AEFA - Students' Union of the Faculty of Architecture of the University of Lisbon
AEFA is the official, ministry-recognized students' union of the Faculty of Architecture of the University of Lisbon, serving that faculty's enrolled students with advocacy, cultural and sports programming, a member platform, and a campus merchandise store.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1979
- HeadquartersLisbon, Portugal
- Headcount11–50
- GTM typeB2C
- OfferingServices
What AEFA - Students' Union of the Faculty of Architecture of the University of Lisbon does
AEFA is the official students' union of the Faculty of Architecture of the University of Lisbon, constituted as a private non-profit association under the Portuguese Legal Regime of Youth Associativism (Lei 23/2006) and recognized by the Ministry of Education and Science. It was founded circa 1979 when the Faculty of Architecture separated from the Escola Superior de Belas Artes and relocated to the Pólo Universitário da Ajuda in Lisbon. Its core mission is the defense of student interests, promotion of cultural, sporting, and social activities, and facilitation of student integration into academic and professional life at the faculty. AEFA is governed by an elected Direção-Geral of approximately 75 members across departments covering Presidency, Educational Policy and Social Action, Student Support, Culture/Training/Civism, Social and Recreational, Sports and Wellbeing, Image and Communication, and Radio, currently led by President Dylan Alexandre.
AEFA operates two main service surfaces: the Plataforma de Sócios, a member-only digital platform that lets registered students manage their membership data and receive association communications, and the Loja AEFA, a physical retail store located at NAVE on the Ajuda campus that was launched in October 2023. The Loja sells AEFA-branded merchandise (T-shirts, sweatshirts, hats) and academic stationery (notebooks, pens, triangular scale rulers), including course-specific editions such as Sweatshirts de Curso and Cadernos de Curso. Its technology footprint is modest: a public website, the member-access platform at socios.aefa.pt, and a student radio station. AEFA additionally participates in national student-representation bodies, namely ENDA (Encontro Nacional de Direções Associativas) and FAL (Federação Académica de Lisboa), giving it a national policy-advocacy channel beyond its single campus.
Commercially, AEFA monetizes through two streams: recurring student membership fees paid to become a "sócio," and unit-priced merchandise sales at Loja AEFA. Its distribution is direct-to-consumer and entirely domestic, with a single physical storefront at NAVE and administrative services available on weekday business hours at the Ajuda campus address. AEFA's customer base is structurally narrow: it serves exclusively the students of a single university faculty in Lisbon, with no disclosed external customers, no B2B accounts, and no geographic diversification outside Portugal. As a non-profit organization under Portuguese youth-associativism law, it is independently governed, does not publish commercial-style financial statements, and has no recorded funding rounds, acquisitions, or external investors in the input data.
AEFA - Students' Union of the Faculty of Architecture of the University of Lisbon firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- AEFA - Students' Union of the Faculty of Architecture of the University of Lisbon
- Legal name
- Associação de Estudantes da Faculdade de Arquitectura
- Website
- https://aefa.pt
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 1979
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 11–50 employees
- Short description
- AEFA is the official, ministry-recognized students' union of the Faculty of Architecture of the University of Lisbon, serving that faculty's enrolled students with advocacy, cultural and sports programming, a member platform, and a campus merchandise store.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
AEFA - Students' Union of the Faculty of Architecture of the University of Lisbon industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Student Association Services
- NAICS
- Business Associations (813910)
- SIC
- Services-Membership Organizations (8600)
- akta.pro industry
- Student Organizations & Club AdministrationCultural, Identity & Inclusion Programs
Keywords
Where AEFA - Students' Union of the Faculty of Architecture of the University of Lisbon is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Lisbon
- HQ country
- Portugal
- HQ region
- Europe
Offices1 record
Markets served
AEFA - Students' Union of the Faculty of Architecture of the University of Lisbon business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2C
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others
Revenue model
- Membership Fees: Students become members (sócios) of AEFA by paying membership fees. The association provides exclusive benefits and access to a member platform for registered students.
- Merchandise Sales: AEFA operates a physical and online store selling branded merchandise including T-shirts, sweatshirts, notebooks, pens, triangular scale rulers, hats, and course-specific items to students.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Unit Pricing | — | Physical store merchandise |
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels2 records
Marketing channels4 records
AEFA - Students' Union of the Faculty of Architecture of the University of Lisbon product offering
Product offeringCore offering
AEFA is the official students' union of the Faculty of Architecture of the University of Lisbon, providing student representation and advocacy, organizing cultural, sports, social, and recreational activities, operating a physical store (Loja AEFA) at NAVE selling branded merchandise and academic materials, and managing a member-only digital platform (Plataforma de Sócios) for membership administration and member communications.
