Fundação Empreender

What Fundação Empreender does

Fundação Empreender is a Brazilian non-profit foundation headquartered in Joinville, Santa Catarina, founded in 1992 through a German-Brazilian cooperation between local business associations of Brusque, Joinville, and Blumenau and the Handwerkskammer für München und Oberbayern (HWK Munich). It operates as the technical arm of FACISC (Federação das Associações Empresariais de Santa Catarina), coordinating a network of 20+ member associations (ACIs/ACEs) across the state to deliver business development programs to small and medium enterprises (SMEs). The foundation is led by a board of directors with a rotating three-year presidential cycle; José Nelson Notari currently serves as President for the 2024-2026 term.

The foundation's product portfolio centers on four programs: PGVE (Programa de Gestão e Vivência Empresarial), an 8-module management training program with tools, case studies, and entrepreneur testimonials; PRO-INT (Programa de Internacionalização), which organizes business missions to Germany, Italy, Paraguay, Panama, China, and Spain through partnership agreements; PRO-DL (Programa de Desenvolvimento Local) for local economic development; and PGEF (Programa de Governança para Empresas Familiares), launched in August 2024 to address family business succession and governance. A Successor Training Program and the Business Succession School (launched October 2020) round out the offering. The technology component is minimal — the foundation maintains a website (fe.org.br) for program information and event calendars, with no proprietary software, API, mobile app, or digital delivery infrastructure.

Fundação Empreender is sustained financially through membership fees from the 20+ business associations affiliated with FACISC and program contributions, with services delivered exclusively through the association network rather than direct commercial sales. The foundation is staffed by approximately 8 employees including administrative and program coordination roles, supplemented by elected officers drawn from member associations. Marketing and customer acquisition occur through association channels, events, and international mission programming rather than traditional direct channels. The organization addresses an underlying problem statement: high SME mortality rates in Santa Catarina and limited formal management practices among owners of small and family-run businesses.

Name

Fundação Empreender

Legal name

Fundação Empreender

Website

https://fe.org.br

Company type

Private

Founded year

1992

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Fundação Empreender is a Brazilian non-profit foundation in Joinville that delivers business management training, internationalization missions, and family business governance programs to SMEs across 20+ association members of FACISC in Santa Catarina.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Business Development and Entrepreneurship Training Services

NAICS

Professional and Management Development Training (611430), Religious, Grantmaking, Civic, Professional, and Similar Organizations (813), Grantmaking and Giving Services (81321)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200), Services-Engineering, Accounting, Research, Management (8700)

akta.pro primary industry

International Grantmaking & Development Foundations (BPAGAKAH)

akta.pro secondary industry

Corporate Foundations & CSR Grantmaking (BPAGAKAC)

Keywords

• Business management training
• Entrepreneurship development
• Family business governance
• SME internationalization programs
• Business association services

Headquarters

HQ city

Joinville

HQ country

Brazil

HQ region

Latin America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Association Membership Fees: Operates as the technical arm of FACISC (Federação das Associações Empresariais de Santa Catarina). Funded through membership fees from business associations and participating member companies. Services are delivered through participating associations.

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels3 records

Core offering

Fundação Empreender is a non-profit foundation that delivers entrepreneurship and business development programs to small and medium enterprises in Santa Catarina, Brazil. Its core offerings include an 8-module business management training program (PGVE), an internationalization program (PRO-INT) that runs business missions to partner countries, a family business governance program (PGEF), a local development program (PRO-DL), and a successor training program. Programs are delivered in person through a network of 20+ local business associations affiliated with FACISC.

