Guarda Mirim de Foz do Iguaçu

What Guarda Mirim de Foz do Iguaçu does

Guarda Mirim de Foz do Iguaçu (GMFI) is a Brazilian non-profit civil association founded on July 26, 1977, in Foz do Iguaçu, Paraná, that operates a formal youth apprenticeship program for adolescents aged 14–18. The organization combines classroom-based vocational training — anchored by a Ministry of Labor–validated Administrative Assistant course — with supervised workplace experience placed at partner companies under 16-month apprenticeship contracts with a 4-hour daily workload. Surrounding support services include a music workshop, reading room, school guidance, psychological and social care, and free meals (breakfast, lunch, and afternoon snack).

The business model is a hybrid social-financing structure rather than a commercial one: approximately 70% of resources come from administrative fees charged to partner companies that hire apprentices, and approximately 30% come from public grants, government agreements, and donations. A R$ 1,368,000 municipal partnership with the Prefeitura de Foz do Iguaçu (Termo de Colaboração 009/2023, valid January 2024 to December 2027) targets insertion of 400 adolescents referred through the SUAS social assistance system. The organization uses a "Mupay" mobile payment/digital wallet application for transactions, plus an online payslip system ("Holerite Online") for apprentices and employees. Technology footprint is otherwise minimal, with social media presence on Facebook, Instagram, and YouTube as the primary external channels.

GMFI operates from a single headquarters in Foz do Iguaçu with 118 employees and is governed by a Deliberative Council (originally 18 civil society members, now 17 since 2013) and an Executive Board. There is no parent company, no private equity or venture capital backing, and no subsidiaries. The 2001 restructuring under a Termo de Ajuste de Conduta with the Ministério Público do Trabalho repositioned the organization from its original paramilitary model into the current professional formation framework compliant with ECA articles 62–69, Law 10.097/2000, and Article 227 of the Brazilian Constitution.

Name

Guarda Mirim de Foz do Iguaçu

Legal name

Guarda Mirim de Foz do Iguaçu

Website

https://guardamirimfoz.org.br

Company type

Private

Founded year

1977

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

101–250 employees

Short description

Guarda Mirim de Foz do Iguaçu is a Brazilian non-profit founded in 1977 that runs a Ministry of Labor–validated youth apprenticeship program for adolescents aged 14–18, combining vocational training with supervised workplace placement and support services in Foz do Iguaçu, Paraná.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Youth Apprenticeship & Social Assistance Services

NAICS

Apprenticeship Training (611513), Educational Services (611), Educational Support Services (611710)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200), Services-Employment Agencies (7361)

akta.pro primary industry

Work-Based Learning Programs (Internships, Apprenticeships, Community-Based Instruction) (EDAKANAF)

akta.pro secondary industries

Career Coaching, Mentoring & Placement Support Services (EDAAAKAO), Youth & Young Adult Workforce Programs (Out-of-School Youth) (EDAAAOAD), Workforce & Career Transition Noncredit Programs (EDAAAEAC), Onboarding Program Design, Enablement & Train-the-Trainer (EDABAOAL)

Keywords

• Youth apprenticeship programs
• Vocational training services
• Social assistance services
• Professional formation programs
• Adolescent workforce development

Headquarters

HQ city

Foz do Iguaçu

HQ country

Brazil

HQ region

Latin America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Others

Revenue model

1. Administrative Fees from Partner Companies: Approximately 70% of financial resources come from administrative fees charged exclusively to partner companies that hire the young apprentices. This is the primary funding source.
2. Public Project Grants and Donations: Remaining 30% comes from public project grants, government agreements, and donations from individuals and legal entities.

Pricing tiers

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels3 records

Core offering

Guarda Mirim de Foz do Iguaçu is a non-profit civil association that delivers a youth apprenticeship program (Programa de Aprendizagem) for adolescents aged 14 to 18, combining the Ministry of Labor-approved Administrative Assistant vocational course (Curso de Assistente Administrativo) with supervised work placements at partner companies under 16-month apprenticeship contracts. The program is delivered free of charge to participants and is supplemented by school guidance, psychological and social care, music workshops, sports, reading room access, and meals (breakfast, lunch, and afternoon snack).

