Cozinha com Alma
Cozinha com Alma is a Portuguese IPSS non-profit social enterprise operating a 'social take-away' where profits from meals sold to the general public subsidize subsidized meals and capacity-building programs for families in temporary financial difficulty across the Cascais, Sintra, Oeiras, and Lisbon municipalities.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2011
- HeadquartersCascais, Portugal
- Headcount11–50
- GTM typeB2C
- OfferingServices
What Cozinha com Alma does
Cozinha com Alma is a Portuguese non-profit social enterprise (IPSS - Instituição Particular de Solidariedade Social) founded on June 17, 2011 by Cristina de Botton and Joana Castella, headquartered in Cascais, Portugal. It operates a 'social take-away' (take-away solidário) model where meals sold to the general public at full price generate profits that subsidize meals for families in temporary financial difficulty ('pobreza envergonhada') through its flagship Bolsa Social program. The organization serves two primary customer constituencies: paying general public consumers purchasing convenience takeaway meals, and subsidized beneficiary families, with additional catering services provided to corporate and private events.
Operationally, the company runs two physical retail stores (in Cascais town and Alcabideche), an industrial kitchen currently producing approximately 600 meals per day (up from 30 portions on opening day in 2012), and distributes frozen and fresh products through 11+ resale partners, a Glovo delivery partnership, phone-based home delivery covering Cascais, Sintra, Oeiras, and Lisbon, and an online ordering portal. Its proprietary technology asset is the Cartão Pré-pago Cozinha com Alma, a prepaid card payment system that guarantees anonymity for Bolsa Social beneficiaries while remaining usable by general public customers, and integrates with a WhatsApp/SMS meal reservation service. The organization administers four Bolsa Social sub-programs: Capacitar (working-age families, 6-month renewable support up to 24 months), Acompanhar (elderly 65+ and disabled, 1-year renewable), Transformar (youth with intellectual/developmental disabilities, 10-month on-the-job training in partnership with Associação Vila com Vida), and Colaborar (internal employee hardship support). Since founding, it reports supporting 700+ families and providing 500,000+ meals.
Revenue is generated through transactional meal sales to the general public (full price), catering commissions, home delivery fees, and resale partner markups, supplemented by donations through the Padrinhos (sponsors) recurring program and grant funding from Portuguese foundations and corporate social responsibility programs including three consecutive awards from Banco BPI / Fundación 'la Caixa' (2019, 2021, 2023) and Prémio Missão Continente/Sonae (€16,000, 2018). Operations are staffed by 37 resident collaborators and approximately 70 active volunteers. As an IPSS, surplus is reinvested into social programs rather than distributed to owners.
Cozinha com Alma firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Cozinha com Alma
- Legal name
- Associação Cozinha Solidária e Refeições com Alma
- Website
- https://cozinhacomalma.pt
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2011
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 11–50 employees
- Short description
- Cozinha com Alma is a Portuguese IPSS non-profit social enterprise operating a 'social take-away' where profits from meals sold to the general public subsidize subsidized meals and capacity-building programs for families in temporary financial difficulty across the Cascais, Sintra, Oeiras, and Lisbon municipalities.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Cozinha com Alma industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Social Takeaway & Community Food Service
- NAICS
- Limited-Service Restaurants (722513), Community Food Services (62421), Caterers (722320)
- SIC
- Retail-Eating & Drinking Places (5810)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Food Co-ops with In-Store Prepared Foods & Deli (CRAHALAF)
- akta.pro secondary industry
- Food Co-ops with Online Ordering & Pickup/Delivery (CRAHALAH)
Keywords
Where Cozinha com Alma is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Cascais
- HQ country
- Portugal
- HQ region
- Europe
Offices3 records
Markets served
Cozinha com Alma business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2C
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Supply Chain, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure
Revenue model
- Meal Sales (Take-away): Sale of fresh and frozen meals to the general public. The profit from these sales subsidizes the same meals for Bolsa Social clients at symbolic prices. Includes weekly rotating menu and frozen product offerings.
- Catering Services: Customized catering for events, work meetings, family gatherings, and special occasions using the same social mission model.
- Home Delivery: Delivery service with variable fees depending on zone, providing meals to customers who cannot visit stores.
- Fundraising & Padrinhos: Donations from Padrinhos (godparents/sponsors) and general fundraising through donations, allowing expansion of social impact.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Subscription | Monthly | Bolsa Social Escalão 1 - Maximum subsidy |
| Subscription | Monthly | Bolsa Social Escalão 2 - Medium subsidy |
| Subscription | Monthly | Bolsa Social Escalão 3 - Minimum subsidy |
| Transaction based/ take rate | Pay-as-you-go | Cartão Pré-pago - First Load |
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels6 records
Marketing channels7 records
Cozinha com Alma product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Cozinha com Alma is a social takeaway enterprise operating an industrial kitchen that produces and sells fresh and frozen meals to the general public through its own stores, resale partners, and home delivery. The profits from these public sales are cross-subsidized into the Bolsa Social program, which provides the same quality meals at symbolic prices (7%, 14%, or 20% of public price) to families experiencing temporary financial difficulty, alongside capacity-building and accompaniment programs (Capacitar, Acompanhar, Transformar, Colaborar, CO-alma).
