Universidade Federal Rural do Semi-Árido

What Universidade Federal Rural do Semi-Árido does

Universidade Federal Rural do Semi-Árido (UFERSA) is a federal public university headquartered in Mossoró, Rio Grande do Norte, Brazil, operating across four campuses (Mossoró, Angicos, Caraúbas, and Pau dos Ferros). Founded in 1967 as the Escola Superior de Agricultura de Mossoró (ESAM) and transformed into a federal university in 2005, UFERSA provides tuition-free higher education to students admitted through Brazil's unified selection system (SiSU), offering 29 undergraduate programs, more than 20 stricto sensu graduate programs, and five distance learning (EAD) programs delivered through its NEAD unit. The university is specialized in agriculture, environment, and technology adapted to the semi-arid Caatinga biome, and operates service units including a Veterinary Hospital (HOVET), Experimental Stations, herbarium and paleontological museums, and technology incubators (IAGRAM, NIT).

Its core technology stack is built on Brazil's standardized federal university systems: SIGAA for academic management, SIPAC for patrimony and contracts, SIGRH for human resources, and Moodle for distance learning, supplemented by proprietary systems like PONTO (electronic attendance), ELEIÇÕES (election management), and GLPI (IT service desk). The university runs research laboratories and has achieved vice-national leadership in software registrations through INPI, with recent patents including a caja-leaf veterinary shampoo and a pending digital animal adoption platform. It maintains active cooperation agreements with JICA (Japan), Cuban academic institutes, ANAC/LATAM (commercial pilot training), and state agencies including IDEMA and Sesap-RN.

UFERSA's revenue model is fundamentally that of a public institution: the federal government, via the Ministry of Education (MEC), provides annual budget allocations covering personnel, infrastructure, research, and student assistance (PROAE/PROFIT), with no tuition charged to students. Supplemental revenue comes from competitive research grants (FINEP, CNPq, CAPES, FAPERN) and fee-generating extension services such as veterinary care at HOVET, agricultural production at the Experimental Station, and technology transfer via NIT. The customer base is broadly distributed across undergraduate students, graduate researchers, distance learners, and community beneficiaries of extension services, with student assistance (254 benefits per semester) and free artistic/cultural workshops (372 vacancies) supporting access in the historically underserved interior Northeast region.

Name

Universidade Federal Rural do Semi-Árido

Legal name

Universidade Federal Rural do Semi-Árido

Website

https://ufersa.edu.br

Company type

Public

Founded year

1967

Operating status

Operating

Short description

UFERSA is a tuition-free Brazilian federal public university serving 2,700+ undergraduate students across four campuses in Rio Grande do Norte, specializing in semi-arid agriculture, environment, and technology through 29 undergraduate, 20+ graduate, and 5 distance learning programs funded by the Ministry of Education.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Public Higher Education

NAICS

Colleges, Universities, and Professional Schools (611310), Colleges, Universities, and Professional Schools (6113), Colleges, Universities, and Professional Schools (61131)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro primary industry

Land-Grant Public Research Universities (EDAHAAAB)

akta.pro secondary industries

Transfer, Credit Mobility & Articulation Planning Platforms (EDAFAMAO), Professional & Applied Skills Noncredit Certificates (Non-licensure) (EDAAAEAD)

Keywords

• Public higher education
• Agricultural research
• Distance learning
• Federal university
• Scientific research

Headquarters

HQ city

Mossoró

HQ country

Brazil

HQ region

Latin America

Offices4 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Federal Government Budget Allocation (Orçamento Federal): As a federal public university, UFERSA is funded primarily through annual budget allocations from Brazil's Ministry of Education (MEC) and the Federal Government. Funding covers personnel costs, infrastructure, research projects, and student assistance programs. The institution does not charge tuition (tuition-free public higher education as per Brazilian law).
2. Research and Extension Project Funding (FINEP, CNPq, CAPES, FAPERN): The university receives competitive research funding from national agencies including FINEP (innovation), CNPq (scientific research), CAPES (graduate education), and FAPERN (state research foundation) to fund research projects, scholarships, and extension activities.
3. Extension Services and Technology Transfer: Revenue-generating extension services including the Veterinary Hospital (HOVET), the Experimental Station, seed and seedling production, analytical laboratories, and technology transfer through the NIT (Núcleo de Inovação Tecnológica). The university also conducts public auctions of livestock.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

UFERSA is a federal public university delivering tuition-free higher education across four campuses in Rio Grande do Norte, Brazil, offering 29+ undergraduate programs and 20+ graduate (stricto sensu) programs. The institution also provides distance learning through NEAD, community extension services (Veterinary Hospital, Experimental Station, laboratories), and technology transfer via the NIT. Revenue derives primarily from federal government budget allocations, supplemented by competitive research grants from agencies such as FINEP, CNPq, CAPES, and FAPERN.

Product overview

Universidade Federal Rural do Semi-Árido operates as a multi-campus federal university with four campuses (Mossoró, Angicos, Caraúbas, and Pau dos Ferros) offering undergraduate, graduate, and distance education programs. The institution provides a comprehensive suite of academic management systems including SIGAA for academic activities, SIPAC for administrative/asset management, SIGRH for human resources, and Moodle for distance learning. Additional systems include electronic time tracking (PONTO) and election management (ELEIÇÕES). The university also houses specialized units including a Veterinary Hospital (HOVET), experimental stations, museums (Herbarium MOSS and Paleontology Museum), and various research centers focused on agricultural, environmental, and technological innovation in the semi-arid region.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Undergraduate degree programs (29 programs)
• Graduate degree programs (Stricto Sensu - Master's and Doctoral)
• Distance Learning Programs (EaD / NEAD)
• Commercial Pilot Training Program (with ANAC and LATAM)
• Veterinary Hospital Services (HOVET)
• Experimental Station and Agricultural Services
• Technology Transfer and Innovation Services (NIT)
• Free Artistic and Cultural Workshops

Quantifiable outcome

• 3 consecutive years of national sustainability award (Selo A3P)
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers3 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature4 records

Partnerships

Eight partnerships are on record, tiered minor and core.

