Brazil's Ministry of Entrepreneurship Marks Two Years Boosting Small Businesses and Women Entrepreneurs

On January 16, 2026, Brazil's Ministry of Entrepreneurship, Microenterprise, and Small Business (MEMP) celebrated its second anniversary since its establishment by President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva in 2024. The ministry has been pivotal in consolidating strategic public policies to support the country's small businesses and promote socio-productive inclusion, benefiting over 25 million Brazilians, according to a report from the Portal do Comércio.

MEMP coordinates policies across microenterprises, small businesses, individual microentrepreneurs (MEIs), artisans, and cooperatives, which represent approximately 99% of all Brazilian companies. Key programs integrated by the ministry include Contrata+Brasil, which connects microentrepreneurs to public procurement opportunities, facilitating R$ 6.8 million in transactions in its first year. The ProCred 360 initiative has provided roughly R$ 4 billion in credit to 127,000 enterprises, offering favorable conditions especially for women entrepreneurs. To enhance financial support, the ministry also launched the Desenrola Pequenos Negócios program for debt renegotiation and the Acredita no Primeiro Passo microcredit initiative targeting historically marginalized groups.

Sustainable business practices are encouraged through the Empreender Clima program, which offers green credit at interest rates starting at 4.4% per year. The ministry has fostered formalization and modernization through tools like the Cartão MEI and MEI Conta com a Gente, which supply banking services and initial guidance to microentrepreneurs. Additionally, trade policies have been reshaped to improve small business access to export regimes traditionally used by larger companies.

Significantly, the Elas Empreendem strategy addresses women’s entrepreneurship by improving credit access and public policy support for women entrepreneurs. The Brazilian Handicraft Program has also been reinforced to boost artisans’ presence in local and international markets. Since the MEI program’s launch in 2008, active microentrepreneurs have surged from 44,000 to over 16.8 million, underscoring its importance in reducing informality and driving local economic development.

As it marks its second year, the ministry remains committed to enhancing Brazil's business environment and fostering inclusive, regional development through these structured policies and programs. This milestone reflects a consolidated national effort to empower Brazil’s vast network of small businesses and entrepreneurs, especially women, through comprehensive support mechanisms.