Product overview
Cozinha com Alma operates a single unified offering: a social take-away service where meals are sold to the general public, with all profits applied to a Bolsa Social program that subsidizes meals for families in temporary financial difficulty. The core product is the take-away service (fresh weekly menus and frozen products), supported by the Bolsa Social program comprising four sub-programs (Capacitar, Acompanhar, Transformar, and Colaborar), plus ancillary services including home delivery, catering, and a prepaid card payment system. An emergency program (CO-alma) was added during Covid-19 for pandemic-affected families.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- Bolsa Social: A social program that integrates four distinct programs: Capacitar (working-age families), Acompanhar (elderly 65+), Transformar (youth with intellectual disabilities), and Colaborar (internal employee support). Allows families to access quality meals at symbolic prices and receive training and accompaniment services.
- Empadaria com Alma
- Programa Capacitar
- Programa Acompanhar
- Programa Transformar
- Programa Colaborar
- Programa CO-alma
- Cartão Pré-pago Cozinha com Alma
Products and services
- Take-away Solidário (Social Takeaway) Social takeaway service selling fresh and frozen meals to the general public through two physical stores (Cascais and Alcabideche), with profits cross-subsidizing Bolsa Social meals. Weekly rotating fresh menu plus frozen product line.
- Programa Bolsa Social
Quantifiable outcome
- 700+ families supported in financial difficulty since 2012
- +3 more outcomes
Companies that use Cozinha com Alma
Customer profileNamed customers2 records
Segments4 records
Ideal customer profiles4 records
Cozinha com Alma technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature1 record
Cozinha com Alma partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
13 partnerships are on record, tiered core, supporting and minor.
- Associação Vila com VidacorePartnership for Programa Transformar - on-the-job training program for young people with DID (Developmental Intellectual Difficulties). Vila com Vida provides professional supervision and neurodiversity expertise. Joint initiative co-financed by Lisboa 2020 | Portugal 2020 and European Social Fund.
- Fundação Manuel Violante - Academia de Gestão SocialsupportingParticipation in Immersion Program including organizational diagnosis, training activities in leadership, HR, fundraising, communication, quality, and client orientation.
- ICF Portugal (International Coach Federation)corePartnership for coaching services in the Bolsa Social capacitation programs. Professional coaches provide individualized coaching to supported families to help them overcome financial difficulties and develop personal competencies.
- GEPE - Grupos de Entreajuda na Procura de EmpregosupportingPartnership for employment search support groups within Bolsa Social capacitation plan. GEPE groups help unemployed beneficiaries develop competencies and find job opportunities through collaborative approach.
- Câmara Municipal de CascaiscoreMunicipal government support since founding in 2011. Provided initial validation and consolidation of the project concept, ongoing operational support, and sponsorship of outdoor advertising campaigns.
- Junta de Freguesia de Cascais e EstorilcoreLocal parish council partner since founding. Provided initial kitchen space at Creche da Pampilheira through tripartite protocol. Co-validates Bolsa Social applications through local Social Commission.
- Santa Casa da Misericórdia de CascaissupportingCharitable institution partner in the initial tripartite protocol that enabled the first provisional kitchen at Creche da Pampilheira.
- Supermercado AbelsupportingFirst resale partnership opened November 2022. Frozen products available at Supermercado Abel in Linhó, Sintra area. Open Monday to Sunday.
- Pastelaria O CarecasupportingSecond resale partnership opened April 2023. Frozen products available at Pastelaria O Careca in Restelo, Lisbon. Expands presence to Lisbon municipality.
- GlovosupportingDelivery partnership through Glovo app, available in Lisbon area, Monday to Saturday. Enables delivery to customers who cannot visit physical stores.
- DECO - Associação Portuguesa de ConsumidoressupportingConsumer association partnership providing E+ support in legal matters for Bolsa Social beneficiaries as part of the capacitation program.
- Team DynamicsminorTeam building partner that supported the June 2022 Volunteer Encounter event with team dynamics activities.
- Farol HotelminorProvided catering for the November 2017 Christmas Cocktail event, supporting the organization's celebration activities.
Scale indicators6 records
Recent moves17 records
Expansion highlights6 records
Cozinha com Alma competitors and assessment
Company assessmentOthers
- Too Good To Go: European marketplace app selling surplus restaurant meals at discounted prices to combat food waste. Comparable on takeaway-meal/app-distribution angle and Lisbon market presence, but commercial rather than social-enterprise model and focused on food waste rather than subsidised feeding of families in need.
