What Sercotec does

Sercotec (Servicio de Cooperación Técnica) is a Chilean government productive development agency operating under the Ministerio de Economía, Fomento y Turismo, with a statutory mandate to support micro and small businesses (mipymes), cooperatives, and entrepreneurs in Chile. Founded in 1952 and headquartered in Santiago, the agency operates a nationwide service network with regional offices in all 16 Chilean administrative regions, plus Centros de Desarrollo de Negocios, Puntos Mipe, and digital platforms such as Portal de Capacitación, Ruta Digital, Pymes en Línea, and Asesor\u00eda Legal Virtual. Its services are grouped into competitive financing programs (Capital Abeja, Capital Semilla, Capital Pioneras, Crece, Crece Sostenible, Digitaliza tu Almacén, Kit Digital, Pymes Globales, Negocios Digitales, MejoraNegocios, Barrios Comerciales, Ferias Libres, cooperative and guild strengthening funds), expert advisory delivered through its Centros de Desarrollo de Negocios network and Agentes Operadores contracted via public tenders, and training/analytics platforms including the Explorador Territorial and Catastro de Ferias Libres.

Sercotec does not generate commercial revenue; it is funded through public budget allocations and redistributes capital as concursable grants and co-financing instruments to eligible beneficiaries, with programs such as Programa Confederaciones y Federaciones Nacionales offering up to $20 million per applicant and Kit Digital serving approximately 4,000 SMEs per cycle. The underlying technology stack combines self-service digital portals authenticated via Claveúnica, an interactive territorial data platform (Explorador Territorial), and domain-specialized tools such as the Calculadora de Circularidad co-developed with Sofofa and the Sello Impacta Sostenible certification co-developed with Universidad de Chile. The organization also runs specialized programs for women entrepreneurs (Capital Abeja, Capital Pioneras, Somos Empresarias) and integrates with the broader Chile Emprende public network. Distribution runs through a hybrid model of physical regional presence, contracted operator agents, and self-service digital platforms aimed at the Chilean mipyme, cooperative, trade association, and open-air market (ferias libres) segments.

Name

Sercotec

Legal name

Sercotec - Servicio de Cooperación Técnica

Website

https://sercotec.cl

Company type

Private

Founded year

1952

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

101–250 employees

Short description

Sercotec is a Chilean government productive development agency that distributes public grants, co-financing, training, and advisory services to micro and small businesses, cooperatives, and entrepreneurs across all 16 regions of Chile.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Small Business Development Services

NAICS

Executive, Legislative, and Other General Government Support (921)

SIC

Services-Management Consulting Services (8742)

akta.pro primary industry

Trade, Industry & Economic Development Administration (BPAIAAAL)

akta.pro secondary industry

Central Government Policy, Strategy & Performance (incl. OMB-style functions) (BPAIAAAB)

Keywords

• Small business development
• Government grants programs
• Entrepreneurship support
• Business advisory services
• Cooperative development

Headquarters

HQ city

Santiago

HQ country

Chile

HQ region

Latin America

Offices17 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Public Funding Programs: Sercotec operates as a government development agency funded through public budgets. It provides grants and co-funding (concursable funds) to eligible micro and small businesses, cooperatives, and business associations. The organization does not generate commercial revenue but distributes government funds to support productive development.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels6 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

Sercotec is Chile's government productive development agency providing competitive grant funding (fondos concursables), expert advisory services through a nationwide network of Centros de Desarrollo de Negocios, training and digitalization programs, and legal guidance to micro and small businesses, cooperatives, trade associations, and entrepreneurs. The agency operates across all 16 Chilean regions through regional offices (Puntos Mipe) and contracted operator agents, distributing public funds and offering integrated business support services.

