The Inter-American Development Bank’s Multilateral Investment Fund has approved a US$758,000 grant to the Centro de Integrao de Negcios (Center for Business Integration) to support small firms access to corporate supply chains.

 

The project will promote the integration of microenterprises and small businesses from disadvantaged social groups by helping them act as suppliers to large and medium-sized companies in Brazil.

 

“The project will benefit 550 firms in the state of So Paulo, of which 80% will be owned by Afro-descendants, 15% by persons with special needs and 5% by indigenous entrepreneurs,” says MIF team leader Bibiana Vsquez. “In addition, 15% of the buyer and supplier small businesses affiliated with Integrare are owned by women.”

 

Integrare’s support model will be strengthened by increasing its administrative capacity, promoting competitiveness of individual firms and associations and establishing networks between them and large corporations.

 

“This model of development with diversity will be applied, among others, to the areas of information technology, civil engineering and architecture, consulting services in business management, accounting, systems, marketing and communication, catering, transport and labor outsourcing,” explains Vasquez.

 

The project will strengthen supplier firms, support recruitment and training of Integrare buyer companies, foster business acceleration and promotion and promote systematization, monitoring and dissemination of the model.

 

Integrare is a non-profit non-governmental organisation structured as a business association and established in 1999 to activate efficient businesses, promoting the entrepreneurial spirit in business transactions and the integration of firms owned by Afro-descendants, indigenous and disabled people and firms committed to sustainable development in Brazil.

 

MIF, an autonomous fund administered by the IADB, supports private sector development in Latin America and the Caribbean, focusing on microenterprise and small business.