Relevance. The relevance of the problem stated in the article is defined by the fact that entrepreneurial universities have become one of the most important condition for the development of an innovative economy these days. As the experience of developed countries shows, only the interaction of universities and business can cause rapid innovation processes in the economy, actualise research in the areas necessary for the economy, develop innovative products in demand by society and their rapid commercialisation. The development of entrepreneurial institutions in the Republic of Kazakhstan is vital for sustained economic growth. The reason for this is the need to develop an innovative economy in the country, which should contribute to bringing national enterprises to a new level of international competitiveness.Purpose. The purpose of the article is to study the essence and features of the development of entrepreneurial universities in the Republic of Kazakhstan.Methodology. The leading method to study this problem is empirical, namely, the study of the regulatory framework and the practice of creating entrepreneurial universities.Results. As a result of the study, it was discovered that the entrepreneurial component in the activities of universities in Kazakhstan is underdeveloped, which reduces their competitiveness, especially at the international level. In addition, the interaction between business and universities is not well established. The main causes and consequences of this problem are considered, acceptable models of interaction are identified.Conclusions. The need to create and develop entrepreneurial universities sets the task for the state to discover more considerable incentives that promote closer cooperation between universities and commercial organisations. This will allow solving issues not only of conducting and financing research, training more qualified personnel, but also issues of rapid commercialisation of innovations, which will entail the development of an innovative economy.