Associació Contra l'Anorèxia i la Bulímia

What Associació Contra l'Anorèxia i la Bulímia does

Associació Contra l'Anorèxia i la Bulímia (ACAB) is a non-profit association founded in 1992 in Barcelona, Spain, providing psychosocial support, prevention, and advocacy services for people affected by eating disorders (anorexia, bulimia, and related conditions) and their families. The organization's core offerings are organized into three service lines: a free Servei d'Atenció (Attention Service) accessible via phone, email, video conference, and in-person visits at its Barcelona headquarters; family and affected-person support groups and monographic workshops (held Tuesdays and Thursdays); and a prevention program delivering tiered-fee workshops to Catalan primary and secondary schools, teacher training programs, lunch monitor education, and healthcare professional training. The institution is led by a governing board chaired by founder Jaume Pagès Fita, includes clinical representation from Hospital Clínic de Barcelona, and operates with a lean 12-person technical staff supplemented by trained volunteers.

ACAB's business model is a multi-stream non-profit revenue structure combining membership fees (tiered from €10 to €150 per month), donations (voluntary, suggested tiers of €10–€300), and fee-based prevention training for schools and professionals (€85–€300 per session plus travel supplements). The organization maintains a wholly-owned subsidiary, Fundació IMA (established 2007), dedicated to designing youth- and family-oriented prevention strategies, and a registered association status with the Generalitat de Catalunya (registration number 13856). Distribution is regional, focused on Catalonia, with services delivered directly through the Barcelona headquarters, multi-channel attention lines, and on-site school workshops across the region. The organization does not operate proprietary technology infrastructure; its digital footprint consists of a website, blog, social media accounts, and electronic newsletters used primarily for awareness and referral generation.

ACAB's strategic positioning rests on three institutional pillars: a 30+ year operating history that has built strong regional brand recognition and accumulated outcomes (60,000+ people served and 135,000+ youth reached through prevention programs); deep government and federation integration via memberships in FEACAB, Federació Salut Mental de Catalunya (joined March 2026), and institutional relationships with multiple Generalitat de Catalunya departments; and a leadership role in the Taula de Diàleg per a la Prevenció dels Trastorns de la Conducta Alimentària, a policy platform co-led with the Agència Catalana de Consum that contributed to the 2019 modification of the Catalan Consumption Code sanctioning pro-anorexia content online. The customer base spans affected individuals, families (87% mothers among consultations), schools across Catalonia, and healthcare professionals, with no parent company, no external funding rounds, and no private equity backing.

Name

Associació Contra l'Anorèxia i la Bulímia

Legal name

ASSOCIACIO CONTRA LANOREXIA I BULIMIA

Website

https://acab.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1992

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

ACAB is a Barcelona-based non-profit, founded in 1992, that provides free psychosocial support, family workshops, and school-based prevention programs for people affected by eating disorders across Catalonia, funded by memberships, donations, and training fees.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Barcelona, Barcelona

HQ country

Spain

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Membership fees (Socis): Members pay periodic contributions (monthly, quarterly, or annual options at 10€, 20€, 30€, 50€, 60€, 100€, or 150€ tiers) to support ACAB's ongoing operations and service delivery.
2. Donations (Donatius): One-time or periodic donations from individuals and organizations. Donations can be made via bank transfer (ES66 2100 3206 6622 0045 5164) or Bizum. Donors receive tax deductions of up to 80% for individuals (80% for first 150€, 35% thereafter) and benefits for legal entities.
3. Prevention training programs: Fee-based training and prevention workshops for schools, families, and professional teams. Pricing ranges from 85€ to 300€ per session depending on format and duration, with online and in-person options available.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

ACAB provides free psychosocial support services for people affected by eating disorders (anorexia, bulimia, and related TCA) and their families in Catalonia, delivered through in-person visits, a telephone helpline, email, and video conference. It also runs paid prevention training for schools, educational teams, healthcare professionals, and families, alongside awareness campaigns and policy advocacy via the Taula de Diàleg per a la Prevenció dels TCA.

Product overview

ACAB (Associació Contra l'Anorèxia i la Bulímia) is a non-profit association founded in 1992 that provides a coordinated suite of support and prevention services for people affected by eating disorders (TCA) and their families. The core offerings include the Servei d'Atenció (Attention Service) providing free counseling via phone, email, video conference, and in-person visits; Suport per a Famílies offering support groups and educational workshops; and a comprehensive Prevention Program with workshops for schools, families, and health professionals. The organization also conducts awareness campaigns (such as #aturemlanorexia) and runs the Premis Mirall awards program. All services are delivered by specialized technical staff with volunteer support.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Servei d'Atenció (Attention Service) Free service providing immediate counseling and accompaniment for people affected by eating disorders and their families in Catalonia. Delivered via in-person visits at the Barcelona headquarters (Monday–Thursday 16:30–19:30, ~1 hour by appointment), telephone helpline (Monday–Thursday 10:00–13:00 and 16:00–19:00, Friday 10:00–13:00), email ([email protected]), and video conference for those unable to attend in person.
• Suport per a Famílies (Family Support) Support service for families and caregivers of people affected by eating disorders. Includes weekly support groups (Tuesdays and Thursdays 18:00–19:30), monographic sessions on communication with affected persons, self-care and stress management, TCA treatment information, co-responsibility in care, and motivational workshops for affected persons. Delivered by specialized psychologists with trained volunteer support.
• Suport per a Persones Afectades (Support for Affected Persons) Information, guidance, and personalized advice service for persons aged 18+ affected by or suspecting an eating disorder. Provides individualized attention to clarify doubts and direct users to specialists and treatment processes.
• Programa de Prevenció (Prevention Program) Fee-based prevention training and workshop program covering self-esteem, body image, critical thinking about social media, and healthy eating habits. Delivered to primary schools (€85 per 1-hour session), secondary schools (€170 per 2-hour session), family audiences (€300 online talk), and healthcare professional teams (primary care, nursing, pediatrics). Online and in-person formats available, with a €100 per day travel supplement for in-person delivery outside Barcelona.