Product overview
AEFA operates as a student union offering two core services: a member-only digital platform (Plataforma de Sócios) for autonomous management of membership data and communications, and a physical merchandise store (Loja AEFA) located at NAVE. The store's product portfolio includes clothing (T-shirts, sweatshirts, hats) and academic stationery (notebooks, pens, triangular scale rulers), available in both general AEFA-branded lines and course-specific editions (Caderno de Curso, Sweatshirt de Curso) tailored for students of the Faculty of Architecture of the University of Lisbon.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- Loja AEFA: The AEFA store offering merchandising items, academic materials, and course-specific products for architecture students.
Products and services
- Plataforma de Sócios (Member Platform) A member access platform that provides AEFA members with differentiated IT access, enabling a range of operations to be performed conveniently and independently. Members can update their contact details and receive updates from the association.
- Loja AEFA (AEFA Store) The AEFA store selling branded merchandise including clothing, stationery, and course-specific items such as notebooks, sweatshirts, pens, rulers, and hats. The store also plans to offer academic materials identified in consultation with faculty members.
- Student Representation and Advocacy Services Official student representation services including defense of student interests and rights, educational policy advocacy, promotion of student integration in academic and professional life, and participation in national academic forums such as ENDA and FAL.
- Cultural, Sports, and Recreational Activities Cultural events, sports and wellness programs, social and recreational activities, and training and civism initiatives organized by AEFA for its members and architecture students.
Companies that use AEFA - Students' Union of the Faculty of Architecture of the University of Lisbon
Customer profileNamed customers1 record
Segments1 record
Ideal customer profiles1 record
AEFA - Students' Union of the Faculty of Architecture of the University of Lisbon technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
AEFA - Students' Union of the Faculty of Architecture of the University of Lisbon partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Two partnerships are on record, tiered core.
- FAL - Federação Académica de LisboacoreAEFA participates in activities of the Federação Académica de Lisboa (FAL), contributing to maintain good connections between members and students at a broader academic level.
- ENDA - Encontro Nacional de Direções AssociativascoreAEFA participates in ENDA, contributing important positions to defend student interests and the association's interests in national forums and debates.
Scale indicators2 records
Recent moves5 records
Expansion highlights3 records
AEFA - Students' Union of the Faculty of Architecture of the University of Lisbon competitors and assessment
Company assessmentOthers
- FAL - Federação Académica de Lisboa: The Academic Federation of Lisbon, an umbrella organization of student associations in the Lisbon region and a core partner of AEFA. Comparable as the federated body that coordinates and represents AEFA alongside other faculty student unions in regional and national policy advocacy.
- Erasmus Student Network (ESN): Europe's largest student association supporting exchange students across 40+ countries. Comparable to AEFA in operating as a membership-based student services organization, though at a vastly larger international scale rather than a single faculty.
- ENDA - Encontro Nacional de Direções Associativas: The National Meeting of Associative Boards, the national forum of Portuguese student associations. Comparable as the network through which AEFA coordinates policy positions and advocacy with peer student unions across Portuguese higher education.
Direct peers
- AEFMH - Associação dos Estudantes da Faculdade de Medicina de Lisboa: The student union of the Faculty of Medicine at the University of Lisbon. Closely comparable to AEFA as a faculty-level student association at ULisbon, providing member services, social events, sports, and policy advocacy for a specific student population.
- AAUBI - Associação Académica da Universidade da Beira Interior: The academic association of the University of Beira Interior, a public Portuguese university student union. Comparable to AEFA in providing cultural, sports, social, and advocacy services to its student members under the same Portuguese youth associativism framework.
- AEIST - Associação dos Estudantes do Instituto Superior Técnico: The student association of Instituto Superior Técnico, the largest and most established engineering school of the University of Lisbon. Comparable to AEFA as a faculty-level student union in the same city and university system, offering member services, merchandise, and policy advocacy to a STEM student body.
- AAUM - Associação Académica da Universidade do Minho: The academic association of the University of Minho, a broader university-wide student union at another major Portuguese public university. Comparable to AEFA in operating model (member services, sports, culture, advocacy) but scaled to a full university rather than a single faculty.
