Background. In the context of the task of innovative development of business entities set by the Russian government and the simultaneous presence of crisis conditions in the economy, the improvement of management tools is becoming relevant. To date, the aspects of solving economic problems using outsourcing tools have not been sufficiently studied. There are problems associated with the insufficient development of the outsourcing methodology in the context of innovation. The article reveals the role of outsourcing in solving the problems of innovative development of enterprises, strengthening the competitive position, optimizing overhead costs. Materials and methods. Bibliographic methods were used to study the literature on the research topic, to identify the state of knowledge of the problem. Statistical methods were used to identify the level of involvement of manufacturing enterprises in innovative activities. Analysis to identify the problems of outsourcing use by Russian companies. Conclusions. The lag of Russia in terms of innovation activity in international comparison was revealed. In conditions of limited own resources and a high degree of risk of innovation, outsourcing can become a tool for the development of business entities in today’s dynamic economic conditions. The factors contributing to the development of outsourcing and possible limitations are identified.