Quantifiable outcome

• Over 60,000 people and families attended since 1992
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers4 records

Segments1 record

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

17 partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• SERUNIÓN EDUCAcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 15 December 2025ACAB and SERUNIÓN EDUCA, responsible for a significant portion of school dining services in Catalonia, signed an agreement in December 2025 to ensure greater care and protection of food and healthy eating habits in school settings.
• Federació Salut Mental de Catalunya (SMC)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerACAB became a member of the Federació Salut Mental de Catalunya in late March 2026. This is a mixed social movement of representation, care, and support for mental health in Catalonia.
• Taula de Diàleg per a la Prevenció dels Trastorns de la Conducta AlimentàriacoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPlatform co-led by ACAB and the Catalan Consumer Agency (ACC) since 2012, working on social factors impacting eating disorders. Includes monographs on: Anorexia and Bulimia in Advertising, Anorexia and Internet, and Anorexia and Family. Led to 2019 modification of Consumption Code allowing sanctions up to 100,000€ against pro-eating disorder content.
• Fundació IMAcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerFoundation created by ACAB in 2007 with the specific objective of designing prevention strategies aimed at youth, teachers, educators, and families.
• Consell Consultiu de Pacients de CatalunyaminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPermanent body for participation and consultation with patient associations. ACAB represented by Jaume Pagès i Fita. Participates in health policy development, information sharing, and advocacy for patient rights.
• Generalitat de Catalunya - Departament de SalutcoreGTM or Marketing PartnerGovernment department providing institutional support and collaboration for eating disorder prevention and treatment initiatives in Catalonia.
• Generalitat de Catalunya - Departament de Treball, Afers Socials i FamíliescoreGTM or Marketing PartnerGovernment department including Direcció General de Joventut and Institut Català de les Dones, providing institutional support for prevention and family support programs.
• Ajuntament de BarcelonaminorGTM or Marketing PartnerBarcelona city government providing institutional support for ACAB programs and activities.
• Diputació de BarcelonaminorGTM or Marketing PartnerProvincial government providing institutional support and funding for eating disorder prevention initiatives.
• Obra Social Fundació 'la Caixa'minorGTM or Marketing PartnerMajor social foundation providing funding and support for social and health-related programs in Catalonia.
• FEACAB - Federación Española de Asociaciones de Ayuda y Lucha contra la Anorexia y la BulimiacoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerNational federation grouping all family and affected person associations in Spain, of which ACAB is a member. Promotes common actions to strengthen social work and action.
• Pla Director de Salut Mental i AddiccionscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerMental health and addictions master plan by Generalitat de Catalunya with ACAB participation. Includes measures for network quality improvement, addiction and mental health integration, promotion and prevention, patient and family care, and professional training.
• Consell Nacional de la Joventut de Catalunya (CNJC)minorGTM or Marketing PartnerACAB is a member entity working jointly on youth health improvement and participation in activities and campaigns.
• Federació Catalana del Voluntariat Social (FCVS)minorGTM or Marketing PartnerACAB is a member entity. Volunteering is fundamental to ACAB's mission, promoting civic participation in health and prevention.
• Agència Catalana de ConsumcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerConsumer protection agency co-leading the Taula de Diàleg for eating disorder prevention. Instrumental in passing 2019 Consumption Code modification against pro-eating disorder content online.
• Mossos d'EsquadraminorGTM or Marketing PartnerCatalan police force participating in the 'Anorèxia i Internet' monograph and providing internet safety guidance.
• CESICAT (Centre de Seguretat de la Informació de Catalunya)minorGTM or Marketing PartnerInformation security center contributing to safe navigation guidance and online safety resources.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• Beat (UK eating disorders charity): UK-based charity providing helplines, support groups, and prevention campaigns for people affected by eating disorders. Highly comparable to ACAB in mission (psychosocial support, family services, awareness) but operates across the UK rather than a single Spanish region.
• Federació Salut Mental de Catalunya: Catalan federation representing mental health associations and support entities, of which ACAB became a member in March 2026. Directly comparable as a regional mental health support federation operating in the same geography with similar nonprofit structure and institutional funding model.

Broad incumbents

• Mental Health Foundation (UK): UK-wide mental health charity providing public education, research, and prevention programs. Comparable to ACAB's awareness and prevention focus on mental health, but operates at a national scale with a broader mental health portfolio beyond eating disorders.
• ITA (Institut de Trastorns Alimentaris): Spain-based specialized clinic offering multidisciplinary treatment for eating disorders including therapy, nutrition, and medical care. Comparable to ACAB in serving the same patient population in Spain, but operates a clinical treatment model rather than psychosocial support and prevention.
• National Eating Disorders Association (NEDA): US national nonprofit offering helpline, screening tools, advocacy, and education on eating disorders. Comparable in mission to ACAB but operates at much larger national scale with broader portfolio including treatment referral, research, and policy work.

Others

• FEACAB (Federación Española de Asociaciones de Ayuda y Lucha contra la Anorexia y la Bulimia): National Spanish federation of which ACAB is a member, grouping family and affected-person associations across Spain. Comparable as an umbrella body in the same disorder category, but functions as a coordinating federation rather than a direct service provider.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UC1_jh2Np6HDoT2sEWYG_84w
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/acabcatalunya
• Instagraminstagram.com/acab_catalunya/?hl=es

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles13 records

Subsidiaries1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about Associació Contra l'Anorèxia i la Bulímia