Product overview

Guarda Mirim de Foz do Iguaçu operates as a non-profit youth apprenticeship organization offering a comprehensive vocational training ecosystem. The core offering is the Programa de Aprendizagem (Apprenticeship Program), which combines the Curso de Assistente Administrativo (Ministry of Labor-approved Administrative Assistant course) with supervised workplace experience at partner companies. The program is supplemented by supporting services including a Music Workshop, school guidance, psychological and social support, reading room facilities, and free meals. Digital services include an online payslip system and the Mupay mobile payment application. The organization serves adolescents aged 14-18 from various social backgrounds, providing both technical training and social support services at no cost to participants.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Mupay: Digital payment application used by the organization for its operations and services.

Products and services

• Programa de Aprendizagem (Apprenticeship Program)
• Curso de Assistente Administrativo (Administrative Assistant Course)
• Oficina de Música (Music Workshop)
• Aplicativo Mupay (Mupay Mobile Application)
• Holerite Online (Online Payslip)

Segments1 record

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• Prefeitura Municipal de Foz do IguaçucoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2024Partnership Term 009/2023 under the 'PIAAS Foz' program, promoting professional integration of adolescents aged 14 years to 18 years and twelve months into professional learning. Total value of R$ 1,368,000.00, valid from January 2024 to December 2027. Target: insertion of 400 adolescents from SUAS system. Activities are provided free to target audience.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Peers

• Fundação Bradesco: Major Brazilian private foundation operating vocational education programs aimed at low-income youth, including administrative assistant and technical tracks. Comparable mission and target demographic, with much larger geographic footprint across multiple states.

Broad incumbents

• SENAI (Serviço Nacional de Aprendizagem Industrial): National industrial vocational training system offering Ministry of Labor–validated apprenticeship programs. Serves overlapping adolescent demographics with a wider industrial/technical curriculum, presenting both a competitor and a partner referral channel for Guarda Mirim.
• SENAC (Serviço Nacional de Aprendizagem Comercial): National commercial/retail vocational training system with formal Aprendizagem programs across Brazil. Operates at significantly larger scale and broader course catalog than Guarda Mirim, but competes for the same partner-company apprenticeship mandates in Paraná.

Direct peers

• CIEE (Centro de Integração Empresa-Escola): Brazil's largest youth apprenticeship and internship integrator, connecting adolescents to partner companies under the same Lei nº 10.097/2000 framework that Guarda Mirim relies on. Direct functional overlap in apprentice recruitment, training coordination, and partner-company placement.

Emerging players

• Instituto J&F: Corporate-backed youth development organization investing in professional training and first-job programs for vulnerable adolescents in Brazil. Comparable beneficiary profile and apprenticeship-adjacent offering, though operating at earlier scale.
• Junior Achievement Brasil: NGO delivering workforce-readiness and employability training to Brazilian youth, often partnering with companies on apprenticeship-adjacent programs. Targets overlapping adolescent segment with curriculum focused on professional skills, mentoring, and job readiness.

Regional players

• Centro Paula Souza: São Paulo state vocational education institution offering technical and apprenticeship programs. Geographically distinct from Guarda Mirim (Foz do Iguaçu is in Paraná) but operates a comparable public-funded technical training model for youth.
• Associação Guarda Mirim de outros municípios: Network of similarly named Guarda Mirim civil associations across Brazilian municipalities (e.g., Guarda Mirim de Maringá, Guarda Mirim de Londrina) operating under the same apprenticeship-for-adolescents model. Same legal framework (ECA 62-69) and partner-company placement mechanism.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UCqN0WreVJbkCdGoyR98WOuQ
• Facebookfacebook.com/guardamirimfoz
• Instagraminstagram.com/guardamirimfoz
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/guarda-mirim-de-foz-do-igua%C3%A7u

Compliance3 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about Guarda Mirim de Foz do Iguaçu