Instituto Lula

What Instituto Lula does

Instituto Lula is a Brazilian non-profit civil society organization (associação civil sem fins lucrativos) founded in 2011 by former President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, headquartered in the Ipiranga district of São Paulo. The institute functions as a political-education and policy think tank that systematizes lessons from Lula's two presidential terms (2003-2010) — including Bolsa Família, Minha Casa Minha Vida, Luz para Todos, and Fome Zero — and promotes international cooperation focused on Africa, Latin America, and increasingly China. It operates a product suite of seminars, training courses, publications, the Cátedra Presidente Lula academic program, the Gate strategic monitoring bulletins, and the front-D digital-inequalities research project, all delivered free of charge.

The institute is staffed by a small team of 1-10 employees and operates without proprietary technology products, relying on its website, social media channels, and the Memorial da Democracia digital archive for distribution. Its business model is donation- and contribution-based, with no commercial pricing, no paying customers, and no disclosed revenue. Funding flows from individual donors and members of the progressive political community, solicited through an explicit 'Doe Agora' campaign and volunteer contribution channels.

The institute serves social movement leaders, progressive political parties, academic researchers, and students, with a stated priority of forming young progressive leaders up to 40 years of age. Governance is led by President Ivone Silva (since July 2023), Director Paulo Okamotto, and Director of Social Technology Transfer Studies Tarcísio Secoli, with founder Lula providing the underlying brand authority. Strategic partnerships include the Academy of Contemporary China and World Studies, Fundação Jean Jaurès, FAO, the African Union Commission, CEPAL, the IDB, CAF, and Instituto Justiça Fiscal.

Name

Instituto Lula

Legal name

Instituto Lula

Website

https://institutolula.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2011

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Instituto Lula is a Brazilian non-profit founded in 2011 by former President Lula that offers free political-education courses, seminars, and publications to social movement leaders, progressive parties, and researchers across Latin America, Africa, and China, funded by donations.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Political Education and Think Tank Services

NAICS

Educational Support Services (611710), Educational Services (611), Human Rights Organizations (813311)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200), Services-Membership Organizations (8600)

akta.pro primary industry

United Nations System & Specialized Agencies (BPADAAAA)

akta.pro secondary industries

Communications, Marketing & Government/Community Relations Administration (EDADAKAN), STEM, Digital Skills & Innovation Partnerships (EDADALAJ)

Keywords

• Political education programs
• Progressive leadership training
• Policy research publications
• South-south cooperation
• Social policy documentation

Headquarters

HQ city

Iporanga

HQ country

Brazil

HQ region

Latin America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Donations and Contributions: The institute relies primarily on donations from supporters and members of the progressive political community. The website features a 'DOE AGORA' (Donate Now) campaign and volunteer contribution opportunities.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

Instituto Lula is a non-profit civil society organization that delivers free political education, leadership training, and policy research through seminars, training courses, academic publications, and strategic monitoring bulletins. It systematizes the legacy of Lula's presidential administration (2003–2010), produces publications and research on social policy, digital inequalities, and progressive governance, and facilitates international dialogue through partnerships with think tanks, governments, and multilateral organizations focused on South-South cooperation across Latin America, Africa, and China.

Product overview

Instituto Lula is a civil society organization offering educational programs, research publications, and training courses focused on political leadership development, social policies, and international cooperation. The organization operates several interconnected programs: seminaries and training courses under its Formação division, publications including books and academic works, the Cátedra Presidente Lula academic program, the Gate strategic monitoring bulletins, and the front-D digital inequalities research project. These offerings work together to promote political education, document social policy legacies, and facilitate international dialogue on development and social justice.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Seminários (Seminars) Complete seminars offered on multiple topics including China-Brazil cooperation, political leadership, and social development, delivered to progressive political audiences, researchers, and social movement leaders.
• Cursos de Formação (Training Courses) Training programs covering topics such as AI and racism, new forms of work, and political leadership development, designed for progressive leaders, union members, and activists.
• Publicações (Publications) Books, theses, and dissertations documenting research on social policies, economic development, and political history, distributed to researchers, students, and the broader public.
• 2ª Cátedra Presidente Lula Second edition of the President Lula Chair academic program featuring research, classes, and conferences on contemporary topics including labor, artificial intelligence, and the digital economy. Targeted at researchers, graduate students, and progressive policy intellectuals.
• Gate - Grupo de Acompanhamento de Temas Estratégicos Strategic topics monitoring group producing periodic bulletins on work, digital technologies, and social policies for policy professionals, researchers, and movement leaders.
• front-D - Fronteiras Digitais Digital frontiers research project investigating how technology impacts daily life in cities, culture, health, economy, work dynamics, and political organization, including the Boletins Digitais online bulletins on digital inequalities, care work, platform labor, and urban technology.
• Curso Liderança Política Progressista para o Brasil dos nossos Sonhos Political leadership training program for progressive leaders up to 40 years old covering political analysis, strategic action, effective communication, ethical leadership, and project management. Delivered as a free formation course to young social movement leaders across Brazil.

