The article examines the economic and legal aspects of the functioning of the institute of public-private partnership (hereinafter - PPP) in view of the implementation of priority national projects and justifies an increase in the use of various forms of interaction between government and business in the conditions of overcoming the consequences of the global financial crisis and economic sanctions. The article reveals the problems of the conceptual framework in the studied field of relations and analyzes the doctrinal views on the question of the concept and forms of the PPP. There has been generalized the positive experience of some foreign countries associated with the use of certain forms and mechanisms of PPPs in view of possible adoption in the Russian practice. The article draws the conclusions on the establishment of new PPPs and the development of existing PPPs to ensure their effective functioning in certain social spheres.