices. This format helps to rethink historical heritage in a new way and to see the connection between past decisions and future values, contributing to the implementation of the initiative “Historical Memory and Continuity of Generations” through educational technologies.”
In healthcare, a similar transformation is occurring in a different direction: the focus is gradually shifting from addressing existing problems to prevention and early intervention.
NL company addresses this task through the theme of nutrition and children’s education. Olesya Bal, CEO of NL company (“NL Continent”), noted: “We see our mission as making as many healthy people as possible in our country. An important step towards this goal is forming a culture of conscious eating from childhood. Therefore, we created “Culture of Nutrition” – a creative competition in which children learn the basics of a balanced diet through video podcasts and embody the acquired knowledge in their own creative works. Over two seasons, the project has united more than 4000 children from 26 countries. For us, this is a contribution to the health of future generations.”
Another aspect of the same topic is supporting families in difficult circumstances. Here, the project’s result is determined not so much by the scale of coverage as by how accurately help reaches those who need it.
“When a child finds themselves in a difficult life situation, the whole family needs support. It is important for parents to feel that they are not alone in their ordeal, and for the child, such help becomes part of the hope for recovery and a return to normal life. Therefore, the value of social projects lies primarily in their targeting, sustainability, and real ability to be there when it is especially needed,” says Natalia Maltseva, CEO of “EGIS-RUS”.
Another example is the mobile medical complex of the “NIZHFARM” group of companies, focused on preventive work and early diagnosis.
“The mobile medical complex is our practical contribution to the development of preventive medicine where it is especially needed. For us, it is important not only to provide patients with modern medicines but also to develop projects aimed at prevention, early diagnosis, and fostering a culture of health care,” commented Dmitry Isachenko, CEO of “NIZHFARM”.
The “Best Social Projects of Russia” program has existed for over 13 years. During this time, the agenda itself has changed significantly. If previously corporate social responsibility was more often associated with charity as a separate area, today the line between a social project and the company’s ordinary activities is becoming less and less obvious.
This best characterizes the projects of the 2026 laureates: the social objective ceases to be an appendage to the business and is increasingly integrated into it – through working with people, education, health, and regional development. And the main criterion is no longer the mere fact of the company’s participation in the social agenda, but how long and noticeably it can change the situation.