Yesterday (April 11), the United States government signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) between the Organization of American States (OAS) and Sebrae that implements the Small Business Development Center (SBDC) methodology in Brazil. The partnership seeks the country's post-pandemic economic recovery, intensifying its relevance in expanding prosperity to more members of society and strengthening trade and investment, job creation and innovation.

The MOU concluded ten years of negotiation, during which it received support from US Secretary of State Anthony Blinken and Assistant Secretary for Economic Development José Fernandez. The program is funded by the US Mission to the OAS and implemented by the University of Texas San Antonio (UTSA). It is expected that, in this first semester, the methodology will come into operation in the states of Minas Gerais, Mato Grosso do Sul and Rio Grande do Norte.

The president of Sebrae, Carlos Melles, said that the signing of the agreement represents an advance for Brazilian micro and small companies, which will be able to take advantage of the Small Business Development Center methodology, which boosts the results of entrepreneurs, with great possibility of measuring data. “The US has always been a model of development for Brazil and a trading partner, an example of a vibrant economy. Sebrae will provide the best possible conditions for the execution of this project”, he stressed.

Melles also highlighted the preponderant role of micro and small businesses for the national economy. “The entrepreneurial spirit has been growing a lot in Brazil. MSEs account for 99% of companies in the country, almost 30% of GDP and more than 44% of the wage bill,” he said. In addition to formalizing entrepreneurs, Melles stressed that Sebrae is establishing partnerships to increase competitiveness, promote training and job creation, and companies' access to credit.

Cooperation to recover the economy 

The ambassador representing Brazil at the OAS, Otávio Brandelli, emphasized the work of Sebrae in Brazil, “which has this profile of encouraging competitiveness and productivity, joining efforts for cooperation. This can go even further.”

“We have great expectations that the SBDC model will bring success to Brazilian entrepreneurs, moving them forward in the country's post-pandemic recovery and, thus, including a broader swath of society in this economic growth. We hope that micro, small and medium-sized companies, by connecting to the BCPS global network, can find new business opportunities to increase their competitiveness and help increase their sales in the Americas and abroad”, said the charge d'affaires of the US Embassy. , Douglas Koneff.

For Sebrae's technical director, Bruno Quick, the agreement will make it possible to increase Sebrae's ability to boost entrepreneurship in the country, especially in the post-pandemic period. “We can change Sebrae's performance level. We will seek to join efforts to work more and more effectively, which is a characteristic of North American culture”, he commented.