Alongside micro-finance schemes the government has developed the Programa de Desenvolvimento do Empreendedorismo em Comunidades Pacificadas (Program for the development of Entrepreneurship in Pacified Communities), which has served more than 52,000 people and contributed to the formalization of 5,000 enterprises, providing courses, lectures, workshops and seminars.

NGOs have also developed a host of initiatives to boost growth in favela economies, running workshops, programs and competitions in entrepreneurship and income generation.

Successful initiatives for economic growth in favelas are built around the concept of sustainability, providing locals with the means to maintain themselves and develop in the decades to follow.