Apae Brasil

What Apae Brasil does

Apae Brasil (Federação Nacional das Apaes) is a civil, nonprofit federation founded in 1954 and headquartered in Brasília that coordinates the largest network of disability services in Brazil and Latin America. The Rede Apae comprises 26 state federations (Feapaes) and approximately 2,255 affiliated Apaes delivering education, social assistance, healthcare, habilitation and rehabilitation, sports, and cultural programs to 1.77 million people with intellectual disabilities, multiple disabilities, and autism, generating nearly 26 million annual attendances. The federation also operates Faculdade Apae Brasil, a higher education institution offering distance-learning courses for disability-sector professionals, and runs major national events including the Special Olympics of Apaes (held every three years; XXIV edition in Brasília in December 2025) and the National Congress of Apaes (XXVIII edition scheduled for Salvador in late 2026).

Apae Brasil's core technology footprint is intentionally limited and non-proprietary: institutional website, transparency portal, virtual library, EAD learning platform, and a network-wide quality management system. The federation generates no commercial revenue from service fees; instead, the Rede Apae is funded through individual donations (PIX, PayPal, bank transfer), federal government grants routed via the PDDE (Programa Dinheiro Direto na Escola) and CEBAS (Certificação de Entidades Beneficentes de Assistência Social) certifications, and corporate partnerships with Itaú, Gazin, Caixa, Ministério do Esporte, and Ministério da Defesa. Approximately 78% of all CEBAS-certified habilitation and rehabilitation entities in Brazil are affiliated with the Rede Apae, reflecting the federation's regulatory and structural dominance in this service category.

The federation operates as a coordinating body rather than a direct service provider: service delivery is executed through legally autonomous local Apaes and state Feapaes that share the unified Apae brand, mission, and governance standards. It is governed by a volunteer board led by President Prof. Jarbas Feldner de Barros, with no external investors, venture capital, or private equity backing disclosed. The federation pursues multi-channel engagement — institutional website, newsletter, YouTube, annual campaigns (Semana Nacional da Pessoa com Deficiência Intelectual e Múltipla), congresses, and self-advocacy forums — to mobilize beneficiaries, families, professionals, donors, and policymakers around rights-based inclusion for people with disabilities in Brazil.

Name

Apae Brasil

Legal name

Federação Nacional das Apaes

Website

https://apaebrasil.org.br

Company type

Private

Founded year

1954

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Apae Brasil is a nonprofit federation founded in 1954 that coordinates a national network of 2,255 affiliates serving 1.77 million people with intellectual disabilities and autism annually through education, health, social assistance, and sports programs in Brazil.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Disability Services and Special Education

NAICS

Other Individual and Family Services (624190), Educational Support Services (611710), Business Associations (813910), Voluntary Health Organizations (813212)

SIC

Services-Social Services (8300), Services-Educational Services (8200), Services-Membership Organizations (8600)

akta.pro primary industry

Autism Executive Functioning & Academic Skills Intervention (EDAKAKAI)

akta.pro secondary industries

Autism Communication Support (AAC, Pragmatics & Language) (EDAKAKAG), Adaptive Physical Education (APE) Collaboration & Motor Skills Support (EDAKAGAF)

Keywords

• Disability services
• Special education
• Habilitation rehabilitation
• Intellectual disability support
• Autism services

Headquarters

HQ city

Brasília

HQ country

Brazil

HQ region

Latin America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Individual Donations: Receives donations from individuals through PIX ([email protected]), PayPal, and bank transfer (Banco do Brasil: Agency 0452-9, Account 451.239-1). Donations are the primary mechanism for public mobilization to support the organization's work.
2. Government Funding (PDDE): Receives government funding through the Programa Dinheiro Direto na Escola (PDDE) for educational services. The organization maintains CEBAS (Certificação de Entidades Beneficentes de Assistência Social) certification for accessing public funds.
3. Partnership Funding: Receives support from corporate partners and government programs (e.g., Ministério do Esporte, Itaú) for specific programs like TEAtivo sports initiative.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Apae Brasil (Federação Nacional das Apaes) is a non-profit federation that coordinates a nationwide network of approximately 2,255 local Apaes delivering specialized education, habilitation and rehabilitation, social assistance, healthcare, and sports programs to people with intellectual and multiple disabilities and autism across all 26 Brazilian states and the Federal District. Services are offered free of charge, funded by donations, government programs (PDDE), and corporate partnerships, and the network serves roughly 1.77 million people annually through 25.9 million attendances.

