Bolsa Empreendedor SP: find out what it is and how to register

Amid the chaos caused by the novel coronavirus (Covid-19) pandemic, many people have lost their jobs and become self-employed. Many of these self-employed workers are not formalized, such as MEIs.

With this in mind, the government of São Paulo created the Bolsa Empreendedor SP program.

This program aims to provide 100,000 grants to self-employed people in vulnerable situations.

The initiative, which invests R$100 million in the project, is a partnership between the Secretariat of Economic Development, the Government of the State of São Paulo and Sebrae SP (Brazilian Support Service for Micro and Small Businesses).

The Bolsa Empreendedor program is expected to benefit, directly and indirectly, around 400,000 people. To learn more about this program and who is eligible, read this article until the end, thus putting an end to all doubts!

What is the SP Entrepreneur Scholarship?

In September 2021, Governor João Dória (PSDB) announced the creation of the Bolsa Empreenda SP program, which aims to formalize 100,000 self-employed workers. The scholarship guarantees aid in the amount of R$1,000.00 divided into two installments of R$500.00.

In addition to formalizing these self-employed workers, the program also aims to boost new ventures and encourage small businesses. This program was established based on three pillars: financial aid, training courses and business formalization.

Start fast

There are some requirements for those who sign up for the Bolsa Empreendedor program to receive assistance, one of these requirements is to be part of Empreenda Rápido.

Empreenda Rápido is an extension of Bolsa Empresário, which offers free courses in distance learning (EaD) or in person. These courses were created in partnership between the State Government and Sebrae SP (Brazilian Micro and Small Business Support Service). 

To be able to be part of the program and receive the aid, you must complete the course with up to 80%. To learn more about the online course, simply access the online portal from Sebrae for quick entrepreneurship. 

It was necessary to complete the course by December 19, 2021, however a new deadline was set. It is now possible to complete the course until January 15, 2022, however, those who complete the course within this new deadline will only receive the first part of the aid in February 2022. 

How to apply for the SP Entrepreneur Scholarship

Registration to participate in the program is completely free and online, simply access the Bolsa do Povo online portal and scroll down the page to the menu where all the services offered appear.

Click on “Bolsa Empreendedor”, click on “Sescrição” and carefully fill out the form with all your details. You will be asked for personal and professional information, so be careful to avoid mistakes.

The information requested includes full name, gender, race, CPF number, 

ID (number, date of issue, issuing body), full address, landline, cell phone, email, family income, number of people living with you and more.

Registration requirements

To be part of the program, you must meet certain requirements. These include being over 18 years old, unemployed, living in the state of São Paulo, self-employed and not having any employment relationship such as a formal contract.

Who can apply?

In addition to the requirements for registration, the government decided to give priority to certain groups. The priority groups were selected based on data that showed the groups most affected by the novel coronavirus (Covid-19) pandemic. 

These groups include women, people with disabilities, black or brown people and young people between 18 and 35 years old.

Is it valid in all cities?

The Bolsa Empreendedor program assists all cities in the state of São Paulo. However, in order for resources to be distributed fairly across all municipalities, each location has a limit on the number of places available.

This limit was set according to the number of residents in each city. See how the distribution of vacancies was below:

• Administrative Region of Presidente Prudente – 2,202 vacancies;
• Administrative Region of São José do Rio Preto – 3,361 vacancies;
• Administrative Region of Campinas – 11,924 vacancies;
• Administrative Region of Sorocaba – 5,016 vacancies;
• Administrative Region of Bauru – 2,334 vacancies;
• Administrative Region of Barretos – 990 vacancies;
• Administrative Region of Ribeirão Preto – 2,291 vacancies;
• Administrative Region of Araçatuba – 1,821 vacancies;
• Administrative Region of Marília – 2,375 vacancies;
• Central Administrative Region – 1,809 vacancies;
• Administrative Region of Itapeva – 1,950 vacancies;
• Administrative Region of São José dos Campos – 5,738 vacancies;
• Administrative Region of Franca – 1,486 vacancies;
• Administrative Region of São Paulo – 52,196 vacancies;
• Administrative Region of Registro – 1,141 vacancies;
• Administrative Region of Santos – 3,368 vacancies.

How to receive payment from Bolsa Empreendedor SP

After formalizing the MEI and completing the course, you must request the voucher that entitles you to receive the aid. This voucher is requested in the “beneficiary area” of the Bolsa do Povo online portal.

There is also a tutorial on how to get the benefit payment. We recommend that you read it very carefully!

Nathalia Silva January 10, 2022