Project ARRIBA

What Project ARRIBA does

Project ARRIBA (Advanced Retraining & Redevelopment Initiative in Border Areas) is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit workforce development organization founded in 1998 and headquartered in El Paso, Texas. The organization provides post-secondary education, vocational training, certification, and job placement services to economically disadvantaged adults — primarily first-generation college students, single parents, and individuals facing language or financial barriers — seeking healthcare and information technology careers in the Paso del Norte region. Its service model centers on wraparound case management, including tuition and book funding, rental assistance, ESL instruction, interview preparation, and on-site case managers embedded at three training partners: El Paso Community College, the University of Texas at El Paso, and Texas Tech University Health Science Center of El Paso.

The underlying "technology" of the model is its case management workflow rather than software: weekly orientations in English and Spanish, on-site VIP meetings at training sites, and community-based referrals through EPISO and Border Interfaith. Project ARRIBA does not develop or sell a software product, platform, or AI system; all service delivery is human-mediated. The organization reports a 26.65x benefit-cost ratio, 492 graduates between 2020-2024 with average post-program wages of $58,016 (more than double El Paso County per capita income), and $1.177 billion in total economic value generated for El Paso County since inception.

The business model is grant-funded and donor-supported rather than revenue-generating in a commercial sense. Approximately $3.83 million was raised in 2025 from a concentrated mix of municipal (City of El Paso $1.75M), county (El Paso ARPA $1M), state (Texas Workforce Commission Wagner Peyser $350K, Texas Innovative ACE $428K), and private foundation sources (Trellis $100K, anonymous donor $200K). Services are free to participants. Go-to-market relies on community organizer referrals, Workforce Solutions Borderplex routing (new contractor status effective October 2026), and employer partnerships with regional healthcare systems including University Medical Center of El Paso and Las Palmas Del Sol Health (HCA). The organization operates with approximately 14 core staff and trains around 350 students annually.

Name

Project ARRIBA

Legal name

Project ARRIBA

Website

https://projectarriba.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1998

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Project ARRIBA is a 1998-founded El Paso, Texas nonprofit providing healthcare and IT workforce training, case management, and job placement to economically disadvantaged adults, funded primarily by government grants and serving ~350 students annually through community-based referrals.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Workforce Development Services

NAICS

Educational Services (611), Educational Services (61), Vocational Rehabilitation Services (62431)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro industry

PRIMARYEDAOAMAC

Emergency Medical Services (EMT/Paramedic) Training

Education/Vocational, Technical & Trade Education/Protective Services & Public Safety Training

SECONDARYEDAMAFAK

Immigrant/Integration Language Programs (ESL/ESOL, Civics-Integrated)

Education/Supplemental & Enrichment Programs (Arts, STEM, Language)/Language Learning & Conversation Programs

Keywords

• Workforce development services
• Job training programs
• Case management services
• Healthcare career training
• Community-based workforce programs

Headquarters

HQ city

Marshfield

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Government Grants and Contracts: Primary funding from federal and state workforce development funds including Texas Workforce Commission Wagner Peyser ($350,000), Texas Innovative ACE Funds ($428,000), County of El Paso ARPA ($1,000,000), and City of El Paso Impact Fund ($1,750,000)
2. Foundation and Private Donations: Funding from private foundations such as Trellis Foundation ($100,000) and anonymous donors ($200,000). The organization operates as a nonprofit with 90 cents of every dollar invested going directly to program services.
3. Individual Donations: Public donation portal accepting one-time and monthly recurring contributions from individuals

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Project ARRIBA is a community-based nonprofit labor-market intermediary that delivers workforce development services to economically disadvantaged adults in the Paso del Norte region. It provides post-secondary education, job training, certification (primarily in healthcare — RN, BSN, LVN — and IT), ESL instruction, individualized case management, wraparound support (rental assistance, scholarships, interview prep, childcare/transportation support), and job placement with regional employers such as Las Palmas Medical Center and University Medical Center of El Paso. Services are delivered at no cost to participants through partnerships with El Paso Community College, UTEP, and Texas Tech University Health Science Center of El Paso.

Product overview

Project ARRIBA is a workforce training model and economic development initiative, not a technology product company. It operates as a community-based nonprofit that provides workforce development services including educational support, case management, career counseling, and job placement assistance to economically-disadvantaged individuals in the El Paso, Texas region. The organization does not offer a technology product, software platform, or digital services as its primary offering.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Healthcare Workforce Training Program Free post-secondary education, certification, and job placement track preparing economically disadvantaged adults in El Paso for healthcare careers (RN, BSN, LVN) delivered through partnerships with El Paso Community College, UTEP, and Texas Tech University Health Science Center; pairs training with on-site case management, wraparound support services (rental assistance, scholarships, interview prep), and placement with regional healthcare employers such as Las Palmas Medical Center and University Medical Center of El Paso.
• Case Management and Wraparound Support Services Ongoing individualized case management for participants covering rental assistance, scholarships, tuition and books funding, ESL instruction, job interview preparation, childcare and transportation support, and weekly VIP meetings delivered at Project ARRIBA's Community Room and at EPCC and Texas Tech training sites throughout El Paso.
• Workforce Solutions Borderplex Service Delivery Contract Contracted workforce service delivery model approved by Workforce Solutions Borderplex effective October 1, 2026, alongside Career Team and Dynamic Workforce Solutions, providing a referral channel connecting Borderplex job seekers with Project ARRIBA's training and case-management services.

