Methodological approache to assessing bank support for small business development

The subject of the study is the bank’s activities in the field of financial support for the development of small businesses and the assessment of its effectiveness. In this context, the need to apply a dualistic approach is justified since it is important to assess both the actual financial effectiveness of the bank as a specific type of business unit and the bank’s contribution to the development of the country’s economy through the financial channel of promoting the development of small businesses as a socially significant institution. The article substantiates that it is appropriate to consider the assessment of the economic efficiency of banking support for the development of small businesses using a subject-functional approach, namely, by identifying direct and indirect subjects of the studied process, namely banks, insurance companies, specialized ministries, specialized agencies for the development of entrepreneurship, consulting centers for small businesses. For each of the specified subjects, the criteria of economic efficiency and objects of assessment are substantiated, which are derived from the subjects’ functionality. It is also advisable to consider the economic efficiency of banking support for small businesses depending on the conditions of its implementation – exclusively based on commercial, economically oriented, or budget-private financing. The financial conditions for providing banking support to small businesses, that is, the origin of funds and the conditions for their provision to business entities, affect the content of the economic efficiency of the studied process, the object, goal, and tools for its provision. Conclusions are drawn about the need to introduce a set of statistical indicators for public observation that characterize the state of entrepreneurship development under the influence of state business support programs. It is substantiated that any changes in the conditions of support for SMEs, which are implemented, including through attracting taxpayer funds, should be preceded by comprehensive indicative monitoring of effective indicators of economic efficiency of support for business entities. Keywords: bank, efficiency, efficiency criteria, small business, state program to support small business.