Product overview

Apae Brasil (Federação Nacional das Apaes) operates as a nonprofit federation providing a network of services for people with intellectual and multiple disabilities across Brazil. The organization offers an integrated ecosystem of programs and services including the Portal da Transparência for public accountability, the virtual library and EAD Faculty for professional training, sports programs like TEAtivo, quality management systems, scientific and magazine publications, and major national events including the Special Olympics, National Congress, and legal and self-advocacy conferences. With 275 Apaes serving approximately 1.77 million people annually, the network focuses on rights defense, social welfare, education, health, and sports.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• TEAtivo Sports Program
• Faculdade Apae Brasil (Higher Education)
• PDDE (Programa Dinheiro Direto na Escola) Educational Program
• Biblioteca Virtual (Virtual Library)
• Revista Apae Ciência
• Revista Mensagem da Apae
• Portal da Transparência (Transparency Portal)
• Rede Apae Service Network

Quantifiable outcome

• 1,770,666 people assisted annually through a network of 275 Apaes
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers3 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

Partnerships

Eight partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Comitê Paralímpico Brasileiro (CPB)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership for Paralympic sports development and Special Olympics of Apaes.
• Special OlympicscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerInternational organization partnership for sports programs for people with intellectual disabilities.
• Ministério do Esporte (MEsp)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerGovernment ministry partnership through Secretaria Nacional de Paradesporto (SNPAR) for the TEAtivo sports program in North and Northeast regions.
• Universidade de Brasília (UnB)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerAcademic partnership for research, events, and professional training in disability services.
• Universidade Federal do Pará (UFPA)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerAcademic partnership for research and professional training in disability services.
• Universidade Federal de Santa MariaminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerAcademic partnership for research and professional training in disability services.
• Faculdade Apae Brasil - Dr. Eduardo BarbosacoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerHigher education institution affiliated with Fenapaes offering courses for disability sector professionals.
• Legião da Boa Vontade (LBV)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner organization in social initiatives, defense and promotion of rights for people in vulnerability situations.

Scale indicators8 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Instituto Jô Clemente: Brazilian non-profit offering diagnostic, habilitation, and inclusion services for people with intellectual disabilities and rare diseases. Comparable model: certified non-profit with government contracts, donations, and rehabilitation focus.
• APAE de São Paulo: Sister Apae unit serving São Paulo state - largest and most populous Apae affiliate. Direct peer in service portfolio (education, habilitation, health, social assistance) and local fundraising model.
• Legião da Boa Vontade (LBV): Brazilian non-profit delivering social assistance, education, and health services to vulnerable populations. Already a documented partner of Apae Brasil and directly comparable in donation-driven social assistance model.
• Fundação Dorina Nowill: Brazilian non-profit serving people with visual impairment. Comparable in non-profit federation structure, government and corporate funding, accessibility services, and advocacy role for disability rights in Brazil.
• L'Arche International: International federation of communities supporting people with intellectual disabilities. Comparable in federation model, multi-country footprint, mission-driven services, and emphasis on family and community inclusion.
• AACD (Associação de Assistência à Criança Deficiente): Brazilian non-profit providing habilitation, rehabilitation, and education services to children and adults with disabilities. Directly comparable in mission, funding model (donations + government + corporate), and CEBAS-style regulatory positioning in Brazil.
• AVAPE: Brazilian association providing habilitation, rehabilitation, education, and social inclusion services for people with intellectual and multiple disabilities - a direct sector peer with overlapping service lines.

Broad incumbents

• Inclusion International: Global federation advocating for the human rights of people with intellectual disabilities. Comparable in federation structure, advocacy role, and cross-country disability-rights positioning; broader rather than direct service overlap.
• Special Olympics International: Global organization providing sports training and competition for people with intellectual disabilities; core strategic partner of Apae. Broader incumbent in intellectual-disability sports but Apae operates its own Brazil-specific program (Olimpíadas Especiais).
• Comitê Paralímpico Brasileiro (CPB): National Paralympic governing body in Brazil and Apae partner for Paralympic sports development. Broader incumbent in para-sport but overlapping service population and program footprint in Brazil.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat6 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UCUuM9dnjbsj0i-lfrN-Y1Fg
• Xx.com/brasilfenapaes
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/apaebrasil

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles14 records

Subsidiaries3 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about Apae Brasil