Product overview

Sercotec (Servicio de Cooperación Técnica) is Chile's productive development agency specializing in micro and small enterprises, cooperatives, and entrepreneurship. The organization offers a multi-faceted portfolio consisting of: (1) Competitive financing programs (Capital Abeja, Capital Semilla, Capital Pioneras, Crece, Crece Sostenible, Digitaliza tu Almacén, Kit Digital, Pymes Globales, Negocios Digitales, MejoraNegocios, Barrios Comerciales, Ferias Libres, Fortalecimiento Gremial, Confederaciones y Federaciones, Cooperativas) that provide grants for business formalization, growth, digitalization, and sustainable practices; (2) Expert advisory services through a network of Centros de Desarrollo de Negocios, Puntos Mipe, and Asesoría Legal Virtual offering business consulting and legal guidance; (3) Training platforms including Portal de Capacitación, Ruta Digital, and Pymes en Línea for digital skills development; (4) Interactive analytical tools (Explorador Territorial, Catastro Ferias Libres, Calculadora de circularidad) for territorial data analysis and sustainability measurement; and (5) Specialized programs like Somos Empresarias for women's entrepreneurship and Sello Impacta Sostenible for sustainability certification. The programs operate through a network of Agentes Operadores (operating agents) selected via public competitions across Chile's regions.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Centros de Desarrollo de Negocios: Network of business development centers offering expert advisory, training, and guidance to strengthen businesses and promote sustainable growth.
• Puntos Mipe
• Portal de Capacitación
• Ruta Digital
• Pymes en Línea
• Asesoría Legal Virtual
• Chile Emprende
• Barrios Comerciales
• Cooperativas
• Sustentabilidad
• Sello Impacta Sostenible
• Explorador Territorial
• Catastro Ferias Libres
• Somos Empresarias

Products and services

• Capital Abeja Emprende Competitive fund for women entrepreneurs seeking to formalize their business and access markets.
• Capital Semilla Emprende Competitive fund for entrepreneurs seeking to formalize their business and access markets.
• Capital Pioneras Competitive fund supporting the launch of businesses led by women in sectors with greater male presence.
• Crece Competitive fund financing investments and actions to enhance the growth of a business and/or cooperative.
• Crece Sostenible Competitive fund financing investments and actions that promote sustainable production practices.
• Digitaliza tu Almacén Competitive fund to strengthen small neighborhood businesses through the incorporation of digital tools.
• Kit Digital - Ruta Digital Competitive benefit for micro and small companies that have completed courses from the Ruta Digital program.
• Pymes Globales Program supporting SMEs and cooperatives to take their first steps on international sales platforms.
• Negocios Digitales Program supporting SMEs and cooperatives to expand their sales channels by entering national marketplaces.
• MejoraNegocios Program co-financing the contracting of technical advisory services to improve the quality of products or services.
• Sello Impacta Sostenible Distinction from Sercotec and the University of Chile for SMEs and cooperatives for their sustainable management.
• Barrios Comerciales Competitive fund driving the competitiveness of commercial neighborhoods to strengthen their sustainable development.
• Ferias Libres Competitive fund to strengthen open markets (ferias libres), promoting associativity, innovation, and comprehensive development.
• Fondo Concursable Fortalecimiento Gremial Gremios Regionales Competitive fund to strengthen micro-business organizations, promoting their management, innovation, and sustainability.
• Programa Confederaciones y Federaciones Nacionales Competitive fund to strengthen national guilds and cooperatives, promoting management, sustainability, and inclusion.
• Creación y Fortalecimiento de Cooperativas Competitive fund to strengthen cooperatives, promote their management, and encourage women's inclusion.
• Centros de Desarrollo de Negocios Support network offering expert advisory, training, and guidance to strengthen businesses and promote sustainable growth.
• Asesoría Legal Virtual Free online legal guidance for mipymes, cooperatives, and entrepreneurs.
• Portal de Capacitación Platform of free courses strengthening the business skills of mipymes and entrepreneurs.
• Ruta Digital Free online training platform focused on the digitization of mipymes and cooperatives in Chile.
• Pymes en Línea Virtual course platform for mipymes to increase their digital maturity level.
• Puntos Mipe Provide comprehensive advisory, guidance on services and competitive funds, plus lectures and workshops for business development.
• Promoción y Canales de Comercialización Service supporting the participation of micro and small enterprises, cooperatives in exhibitions, events, fairs, or other commercialization spaces.
• Redes de Oportunidades de Negocios Program fostering networks among SMEs with meetings to share knowledge and create commercial ties.
• Somos Empresarias Platform created to make visible the stories, achievements, and impact of women entrepreneurs.