Quantifiable outcome

• 43 honorary doctorate degrees received by President Lula
• +4 more outcomes

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

AI capability2 records

Partnerships

Eight partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Instituto Justiça FiscalcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 4 August 2025Partnership with Instituto Justiça Fiscal to launch the eBook 'Novos Rumos para o Brasil: desafios para uma Tributação Justa'. The joint publication addresses tax reform challenges and fiscal justice for Brazil.
• Academy of Contemporary China and World Studies (ACCWS)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 16 October 2023Partnership with Chinese government-affiliated think tank for the production and launch of a bilingual (Portuguese-Mandarin) collection of articles on China-Brazil cooperation and development. The work titled 'New Journey of China-Brazil Cooperation: Promoting High-Quality Development and Modernization in Both Countries' involved Brazilian and Chinese researchers.
• Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2013Partnership with FAO to host international meeting 'Novas abordagens unificadas para erradicar a fome na África' in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. The goal was to eradicate hunger in Africa, where 245 million people lack food, by 2025. The partnership leveraged Brazil's successful Fome Zero experience.
• African Union Commission (AUC)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2013Co-organization of the international conference on hunger eradication in Africa alongside the African Union Commission. This partnership reflects Brazil's South-South cooperation strategy and commitment to sharing social policy expertise with African nations.
• Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean (CEPAL)minorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2013Co-organization of the seminar 'Desenvolvimento e Integração na América Latina' in Santiago, Chile alongside CEPAL. The event gathered 120 leaders from 10 countries to discuss deepening physical, economic, energy, and social relations among Latin American countries.
• Inter-American Development Bank (BID)minorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2013Co-organization of the Latin American development seminar alongside the Inter-American Development Bank. Partnership focused on regional integration and development dialogue.
• Development Bank of Latin America (CAF)minorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2013Co-organization of the Latin American development seminar alongside CAF. Partnership to promote regional development analysis and cooperation strategies.
• Fundação Jean JaurèscoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 November 2012Partnership with the French Foundation Jean Jaurès (affiliated with the French Socialist Party) to host the international conference 'Fórum pelo Progresso Social: o crescimento para sair da crise' in Paris. The forum brought together economists and international personalities to discuss strategies for overcoming economic challenges while preserving jobs and ensuring development.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Fundação Perseu Abramo: Brazilian foundation affiliated with the Workers' Party (PT) focused on research, publications, and political education for progressive causes. Closest direct peer given shared PT lineage, mission of ideological formation, and overlap with Lula's political network.
• Friedrich Ebert Foundation: German social-democratic foundation affiliated with the SPD, conducting political education, international cooperation, and policy research worldwide. Closely comparable to Instituto Lula in mission, structure, and South-South cooperation footprint.
• Tony Blair Institute for Global Change: Foundation associated with former UK PM Tony Blair offering political leadership training and policy advisory to governments globally. Comparable as a former-head-of-state led vehicle converting political capital into education and advisory services.
• Konrad Adenauer Foundation: German CDU-affiliated foundation running political training, think-tank research, and international development programs. Mirror peer of Instituto Lula on the center-right, illustrating the established party-foundation template it operates within.
• Fundação Jean Jaurès: French Socialist Party-affiliated foundation producing research, publications, and international forums on progressive policy. Direct peer given partnership history with Instituto Lula and structurally identical role as a social-democratic party foundation.

Broad incumbents

• Wilson Center: US-based think tank conducting non-partisan research and dialogue on global affairs. Comparable as a multi-program foundation publishing research, hosting fellowships, and convening international policy discussions.
• National Endowment for Democracy (NED): US-funded foundation supporting democratic institutions, civil society, and political education worldwide. Comparable as a grantmaking and convening foundation in the democracy-promotion space, though ideologically opposite.

Regional players

• African Capacity Building Foundation (ACBF): Africa-focused institution building policy and development capacity across the continent. Comparable as a peer in South-South capacity-building partnerships, especially given Instituto Lula's FAO and AUC hunger-eradication work.
• Fundação Getúlio Vargas (FGV): Brazil's leading academic and policy research foundation, running schools, research centers, and international programs. Comparable as a Brazilian foundation producing publications and training, though academically oriented rather than politically partisan.
• Centro Brasileiro de Relações Internacionais (CEBRI): Brazilian independent think tank on foreign policy and international relations, publishing analyses and convening policy dialogue. Comparable as a Brazil-based institution producing international-affairs research and high-level convening events.

Market position

Weaknesses1 record

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/inst_lula
• YouTubeyoutube.com/user/icidadania
• Facebookfacebook.com/institutolula
• Instagraminstagram.com/institutolula
• TikToktiktok.com/@institutolula
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/instituto-lula

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles4 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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

Frequently asked questions about Instituto Lula