The start-up version of the NICA/MPD project is determined in accordance with the strategy of its staging. At the initial stage, the elements required for completing the BM@N experiment using an extracted beam and the test of MPD elements at a luminosity no less than 5 × 10²⁵ cm^–2 s^–1 will be put into operation. The equipment configuration and strategy of the NICA collider operation during its commissioning are presented in this article.