This article's objective is to present the essential elements of public policies for the solidarity economy  implemented  in  Brazil  and,  at  the  same  time,  to reflect  on  the  reach  of these  policies  and  the  dynamics  that  led  to  their  constitution,  while  questioning  their  contribution  to  building  processes  for  integrated  local  development  within  a  wider  perspective  of socio-economic change.

Methodologically,  two  basic  procedures  were  followed:  first,  documents  and  bibliographical sources  on  public  policies  in  Brazil  were  consulted;  second,  interviews  were  conducted  with  a total of 12 people, amongst whom government and non-government actors that were considered key in each of the themes addressed.

The work contains an initial presentation on the global design of public policy and the dynamics of its constitution, in particular highlighting its  participatory  construction  and  strength  as  a  space  for  citizen  organization and  the  institutional  fragility  of  solidarity  economy  policies  as  a  whole  and  their limited results, notwithstanding their growth in the last ten years.

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