SEBRAE - RS

What SEBRAE - RS does

SEBRAE-RS is the Rio Grande do Sul state unit of Brazil's national SEBRAE (Serviço Brasileiro de Apoio às Micro e Pequenas Empresas) system, a private non-profit entity established in 1972 to promote the competitiveness and sustainable development of micro and small businesses. The organization delivers a broad portfolio of services to entrepreneurs across all 497 municipalities of Rio Grande do Sul, including paid training courses (in-person and online via SebraE Tá On and the rs.loja.sebrae.com.br e-commerce platform), consulting services, major events such as Mercopar (industrial fair), ELI Summit (leadership), and FBV (Brazilian Retail Fair), the Unio marketplace connecting businesses with service providers, and digital self-service platforms (AMEI portal, Meu SEBRAE). Specialized programs target priority segments including agribusiness (Jovem SuperAgro with JBS/Seara, Agrofamília for post-flood family agriculture recovery), startups, retail, food and beverage, tourism, and fashion, with the Cidade Empreendedora program extending service delivery through partnerships with all 497 municipal governments in the state.

The underlying technology stack is described as standard digital platforms for course delivery, content distribution, and customer relationship management, with no proprietary technology or in-house AI/ML capabilities disclosed. The platform architecture integrates authentication via the AMEI system, course commerce, podcast and video distribution, and a service provider marketplace with quote-comparison features. Revenue is generated through a mixed model: paid training and consulting (professional services), event participation and ticket sales (transaction fees), the Unio marketplace (transaction-based/take rate with up to 40% discounts versus market rates), and free services funded by mandatory contributions from Simples Nacional-enrolled companies and government allocations. Go-to-market combines direct sales-led support, event-driven engagement, community-led municipal partnerships, and self-serve digital channels. The organization employs 101-250 people, is headquartered in Porto Alegre, and operates as part of the national SEBRAE system under statutory public-service mandate.

Name

SEBRAE - RS

Legal name

Serviço Brasileiro de Apoio às Micro e Pequenas Empresas

Website

https://sebraers.com.br

Company type

Private

Founded year

1972

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

101–250 employees

Short description

SEBRAE-RS is the Rio Grande do Sul state unit of Brazil's national SEBRAE non-profit system, providing training, consulting, events, and digital platforms to support micro and small businesses across all 497 municipalities in the state.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Porto Alegre

HQ country

Brazil

HQ region

Latin America

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure, Others

Revenue model

1. Training and Courses: Sebrae RS generates revenue through paid training programs, courses, and capacitations. These include both in-person and online courses with various price points, ranging from free content (Sebrae Tá On) to paid specialized training programs.
2. Consulting Services: The organization offers paid consulting services for businesses, including the Unio platform which connects businesses with consultants and service providers, generating transaction-based revenue with discounts up to 40%.
3. Event Participation: Revenue is generated through event participation including booth rentals, sponsorship packages, and exhibition fees at events like Mercopar, ELI Summit, and FBV.
4. Free Services and Government Funding: Many services are provided free of charge, funded through mandatory contributions from companies enrolled in Simples Nacional and government allocations. This includes MEI support, entrepreneurial education programs, and the Cidade Empreendedora municipal program.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels6 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

SEBRAE-RS provides training courses, consulting services, events, and digital content to support micro and small businesses across all 497 municipalities of Rio Grande do Sul. The organization delivers both free educational resources (online courses, MEI support) and paid specialized offerings (in-person training, consulting, event participation) through e-commerce, physical service units, and municipal partnerships. Core programs include business formalization support, sector-specific services for agribusiness, retail, food, fashion, and startups, and the Cidade Empreendedora municipal development program.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Unio: Platform for contracting services and consulting with discounts, connecting service providers with small businesses.
• Cidade Empreendedora
• Mercopar
• Sebrae Tá On

Products and services

• Capacitação (Training Courses) Paid in-person and online training courses covering topics including Good Manufacturing Practices for food commerce, digital marketing, financial management, MEI formalization, credit access, and Mercosur-EU Agreement. Certificate issuance requires 75% attendance. Available across multiple RS locations.
• Consultoria (Consulting Services) Personalized consulting services delivered to micro and small businesses covering business management, digital transformation, market access, and operational efficiency. Services are accessed directly through SEBRAE RS service units or the Unio platform.
• Unio Service Marketplace Platform Platform connecting businesses with vetted service providers and consultants across categories including Design, Processes, Marketing & Sales, Sustainability, Finance, Strategy, Agribusiness, Certifications, People, Innovation, and Market. Offers up to 40% discount compared to standard market rates with features including reviews, portfolios, and quote comparison.
• Mercopar Industrial Fair

Quantifiable outcome

• Mercopar 2024 generated R$ 935 million in projected business volume with record participation
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers5 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Seven partnerships are on record, tiered core, strategic and minor.