Named customers6 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature1 record

Partnerships

Eight partnerships are on record, tiered core.

• Workforce Solutions BorderplexcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 May 2026WSB approved Project ARRIBA as one of three newly awarded contractors for modernized workforce service delivery model effective October 1, 2026. Represents major GTM partnership for connecting job seekers to training.
• Project QUEST (San Antonio)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2021Original workforce development model that inspired Project ARRIBA's creation in 1992. Part of West/Southwest Industrial Areas Foundation network of 10+ similar labor market intermediaries that have collectively trained over 16,000 adults.
• Las Palmas Del Sol Health (HCA)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2021Healthcare system employer partner. Shane Mercer serves on Board of Trustees of Las Palmas Del Sol Health (HCA), representing employer engagement and job placement partnerships.
• Texas Tech University Health Science Center of El Paso (TTUHSCEP)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2019Training provider partner for nursing programs since 2019. Priscilla Estrada (Senior Case Manager) assists TTUHSCEP nursing students with weekly meetings at 3rd Floor Room 340.
• Hunt Institute for Global Competitiveness at UTEPcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2014Regional think tank producing economic impact reports that validate Project ARRIBA's outcomes. Mayra Maldonado, Executive Director, and Dr. John Gibson, Director of Research, provided quotes validating program impact for 2025 report.
• El Paso Community College (EPCC)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 1998Primary training provider partner offering health career programs and ESL courses. EPCC Rio Grande Campus Health Sciences Building serves as site for weekly case management meetings and student support services.
• University of Texas at El Paso (UTEP)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 1998Training provider partner for nursing programs. Senior Case Manager Mimi Duran provides on-site case management for UTEP nursing students/participants.
• EPISO/Border InterfaithcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 1998Community organizing organizations that founded Project ARRIBA and continue to provide governance through board representation. Surya Kalra serves as Board Advisor & Lead Organizer to EPISO/Border Interfaith.

Scale indicators8 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Emerging players

• Per Scholas: National nonprofit providing tuition-free technology training and career support to adults from low-income communities. Comparable in the tuition-free, wraparound-support, employer-partnered model, but specialized in IT rather than the healthcare-heavy mix at Project ARRIBA.
• Year Up: National workforce development nonprofit providing training, internships, and wraparound support to young adults from underserved communities, with a growing focus on technology and business careers. Comparable in serving economically disadvantaged populations through intensive case management, though its primary focus is younger participants.
• Climb Hire: Nonprofit providing tuition-free tech and business training with wraparound support to low-income job seekers. Comparable tuition-free, intensive-support model for economically disadvantaged adults, though primarily focused on tech/business tracks rather than healthcare.
• Jewish Vocational Service (JVS): Bay Area workforce development nonprofit offering vocational training, English-language programs, and career services to immigrants, refugees, and low-income individuals. Directly comparable wraparound-support and ESL-included model, though serving different geography.
• STRIVE: Workforce development nonprofit providing job-readiness training, sector-based skills training, and long-term career support to individuals facing barriers to employment. Comparable target population and mission of economic mobility through training, with similar intensive case management approach.

Others

• Jobs for the Future (JFF): National nonprofit driving transformation in workforce and education systems, with significant focus on supporting economically disadvantaged learners. Comparable in mission to expand economic opportunity through workforce training, but operates primarily as an intermediary/funders rather than a direct training provider.

Broad incumbents

• Goodwill Industries International: Large established nonprofit network providing workforce development, job training, and placement services across the U.S. and globally. Overlaps significantly with Project ARRIBA's training and placement mission but operates at much broader scale with a wider portfolio of social services.

Direct peers

• Project QUEST: San Antonio-based workforce development nonprofit that serves as the original model for Project ARRIBA; offers healthcare and IT training with wraparound support services to economically disadvantaged adults in South Texas. Operates the same IAF-aligned labor market intermediary playbook.
• Capital IDEA: Houston-area workforce development nonprofit focused on training low-income adults for careers in healthcare and skilled trades, with comprehensive case management and tuition support. Directly comparable mission, target population, and employer-driven training model to Project ARRIBA.

Regional players

• Workforce Solutions Borderplex: Local Workforce Development Board for the El Paso border region that has just named Project ARRIBA as one of three contractors for its modernized service delivery model. A key funder/partner and the closest regional workforce system counterpart in the same geography.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks7 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/perinatal-center
• Xx.com/projectarriba
• Facebookfacebook.com/projectarriba

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles12 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds1 record

Investors1 record

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M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Project ARRIBA