- Missão Continente (Sonae): Corporate social responsibility programme of Sonae's Continente retail chain supporting food security and community causes in Portugal. Comparable on food-security mission and one of Cozinha com Alma's historical grant providers, but operates as a CSR funding channel rather than a direct service provider.
- ENTRAJUDA: Portuguese federation of social solidarity institutions providing infrastructure support, training and coordination across the third sector. Comparable ecosystem role for IPSS organisations in Portugal, but operates as an enabling/coordinating umbrella rather than direct food service.
Direct peers
- DC Central Kitchen: US social enterprise that runs industrial kitchens producing meals for community distribution while training adults facing barriers to employment. Directly comparable on the cross-subsidy-plus-workforce-training model, meal production scale, and IPSS-equivalent mission, though US-based and with broader geographic footprint.
- Maria Granel: Portuguese zero-waste bulk grocery chain selling unpackaged staples in reusable containers. Comparable on socially-conscious consumer-retail model in Portugal, customer-segment overlap (impact-driven consumers) and community-rooted positioning, but operates grocery rather than prepared meals and is for-profit.
- FoodCycle: UK charity using surplus food to prepare community meals for people facing food poverty, with volunteer-powered model. Comparable on community-meals mission, volunteer dependency, and serving low-income/elderly beneficiaries, but operates free community meals rather than a paid takeaway subsidising subsidised meals.
- Refood: Portuguese non-profit network recovering surplus food from restaurants and supermarkets to redistribute to families in need. Most directly comparable peer: same Portuguese social-food mission, volunteer-driven model, and meal-provision focus, but operates via food rescue rather than paid takeaway subsidisation.
Broad incumbents
- Banco Alimentar Contra a Fome: Portuguese Food Bank federation collecting and distributing donated food to charitable institutions nationwide. Comparable in feeding low-income families and food-security focus, but operates a wholesale distribution model rather than prepared-meal takeaway, and is a substantially larger incumbent.
- Cáritas Portuguesa: Portugal's largest Catholic social services confederation, operating solidarity shops, food aid, and community programmes nationally. Comparable on social-solidarity mission and beneficiary overlap (families in financial difficulty), but Cáritas is a much larger, broader-portfolio incumbent — not a takeaway model.
Regional players
- Lojas solidárias Cáritas: Solidarity commerce network run by Cáritas Portuguesa offering discounted goods to low-income families in Portugal. Comparable on solidarity-retail model targeting the same beneficiary segment, but operates second-hand goods rather than prepared meals and is part of the Cáritas portfolio.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat6 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
Cozinha com Alma social profiles
Digital presenceCozinha com Alma financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Cozinha com Alma leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles6 records
Cozinha com Alma funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Cozinha com Alma M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Cozinha com Alma
What does Cozinha com Alma do?
Cozinha com Alma is a social takeaway enterprise operating an industrial kitchen that produces and sells fresh and frozen meals to the general public through its own stores, resale partners, and home delivery. The profits from these public sales are cross-subsidized into the Bolsa Social program, which provides the same quality meals at symbolic prices (7%, 14%, or 20% of public price) to families experiencing temporary financial difficulty, alongside capacity-building and accompaniment programs (Capacitar, Acompanhar, Transformar, Colaborar, CO-alma).
Is Cozinha com Alma a public or private company?
Cozinha com Alma is a private company. It is classified as nonprofit foundation owned and is currently operating.
When was Cozinha com Alma founded?
Cozinha com Alma was founded in 2011. It employs 11 to 50 people.
Where is Cozinha com Alma based?
Cozinha com Alma is headquartered in Cascais, Portugal, in the Europe region.
How does Cozinha com Alma make money?
Four revenue lines are on record. Meal Sales (Take-away) is the primary driver. The others are catering Services, home Delivery and fundraising & Padrinhos.
Who are Cozinha com Alma's main competitors?
Others on record are Too Good To Go, Missão Continente (Sonae) and ENTRAJUDA. Direct peers are DC Central Kitchen, Maria Granel, FoodCycle and Refood. Broad incumbents are Banco Alimentar Contra a Fome and Cáritas Portuguesa. Lojas solidárias Cáritas is listed as a regional player.
Does Cozinha com Alma have an API?
No public API is recorded for Cozinha com Alma.
What industry is Cozinha com Alma in?
Cozinha com Alma's product category is Social Takeaway & Community Food Service. Its primary akta.pro industry code is CRAHALAF, Food Co-ops with In-Store Prepared Foods & Deli, with a secondary code of CRAHALAH, Food Co-ops with Online Ordering & Pickup/Delivery. Its NAICS code is 722513 and its SIC code is 5810.