SEBRAE SP

Strategic direction is set by the State Deliberative Council, chaired by Manuel Henrique Farias Ramos. Day-to-day execution falls to Superintendent Director Nelson Hervey Costa and Technical Director Marco Vinholi. The council also includes representatives from FIESP and FECOMERCIO-SP, ensuring the agency's programming aligns with the priorities of São Paulo's industrial and commercial sectors.

SEBRAE SP is funded through a compulsory 0.3% levy on the payroll of industrial and commercial firms in São Paulo State, plus a supplemental 0.6% contribution channeled from corporate income tax withheld at source. This mechanism was established by Brazilian Federal Law 8.029/1990 and ensures the agency's budget is recurring, large-scale, and independent of investment returns.

No. SEBRAE SP does not take equity or pursue financial returns. It operates as a grantmaker, technical assistance provider, and credit guarantee backstop. Its programs are designed to improve survival rates, productivity, and access to credit for small businesses — outcomes measured in employment and economic activity rather than IRR.

SEBRAE SP's sourcing is unmatched in geographic breadth within Brazil. Its network of 33 regional offices across São Paulo State screens entrepreneurial activity across all 645 municipalities. For innovation-stage companies, its partnership with SOSA provides structured access to the New York and Tel Aviv startup ecosystems through dedicated acceleration programs.

FAMPE (Fundo de Aval para as Micro e Pequenas Empresas) is a credit guarantee fund operated by SEBRAE SP that backstops bank loans made to qualifying micro and small enterprises. By absorbing a portion of default risk, FAMPE encourages commercial banks to extend credit to businesses that would otherwise struggle to meet collateral requirements. The fund was expanded in late 2023 to increase its coverage across São Paulo State.

SEBRAE SP is a government agency — specifically, a quasi-public, non-profit entity within Brazil's 'Sistema S' network of industry-funded social services. It is not a family office, wealth manager, or investment fund. It does not manage private capital or seek financial returns. Its mandate is public policy execution: strengthening small businesses to drive employment and regional development in São Paulo State.

Both FIESP (the Federation of Industries of São Paulo State) and FECOMERCIO-SP (the Federation of Commerce of São Paulo State) hold seats on SEBRAE SP's State Deliberative Council. This governance structure ensures that the agency's programming — credit guarantees, startup acceleration, technical training — is calibrated to the real-time needs of the state's industrial and commercial employers.