Quantifiable outcome

• Approximately 4,000 SMEs can apply to the Kit Digital program per cycle
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers5 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles6 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Four partnerships are on record, tiered core.

• Universidad de ChilecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerStrategic partnership with Universidad de Chile for the Sello Impacta Sostenible certification program, which provides sustainability distinction to qualifying mipymes and cooperatives based on their environmental, social, and economic management practices.
• Sofofa (Sociedad de Fomento Fabril)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerJoint development of the Calculadora de Circularidad (Circularity Calculator), a free tool that allows small businesses to measure their circularity and sustainability performance. The tool combines Sercotec's SME focus with Sofofa's industrial expertise.
• Chile EmprendecoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorCollaboration with the Chile Emprende platform, a government network for mipymes and cooperatives. Sercotec is part of the Chile Emprende collaborative network, leveraging shared infrastructure and referral systems for small business support across Chile.
• Ministerio de Economía, Fomento y TurismocoreOthersSercotec operates under the Ministry of Economy, Promotion, and Tourism of Chile as the designated agency for productive development support to micro and small businesses.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• SBA (U.S. Small Business Administration): U.S. federal agency supporting small business through loans, grants, and advisory services. Closest international functional analog to Sercotec in scope (financing, training, advisory) and beneficiary profile.
• BDC (Business Development Bank of Canada): Canadian state-owned development bank providing financing, advisory, and growth capital to SMEs. Comparable integrated model of financing plus advisory services for small businesses.
• BancoEstado Microempresas: Chilean state-owned bank's microenterprise division offering credit and basic financial services to small businesses. Adjacent in mandate (SME support) but operates via financial services rather than grants and advisory.

Direct peers

• FOSIS (Fondo de Solidaridad e Inversión Social): Chilean government agency focused on social investment and overcoming poverty, including productive development programs for vulnerable micro-entrepreneurs. Highly comparable mission targeting similar beneficiaries through subsidized programs.
• ProChile: Chilean Trade Promotion Bureau supporting SME internationalization, directly intersecting with Sercotec's Pymes Globales program. Sister agency under the same ministry with comparable beneficiary base.
• SENCE (Servicio Nacional de Capacitación y Empleo): Chilean National Training and Employment Service operating government-funded training programs for workers and entrepreneurs. Comparable model of public financing plus subsidized service delivery to mipymes and individuals.
• CORFO (Corporación de Fomento de la Producción): Chile's primary economic development agency under the same Ministry of Economy, providing financing, innovation support, and SME development programs. Direct institutional peer with overlapping mandates and complementary (rather than competing) portfolios.

Regional players

• Bancóldex: Colombian state-owned development bank focused on SME financing and modernization. Latin American regional peer operating with comparable mission of SME productive development.
• INACAP: Chilean technical training institution offering subsidized entrepreneurial and vocational courses. Comparable training delivery role for mipymes and entrepreneurs in Chile, though education-focused rather than grant-focused.
• FIRA (Fideicomisos Instituidos en Relación con la Agricultura): Mexican government trust funds providing financing, training, and technical assistance to rural and small businesses. Latin American regional peer with comparable integrated financing-plus-advisory model.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/Sercotec_Chile
• YouTubeyoutube.com/user/CanalSERCOTEC
• Facebookfacebook.com/sercotec
• LinkedIncl.linkedin.com/company/sercotecchile
• Instagraminstagram.com/sercotec_cl

Compliance2 records

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

Investments2 records

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

Frequently asked questions about Sercotec