FAPESP’s Innovative Small Business Program (PIPE) as development inducer of technology-based enterprises

Abstract This text examines the relevance of the development support for small business enterprises with a technological basis in the form of a “package” of strategic resources and capabilities, embedded in a short space of time through the FAPESP’s Innovative Small Business Program (PIPE). The study approach was the resource-based view (RBV). The qualitative methodology was adopted with the application of content analysis. The data were obtained during interviews based on a structured roadmap with open-ended questions conducted with the partners/managers of ten small technology-based business enterprises divided into two groups, one consisting of companies benefited by the PIPE and the other containing those that used their own resources. The intention was to compare their evolution. The study results indicated that the PIPE provided decisive support encouraging the development of the businesses benefiting from it. One of the relevant gains was the faster availability of additional resources as a result of the productive combination of the enterprises’ pre-existing resources and capabilities with those obtained through the program. An important finding was that small business enterprises with a technological basis have grown in the market, regardless of the help received, they featured differentiated technology, partners/managers with a clear view of their markets, and the aim of creating value for their products and services. This research limitations included the selection of small business enterprises with very different products to compare successes.