• Instituto Cubano (Cuban Institute - for academic cooperation)minorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 March 2026UFERSA signed a cooperation agreement with a Cuban institute to promote academic and scientific exchange. The partnership aims to strengthen joint research activities, student and faculty mobility, and collaborative scientific projects between the two institutions.
• ANAC (Agência Nacional de Aviação Civil)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 March 2026Partnership with Brazil's National Civil Aviation Agency (ANAC) for the development and delivery of the country's first public commercial pilot training program at UFERSA. ANAC certifies and regulates the training, making UFERSA a pioneer in public civil aviation education in Brazil. The first class began in February 2026 with students from 12 states.
• IDEMA (Instituto de Desenvolvimento Sustentável do RN)minorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 March 2026UFERSA and IDEMA signed an agreement for the implementation of the Selo Azul Ambiental (Blue Environmental Seal) project, a state-level environmental certification program for tourism establishments in Rio Grande do Norte.
• Sesap RN (Secretaria de Saúde do Rio Grande do Norte)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 March 2026UFERSA and the State Health Secretariat (Sesap-RN) established a working group to develop the project for the University Hospital of Mossoró, aiming to create a major healthcare facility that would serve the western region of Rio Grande do Norte.
• LATAM AirlinescoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerLATAM Airlines partnered with UFERSA and ANAC to support the commercial pilot training program, providing expertise and resources for the first public university-based pilot course in Brazil.
• JICA (Japan International Cooperation Agency)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerJICA operates at UFERSA's Centro de Ciências Agrárias (CCA), conducting international cooperation activities related to agricultural development and research in the semi-arid region.
• UFERN / UERN (Universidade do Estado do Rio Grande do Norte)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerUFERSA collaborates with UERN on multiple initiatives including shared research projects, the Forum of Rectors of Public Higher Education Institutions of RN, joint sporting events, and the development of the university hospital project.
• IFRN (Instituto Federal de Educação, Ciência e Tecnologia do RN)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaboration with IFRN through shared participation in the Forum of Rectors of Public Higher Education Institutions of RN, joint academic events, and the 1st International Congress on Human Rights.

Scale indicators10 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Regional players

• Universidade Federal de Pernambuco (UFPE): Major federal university in Recife, Pernambuco, with broad academic and research portfolio. Comparable as a Northeast Brazilian federal university with comparable graduate program scale and federal funding model.
• Universidade Federal da Paraíba (UFPB): Federal university with multi-campus structure across Paraíba state. Comparable as a Northeast Brazilian federal public university with similar multi-campus model, graduate program scale, and federal MEC funding.
• Universidade Federal do Ceará (UFC): Large federal university in Fortaleza, Ceará, serving the broader Northeast region. Comparable as a federal public university in an adjacent state with overlapping regional development, research, and graduate program missions.
• Universidade Federal da Bahia (UFBA): Large federal university in Salvador, Bahia. Comparable as a major Northeast Brazilian federal public university with shared federal funding structure, multi-campus presence, and academic breadth across graduate and undergraduate programs.

Direct peers

• Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Norte (UFRN): Federal public university headquartered in Natal, Rio Grande do Norte. UFERSA collaborates with UFRN on shared research projects, joint events, and the Forum of Rectors. UFRN is the most directly comparable peer given same state, same federal status, and overlapping academic portfolios.
• Universidade Federal de Lavras (UFLA): Federal university in Minas Gerais focused on agriculture, engineering, and applied sciences. Comparable to UFERSA as a federal public research university with agricultural sciences at its core and strong extension service operations.
• Universidade Federal Rural de Pernambuco (UFRPE): Federal university in Recife focused on rural, agricultural, and veterinary sciences. Directly comparable to UFERSA given shared origin as agricultural schools, federal status, Northeast location, and emphasis on rural development research.
• Universidade do Estado do Rio Grande do Norte (UERN): State-level public university with multiple campuses across Rio Grande do Norte. Direct peer because it shares the same state geography, multi-campus presence, public funding (state rather than federal), and explicit collaboration with UFERSA on the Forum of Rectors and university hospital project.
• Universidade Federal de Viçosa (UFV): Leading Brazilian federal university specializing in agriculture, veterinary, and rural sciences, located in Minas Gerais. Highly comparable as a federal public university with strong agricultural research emphasis and graduate program depth.

Others

• Empresa Brasileira de Pesquisa Agropecuária (Embrapa): Brazilian Agricultural Research Corporation, a federal state-owned research enterprise rather than a university. Thematically related because it shares UFERSA's semi-arid and tropical agriculture research agenda, supplies research collaboration, and competes for some of the same FINEP/CNPq federal funding pools.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/ufersa
• YouTubeyoutube.com/user/ufersaassecom
• Facebookfacebook.com/ufersaoficial
• Instagraminstagram.com/ufersa

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about Universidade Federal Rural do Semi-Árido