• JBS/SearacoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 25 June 2026Partnership between SEBRAE RS and Seara (JBS brand) to launch the Jovem SuperAgro program in Rio Grande do Sul. The initiative focuses on training young agricultural producers and supporting succession planning in rural areas. This represents a significant agribusiness partnership leveraging SEBRAE's entrepreneurial expertise with JBS's market presence.
• Municipal Governments (497 cities)coreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorCidade Empreendedora program establishes partnerships with municipal governments across all regions of Rio Grande do Sul. Cities including Igrejinha, Garibaldi, Carazinho, Santo Augusto, São Sebastião do Caí, Farroupilha participate. The program delivers entrepreneurial education, municipal management support, and business development services through local administration channels.
• PUC-RS (Pontifícia Universidade Católica)strategicStrategic or Co-development PartnerSEBRAE RS and PUC-RS jointly launched the HUB Phygital, combining academic research capabilities with practical entrepreneurial support. This partnership integrates university resources with SEBRAE's small business development expertise.
• Fapers (Fundação de Apoio à Pesquisa)strategicStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership with Fapers to launch an edict (call for proposals) to encourage innovation in Basic Education. Combines educational research with entrepreneurial methodologies.
• FNQ (Fundação Nacional da Qualidade)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaboration on certification of Salas do Empreendedor (Entrepreneur Rooms). FNQ and SEBRAE RS certify municipal entrepreneur service centers with bronze and other level certifications.
• SicrediminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorSEBRAE RS provides services inside SanVitto Sicredi branches, such as in Caxias do Sul, expanding service reach through financial cooperative branches.
• FNQ (Fundação Nacional da Qualidade)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership to promote quality management and certification of Entrepreneur Rooms (Salas do Empreendedor) in municipalities, with the goal of improving public service delivery for small businesses.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• SEBRAE Nacional: Parent organization of SEBRAE-RS and the overarching national SMB support system. Operates the same business model (training, consulting, events, market development) across all Brazilian states; SEBRAE-RS is effectively one regional unit within this national system.
• SENAI (Serviço Nacional de Aprendizagem Industrial): Sister entity in Brazil's "S-System" of parafiscal-funded workforce development organizations. SENAI delivers industrial training, technical courses, and consulting funded by mandatory employer contributions — closely mirroring SEBRAE-RS's funding and delivery model, focused on industry verticals.
• SENAC (Serviço Nacional de Aprendizagem Comercial): Another S-System sister focused on commerce, retail, and services training. Same parafiscal funding model, same in-person + online course catalog, same employer-facing training mission — directly comparable to SEBRAE-RS's Dono de Pequeno Negócio / varejo programs.

Regional players

• SENA (Servicio Nacional de Aprendizaje - Colombia): Colombia's national vocational training and entrepreneurship support institution, funded by parafiscal employer contributions. The international reference point for the SEBRAE-RS model; comparable scope, scale, and mission, but operates in a different Latin American market.

Emerging players

• Endeavor Brasil: Brazilian non-profit supporting high-impact entrepreneurs through mentorship, networking, and acceleration programs. Overlaps with SEBRAE-RS's startup segment and entrepreneurial education mandate, but focused on scale-ups rather than micro/small businesses.
• Junior Achievement Brasil: Non-profit delivering entrepreneurship and financial literacy education, with strong overlap to SEBRAE-RS's educational programs (Sebrae Tá On, courses for MEI/small business). Operates globally with similar age-segmented educational content.
• Aliança Empreendedora: Brazilian non-profit focused on micro-entrepreneurship and income generation in vulnerable communities. Overlaps with SEBRAE-RS's MEI and microenterprise programs but operates at smaller scale and with a more social-impact focus.
• Stone Co. (Stone Educação / Stone Business): Brazilian payments and SMB banking platform that has expanded into SMB education, training, and digital transformation services. Targets the same micro and small business customer base as SEBRAE-RS, but through a commercial, fintech-led model rather than a non-profit mandate.

Broad incumbents

• FGV (Fundação Getúlio Vargas) - FGV EAESP / FGV EBAPE: One of Latin America's leading business education institutions, offering executive education, MBAs, and management training. Comparable to SEBRAE-RS's capacitation and consulting offerings for SMBs, though FGV targets mid-market and executives rather than micro-entrepreneurs.
• BNDES (Banco Nacional de Desenvolvimento Econômico e Social): Brazil's federal development bank providing financing, guarantees, and SME support programs. SEBRAE-RS partners with Badesul/RS Garanti (RS state equivalents) to facilitate credit — a structurally similar role in the SMB ecosystem, but at the federal financing level rather than the training/consulting level.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks7 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/SebraeRS
• YouTubeyoutube.com/SebraeRSOficial
• Facebookfacebook.com/SebraeRSOficial
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/sebrae-rs
• Instagraminstagram.com/sebraers
• TikToktiktok.com/@sebraers

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments4 records

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about SEBRAE - RS