Refood Vila Nova de Famalicao

What Refood Vila Nova de Famalicao does

Refood Vila Nova de Famalicao is a local nucleus of REFOOD, a Portuguese non-profit community-based food rescue and redistribution movement. Founded as a pioneer group in October 2014 and operating from its Vila Nova de Famalicao Operations Center since March 13, 2016, the nucleus mobilizes 175 volunteers to collect surplus food from approximately 130 local food source partners — including restaurants, supermarkets (LIDL, Auchan), and bakeries — and redistributes it free of charge to around 5,000 food-insecure families in the municipality. The model operates without proprietary technology: the entire logistics chain (collection routes, food preparation at the operations center, parcel distribution to beneficiaries) is executed by volunteers, supported by a WordPress-based website for donations and engagement.

The parent organization, REFOOD 4 GOOD – Associação (IPSS), was legally established on July 18, 2011 and received Private Institution of Social Solidarity (IPSS) status from the Portuguese Government in April 2013. Nationally, the movement comprises approximately 60 local nuclei, 7,500 volunteers, 2,500 food source partners, and 6,800 beneficiaries, rescuing 2.5 million meals per year (as of end 2019) at an estimated €0.10 per meal. REFOOD has expanded internationally to Spain (Madrid), Italy (Milan), and is developing in Brazil and Virginia, USA.

The revenue model is entirely philanthropic: it depends on in-kind donations of volunteer time, surplus food, and monetary contributions from individuals, companies, and social investors. Corporate partnerships (Tetra Pak, LIDL, BPI, Fundación MAPFRE, Siemens Gamesa, Padaria Portuguesa, Sony Music, and others) provide both direct contributions and cause-marketing channels. There is no commercial revenue, no paid advertising, and no government subsidy dependency. Each €1 donated enables approximately 4 meals rescued and avoids 2 kg of food waste.

Name

Refood Vila Nova de Famalicao

Legal name

REFOOD 4 GOOD – ASSOCIAÇÃO (IPSS)

Website

https://re-food.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2011

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

51–100 employees

Short description

Refood Vila Nova de Famalicao is a volunteer-driven, non-profit local nucleus of the Portuguese REFOOD movement that collects surplus food from 130 partner businesses and redistributes it free of charge to 5,000 food-insecure families in Vila Nova de Famalicao, Portugal.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Food Rescue and Redistribution Services

NAICS

Community Food Services (62421), Community Food Services (624210)

akta.pro primary industry

Food Assistance & Nutrition Relief (Emergency Feeding) (BPAGAAAD)

Keywords

• Food rescue services
• Surplus food redistribution
• Volunteer food programs
• Community food assistance
• Food waste reduction

Headquarters

HQ city

Lisbon

HQ country

Portugal

HQ region

Europe

Offices4 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Operations, Infrastructure, Supply Chain, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Donations of Time (Voluntary Service): Volunteers donate their time — typically 2 hours per week — to collect, prepare, and distribute surplus food. No monetary compensation is paid to volunteers. This is the primary labor input enabling operations.
2. Donations of Food Surplus (In-Kind): Food source partners (restaurants, supermarkets, bakeries, caterers, etc.) donate their surplus food that would otherwise be discarded. This in-kind food donation is the core resource redistributed to beneficiaries.
3. Monetary Donations from Individuals, Companies, and Social Investors: Any monetary support donated by individuals, companies, or social investors is used to cover operational costs of local nuclei (electricity, water, consumables, refrigeration, vehicles, etc.). Each euro donated enables approximately 4 meals rescued and avoids 2 kg of food waste.
4. Partnerships for Social/Circular Economy Campaigns: Corporate partners (e.g., Tetra Pak) engage in cause-marketing campaigns where recycling or purchasing activity by consumers generates meal donations to REFOOD. This creates a indirect revenue stream tied to consumer behavior and partner brand campaigns.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Refood Vila Nova de Famalicao is a local volunteer-driven nucleus of the REFOOD movement that collects surplus edible food from partner restaurants, supermarkets, bakeries, and caterers and redistributes it free of charge to food-insecure families in the Vila Nova de Famalicao municipality. The service combines three operational activities: food collection from donors, food preparation and packaging at the local operations center, and direct distribution (on-site or door-to-door) to beneficiary families. All activities are performed by community volunteers with no charge to beneficiaries.

Product overview

Refood Vila Nova de Famalicão operates as a community-based food rescue and redistribution service. The organization mobilizes volunteers to collect surplus food from partner sources (restaurants, bakeries, supermarkets) and redistribute it to families in need. The service operates through a network model comprising three core activities: food collection from partner sources, food preparation and organization at the Operations Center, and distribution to beneficiaries. This is a charitable organization, not a technology product company.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Food Rescue and Redistribution Service Core service collecting surplus edible food from local restaurants, supermarkets, bakeries, and caterers and redistributing it free of charge to food-insecure families in the Vila Nova de Famalicao municipality. Operated entirely by community volunteers.
• Volunteer Coordination Program Coordination of volunteer activities including food collection routes from partner businesses, food preparation at the operations center, and food distribution to beneficiary families. Volunteers typically commit 2 hours per week; 2 hours of volunteering is reported to feed approximately 10 people.
• Beneficiary Food Assistance Support service for food-insecure families, providing free food parcels and prepared meals delivered to or picked up by beneficiaries. Currently serves approximately 5,000 beneficiaries in the Vila Nova de Famalicao municipality.
• Corporate Partnership Program Partnership program enabling restaurants, supermarkets, bakeries, caterers, and other food businesses to donate surplus food, as well as operational and financial partners supporting nuclei operations. The Vila Nova de Famalicao nucleus works with 130 food source partners and 26 broader partners.

