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| SERCOTEC | |
|---|---|
| Name | SERCOTEC |
| Native name | Servicio de Cooperación Técnica |
| Formation | 1970s |
| Type | Public agency |
| Headquarters | Santiago, Chile |
| Region served | Chile |
| Leader title | Director |
| Parent organization | Ministry of Economy, Development and Tourism (Chile) |
SERCOTEC SERCOTEC is a Chilean public agency focused on supporting micro, small and medium enterprises through technical assistance, training and financing instruments. Founded during the late 20th century, it operates within the institutional framework of Chilean development policy alongside entities such as CORFO, BancoEstado, Servicio Nacional de Capacitación y Empleo and regional governments. SERCOTEC has collaborated with international partners including the Inter-American Development Bank, World Bank, United Nations Development Programme and bilateral donors like USAID and European Union missions.
SERCOTEC was established amid reform efforts of the 1970s and 1980s that included actors such as Hernán Büchi-era economic teams, later evolving through administrations like those of Patricio Aylwin, Eduardo Frei Ruiz-Tagle, Ricardo Lagos and Michelle Bachelet. It emerged alongside institutions such as Instituto Nacional de Desarrollo Agropecuario, FONASA-era reforms and the modernization agendas of the Concertación coalition. The agency’s programs expanded during the 1990s with technical cooperation from OECD missions and regulatory interactions with the Superintendencia de Insolvencia y Reemprendimiento and regional Intendencia offices. In the 2000s and 2010s SERCOTEC adapted to policy priorities set by presidents including Sebastián Piñera and Gabriel Boric, coordinating with ministries like Ministry of Social Development (Chile) and Ministry of Cultures, Arts and Heritage (Chile).
SERCOTEC’s mission frames support for microenterprise and small business development through technical assistance and access to finance, aligning with national strategies such as those advanced by Plan AUGE and Agenda de Productividad initiatives. Objectives include capacity building linked to programs run by Servicio de Impuestos Internos, market formalization consistent with Código del Trabajo reforms, and entrepreneurship promotion similar to activities by Start-Up Chile. The agency emphasizes regional inclusion comparable to decentralization efforts in Los Lagos Region, Antofagasta Region and Arica y Parinacota Region.
SERCOTEC’s governance links to central administration in Santiago, Chile and regional offices coordinated with Gobierno Regional structures. Leadership typically reports to the Ministry of Economy, Development and Tourism (Chile) and interacts with advisory bodies resembling boards seen in CORFO and BancoEstado Microempresas. Operational divisions mirror units from international development institutions like the Inter-American Development Bank project teams, including departments for training, grants, marketing and evaluation. The agency cooperates with municipal offices such as the Ilustre Municipalidad de Santiago and sectoral ministries including Ministry of Agriculture (Chile) and Ministry of Housing and Urbanism (Chile).
SERCOTEC provides grant programs, training workshops and consultancy services comparable to instruments used by Small Business Administration-style entities. Services include incubator support similar to Startup Chile cohorts, commercialization fairs akin to those organized by ProChile, and digitalization initiatives aligned with Agenda Digital para Chile. It coordinates promotion campaigns with cultural venues like Museo de la Memoria y los Derechos Humanos and trade events such as Expoalimentaria while delivering entrepreneurship curricula modelled after training promoted by Universidad de Chile and technical institutes like INACAP.
Funding sources combine allocations from the national budget authorized by the Congress of Chile, project-specific loans or grants from multilateral lenders including the World Bank and Inter-American Development Bank, and co-financing with regional governments and municipal administrations. Budget cycles reflect fiscal oversight by entities such as the Dirección de Presupuestos and audits by the Contraloría General de la República. Capital programs have occasionally been supplemented by corporate social responsibility partnerships with firms like Cencosud and Falabella and philanthropic contributions from foundations such as Fundación Chile.
Evaluations have cited SERCOTEC’s role in formalizing microenterprises and expanding vocational training, with case studies referencing outcomes in regions like Biobío Region and Atacama Region. Impact assessments undertaken by academic units such as Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile and Universidad Adolfo Ibáñez have shown mixed results on productivity and survival rates relative to interventions by CORFO and Fondo Esperanza. Criticisms have focused on allocation transparency raised in parliamentary debates in the Chamber of Deputies of Chile, administrative delays scrutinized by the Contraloría General de la República, and overlap concerns with programs from SENCE and municipal initiatives.
Notable initiatives include regional entrepreneurship competitions coordinated with Fondo de Iniciativas Locales, digital commerce acceleration projects linked to ProChile exports, and recovery funds implemented after events such as the 2010 Chile earthquake and wildfires affecting Valparaíso Region and Maule Region. Collaborative projects with the Inter-American Development Bank, pilot programs developed with Universidad de Santiago de Chile and urban microenterprise revitalization in partnership with Ministerio de Vivienda y Urbanismo are among highlighted efforts. SERCOTEC has also participated in cross-border cooperation with Argentina and Peru counterparts and knowledge exchanges with Programa de las Naciones Unidas para el Desarrollo offices.