Endeavor

technology and IT. In effect, this does not represent a large differentiation for the city itself — even though there may be a benefit for entrepreneurs within this specific sector — and it is quite a common practice. Even though they still have the task of expanding the number of entrepreneurs that have access to their bene- fits, the Governments of São Paulo and of Belo Horizonte have programs that are different from what has been reported. In São Paulo, for example, companies that are installed in the Zona Leste (eastern area), and in the ar- eas around the Estação da Luz — that is, areas that have been historically less developed than other commercial centers of the city — have IPTU and ITBI tax exemptions, as well as exclusive taxes in the ISS. In Belo Horizonte, the prefecture offers a program called the Incentive Program for Company Installation and Expansion (PROEMP, in por- tuguese), which provides tax exemptions in both the ISS as well as the IPTU for innovative companies that have expanded their operations — thus encouraging the growth of companies — and mainly hired employees with a higher education. aCCEss to CapItal FundIng Microcredit is the first way to access these assets, and is used by almost all local governments. This type of fi- nancing usually has a significant range both in the volume invested as well as in the number of entrepreneurs that receive benefits, but it is not necessarily an initiative of the government. Some municipalities also explored initia- tives from regional and national institutions, such as the BNDES (the national bank of development) and other local development agencies. There are, however, actions taken on by the Cities Halls such as in the case of Manaus (FUMIPEQ) and Fortaleza (CREDJOVEM) — the last on even a partnership that extends to the IDB and is focused on young entrepreneurs, aged 18 to 29, who studied in public schools in the city. Another inter - esting case is found in Curitiba, in the "Entrepreneurs' Bank", a state initiative that lowers the percentage taxed as the en- trepreneur grows and expands his business. CapaCItY and support InItIatIvEs With different initiatives and impacts, all municipali- ties have reported actions focused on entrepreneurial training and business support, always in collaboration with other organizations. In general, the local Sebrae is the main partner of municipalities, either by provid- ing training programs, incubation, or for being a part of "Entrepreneurial Fairs", that took place in almost all fourteen capital cities in the study. With regards to entrepreneurial education, few cities have courses or even classes that focus on entrepre- neurship on primary education (which is the responsibil- ity of municipal governments, when referring to public schools). The governments also have little or no initia- tives for high-schools, when it comes to entrepreneurial education, even though they have knowledge of courses and independent activities students could be a part of. In both cases this scenario could be a good opportunity to approximate the public sector and learning institutions. 104

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