SME and Entrepreneurship Policy in Brazil 2020
This publication presents the findings of the OECD review of SME and entrepreneurship
policy in Brazil. SMEs play an important role for economic growth and social inclusion
in Brazil, accounting for 62% of total employment and 50% of national value added.
However, productivity gaps between SMEs and large companies are wider in Brazil than
in the OECD area, which is also the result of low innovation and export propensity
among Brazilian SMEs. Business ownership and business creation are common, but growth-oriented
entrepreneurship is much less widespread.
Brazil’s SME policy is enshrined in the 1988 Federal Constitution, which grants to
micro and small enterprises a preferential treatment in different policy areas (e.g.
tax and labour law). Brazilian SME policies are, therefore, mostly aimed at this constituency,
whereas mid-sized firms are largely missing in the national policy debate. Simples
Nacional, a preferential tax and regulatory regime, is the main federal SME policy,
but Brazil also operates a large number of targeted programmes for SMEs. This report
provides policy recommendations to enhance Brazil’s SME and entrepreneurship performance,
covering, among others, innovation policy, export support, access to finance, and
women’s entrepreneurship.
Published on April 27, 2020
In series:OECD Studies on SMEs and Entrepreneurshipview more titles