ScaleUp Bolivia

Project Background, Goals, and Objectives Bolivia has one of the largest informal economies in Latin America, with a significant portion of entrepreneurial activity occurring outside formal business structures. Many entrepreneurs operate small-scale businesses in sectors like retail, food services, construction, and personal services without formal registration, limiting their access to credit, legal protections, and growth opportunities. These informal businesses also face barriers to adopting modern business practices and technologies, including U.S.-based financial management tools and digital solutions that could enhance their competitiveness. By bringing businesses into the formal economy, ScaleUp Bolivia will expand the customer base for U.S. products and services, create more reliable supply chain partners for American companies, and open new markets for American technology providers and suppliers. The program will strengthen the rule of law and economic governance, reduce unfair competition in the marketplace, increase municipal tax revenues that support local development, and generate economic growth that benefits both Bolivian communities and U.S. commercial interests. Additionally, formalized businesses become better positioned to engage in international trade and adopt U.S. business standards, creating a foundation for sustained bilateral economic partnership.