Product overview

Fundação Empreender is a cooperative network that develops entrepreneurship and associative spirit through a portfolio of educational programs. The core offerings include the PGVE (business management program with 8 modules), PRO-INT (internationalization with partnerships in Germany, Italy, Paraguay, and Panama), PRO-DL (local development), and PGEF (governance for family businesses). Additionally, there is a Successor Training Program. The programs work together to provide comprehensive business development support—from local management training to international expansion and succession planning.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• PGVE - Programa de Gestão e Vivência Empresarial Business management training program with 8 modules covering tools, case studies, and business experience, designed to improve management quality among associated SME owners and managers who are members of FACISC affiliated business associations in Santa Catarina.
• PRO-INT - Programa de Internacionalização Internationalization program that connects local Santa Catarina associations with international partners in Germany, Italy, Paraguay, Panama, China, and Spain through business missions, technical visits, and knowledge exchange for SME members.
• PRO-DL - Programa de Desenvolvimento Local Local development program focused on strengthening regional business associations and promoting local economic growth in Santa Catarina through association-led development initiatives.
• PGEF - Programa de Governança para Empresas Familiares + Multi Societárias Governance program specifically designed for family businesses and multi-shareholder companies to ensure successful succession transitions and proper governance structures.
• Programa de Capacitação de Sucessores Successor training program designed to prepare future business leaders for family business continuity and leadership transition.

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Five partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Handwerkskammer für München und Oberbayern (HWK) - Câmara de Artes e Ofícios de Munique e Alta BavieracoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 1992German Chamber of Crafts and Trades of Munich and Upper Bavaria, with approximately 80,000 members representing 300,000 employees. Key historical partner that initiated cooperation with Brazilian business associations in 1992. Provides vocational training expertise and business development support.
• FACISC - Federação das Associações Empresariais de Santa CatarinacoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerFederation of Business Associations of Santa Catarina. The foundation serves as the technical arm of FACISC, operating programs for member associations across the state.
• SOCIESC - Sociedade Educacional de Santa CatarinacoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerEducational institution partner for PGVE program delivery. Provides academic credentials and educational infrastructure for training programs. Continued partnership since 2011.
• Confindústria de Trento (Habitech)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerItalian association representing construction and renewable energy companies from Trento. Signed cooperation agreement with Fundação Empreender for business exchange and development in construction sector.
• UnisociesccoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerEducational partner for certification of PGVE program participants. Delivers joint certificates upon program completion.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• Endeavor Brasil: Brazil's leading high-impact entrepreneurship support organization, offering mentorship, acceleration programs, and business training to entrepreneurs. Comparable mission of SME/scale-up development with structured educational programs and corporate partnership network.
• SEBRAE-SC (Serviço de Apoio às Micro e Pequenas Empresas de Santa Catarina): Regional Santa Catarina arm of SEBRAE delivering SME training, consulting, and capability building in the same geographic market as Fundação Empreender. Most direct competitor for SME development programs in the state.

Emerging players

• Junior Achievement Brasil: Non-profit delivering entrepreneurship and financial literacy education programs in Brazil through partnerships with companies and schools. Similar non-profit foundation model with education-focused mission for business capability building.
• CDI (Centro de Desenvolvimento Infantil e Comunitário) / Ashoka Brasil: Brazilian social entrepreneurship ecosystem organizations supporting entrepreneur-led community development. Comparable non-profit foundation model with program-based delivery for entrepreneurship capacity building.

Broad incumbents

• SENAI (Serviço Nacional de Aprendizagem Industrial): Brazil's main industrial vocational training and business services organization, affiliated with CNI/FIESP. Provides management training, technology services, and SME support - overlapping with PGVE/PGEF offerings but with national infrastructure and government-mandated funding.
• SEBRAE (Serviço Brasileiro de Apoio às Micro e Pequenas Empresas): Brazil's national SME support agency providing management training, consulting, and market access to micro and small businesses. Direct parallel to Fundação Empreender's mission of SME development, but operates at national scale with government funding across all Brazilian states.

Others

• FACISC (Federação das Associações Empresariais de Santa Catarina): Parent federation of business associations in Santa Catarina, of which Fundação Empreender is the technical arm. Provides governance, membership, and advocacy backbone for the 20+ association network through which FE delivers programs.
• GIZ (Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit) Brasil: German federal development agency operating in Brazil, historically partnered with HWK Munich (which is the foundational partner of Fundação Empreender). Relevant as upstream international development cooperation ecosystem that bootstrapped FE's origin in 1992.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/@fundacaoempreender1391
• Facebookfacebook.com/Fundacao-Empreender-105462440807431
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/funda%C3%A7%C3%A3o-empreender
• Instagraminstagram.com/fundacaoempreender_

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles10 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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

M&A

Investments

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

Frequently asked questions about Fundação Empreender