Quantifiable outcome

• 2.5 million meals rescued per year (as of end 2019), with 1,125 tonnes of bio-residue avoided
• +4 more outcomes

Named customers3 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

19 partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Tetra PakcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 October 2023Tetra Pak and REFOOD partnered on the 'Reciclar Alimenta' campaign (October 2023), where for every 100 tonnes of carton packaging recycled in the yellow ecopoint during October, Tetra Pak donated 15,000 meals to REFOOD. The goal was to exceed 700 tonnes recycled and donate 120,000 meals, while also incentivizing recycling and reducing food waste.
• Padaria PortuguesacoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerNational partner contributing food surplus to REFOOD's network of nuclei.
• Siemens GamesacoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerNational partner supporting REFOOD's operations and mission.
• RUBiS GasminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerNational partner contributing to REFOOD's operations.
• SECILminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerNational partner contributing to REFOOD's mission.
• Sony MusicminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerNational partner contributing to REFOOD's mission.
• Dona AjudaminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerNational partner contributing to REFOOD's mission.
• BPIcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerBPI has supported REFOOD through multiple awards (BPI Solidário, BPI/La Caixa Solidária) and ongoing partnership, recognizing REFOOD's social impact.
• Fundación MAPFREcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerNational partner supporting REFOOD's social mission.
• LillyminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerNational partner contributing to REFOOD's mission.
• Portuguese GovernmentcoreOthersThe Portuguese Government is listed as a 'landlord' providing space for REFOOD operations, demonstrating institutional support for the movement.
• Portuguese Navy (Marinha Portuguesa)minorOthersProvides space for REFOOD operations as part of community support.
• Churches, Parishes, and Religious OrderscoreOthersChurches and parishes are key landlords providing free space for local REFOOD operations centers across Portugal.
• MisericórdiascoreOthersMisericórdias (Portuguese charitable institutions) partner with REFOOD to support food-insecure families in their communities.
• LIDL PortugalcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerLIDL has reinforced its support to REFOOD's food waste combat program. Active as a food source partner and supporter of local nuclei including Vila Nova de Famalicão.
• Câmara Municipal de Vila Nova de FamalicãocoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe municipality of Vila Nova de Famalicão supports the local REFOOD nucleus as a key institutional partner.
• AuchancoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerA national supermarket chain acting as a food source partner for the Vila Nova de Famalicão nucleus.
• Supermarkets and distribution companies (COVID-19 pivot partners)Strategic or Co-development PartnerDuring COVID-19, when restaurants closed, REFOOD pivoted to new partners including supermarkets, distribution companies, food banks, and other institutions to continue feeding beneficiaries.
• CAF AmericaminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerREFOOD is a validated organization with CAF America, enabling cross-border philanthropy for international donors.

Scale indicators22 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Banco Alimentar Contra a Fome: Portugal's largest national food bank network, collecting and redistributing surplus food to charitable institutions. Operates within the same Portuguese food-rescue category as REFOOD and competes for the same food source partners and beneficiary service.
• FareShare UK: UK food redistribution charity that rescues surplus food from the food industry and redistributes to frontline charities. Operates with a near-identical model to REFOOD—rescuing edible surplus to feed people facing food insecurity—at a comparable volunteer/partner-driven scale.
• The Felix Project: London-based food surplus redistribution charity that collects surplus food from suppliers and delivers it to charities and schools. Closely mirrors REFOOD's operation—surplus food collection and redistribution to feed people in need.
• City Harvest (New York): New York City's largest food rescue organization, rescuing surplus food from restaurants, grocers, and manufacturers and delivering free to soup kitchens and food pantries. Operates a near-identical urban food-rescue model to REFOOD.
• Second Harvest (Canada): Canada's largest food rescue organization, picking up surplus food from businesses and delivering to nonprofits. Operates an identical surplus-to-need redistribution model to REFOOD with comparable volunteer-driven logistics and partner network.

Emerging players

• Too Good To Go: Denmark-founded food waste app operating across Europe with a commercial marketplace model that sells surplus restaurant meals at discount. Addresses the same food-waste problem REFOOD attacks but with a consumer-facing technology platform.
• Olio: UK-based sharing app that connects neighbors and local businesses to redistribute surplus food. Shares REFOOD's food-waste mission and consumer/community engagement ethos but operates through a digital sharing platform rather than volunteer collection routes.
• FoodCloud: Ireland-based tech-enabled food rescue platform connecting retailers directly to charities via software. Operates the same food-rescue mission as REFOOD but leverages a proprietary technology layer for matching, illustrating the digital alternative to REFOOD's human-logistics model.

Regional players

• Foodbank Australia: Australia's largest food relief organization coordinating food collection and national distribution to a charity network. Mirrors REFOOD's food-bank-style national coordination role across a non-overlapping geography.

Broad incumbents

• Feeding America: The largest hunger-relief organization in the United States, operating a nationwide network of member food banks. Overlaps REFOOD's mission and donor ecosystem at a vastly larger scale, providing a relevant point of comparison for institutional fundraising and partner engagement.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/refoodvnf
• Instagraminstagram.com/refood_vnf

Compliance2 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

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

Frequently asked questions about Refood Vila Nova de Famalicao