- AEFD Lisboa - Associação dos Estudantes da Faculdade de Direito da Universidade de Lisboa: The official student union of the Faculty of Law at the University of Lisbon. Directly comparable to AEFA as a faculty-specific student association operating under the same Portuguese youth associativism framework, with member services, merchandise, and national advocacy.
Broad incumbents
- NUS - National Union of Students (UK): The UK-wide confederation of student unions and a major student advocacy body. Comparable to AEFA as a representative student organization, but operating at national scale with full-time staff and substantial commercial services rather than as a single-faculty volunteer association.
Regional players
- ANEM - Associação Nacional de Estudantes de Medicina: The National Association of Medical Students in Portugal, coordinating medical student associations across Portuguese universities. Comparable to AEFA's national federation relationships as a discipline-specific academic organization representing students at the national level.
Market position
Strengths4 records
Weaknesses4 records
Competitive moat3 records
Key risks5 records
Key highlights6 records
Customer concentration
AEFA - Students' Union of the Faculty of Architecture of the University of Lisbon social profiles
Digital presenceAEFA - Students' Union of the Faculty of Architecture of the University of Lisbon compliance and trust
Trust signalCompliance1 record
AEFA - Students' Union of the Faculty of Architecture of the University of Lisbon financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
AEFA - Students' Union of the Faculty of Architecture of the University of Lisbon leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles33 records
AEFA - Students' Union of the Faculty of Architecture of the University of Lisbon funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
AEFA - Students' Union of the Faculty of Architecture of the University of Lisbon 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 AEFA - Students' Union of the Faculty of Architecture of the University of Lisbon
What does AEFA - Students' Union of the Faculty of Architecture of the University of Lisbon do?
AEFA is the official students' union of the Faculty of Architecture of the University of Lisbon, providing student representation and advocacy, organizing cultural, sports, social, and recreational activities, operating a physical store (Loja AEFA) at NAVE selling branded merchandise and academic materials, and managing a member-only digital platform (Plataforma de Sócios) for membership administration and member communications.
Is AEFA - Students' Union of the Faculty of Architecture of the University of Lisbon a public or private company?
AEFA - Students' Union of the Faculty of Architecture of the University of Lisbon is a private company. It is classified as nonprofit foundation owned and is currently operating.
When was AEFA - Students' Union of the Faculty of Architecture of the University of Lisbon founded?
AEFA - Students' Union of the Faculty of Architecture of the University of Lisbon was founded in 1979. It employs 11 to 50 people.
Where is AEFA - Students' Union of the Faculty of Architecture of the University of Lisbon based?
AEFA - Students' Union of the Faculty of Architecture of the University of Lisbon is headquartered in Lisbon, Portugal, in the Europe region.
How does AEFA - Students' Union of the Faculty of Architecture of the University of Lisbon make money?
Two revenue lines are on record. Membership Fees are the primary driver. The others are merchandise Sales.
Who are AEFA - Students' Union of the Faculty of Architecture of the University of Lisbon's main competitors?
Others on record are FAL - Federação Académica de Lisboa, Erasmus Student Network (ESN) and ENDA - Encontro Nacional de Direções Associativas. Direct peers are AEFMH - Associação dos Estudantes da Faculdade de Medicina de Lisboa, AAUBI - Associação Académica da Universidade da Beira Interior, AEIST - Associação dos Estudantes do Instituto Superior Técnico, AAUM - Associação Académica da Universidade do Minho and AEFD Lisboa - Associação dos Estudantes da Faculdade de Direito da Universidade de Lisboa. NUS - National Union of Students (UK) is listed as a broad incumbent. ANEM - Associação Nacional de Estudantes de Medicina is listed as a regional player.
Does AEFA - Students' Union of the Faculty of Architecture of the University of Lisbon have an API?
No public API is recorded for AEFA - Students' Union of the Faculty of Architecture of the University of Lisbon.
What industry is AEFA - Students' Union of the Faculty of Architecture of the University of Lisbon in?
AEFA - Students' Union of the Faculty of Architecture of the University of Lisbon's product category is Student Association Services. Its primary akta.pro industry code is EDALAHAB, Student Organizations & Club Administration, with a secondary code of EDALAHAF, Cultural, Identity & Inclusion Programs. Its NAICS code is 813910 and its SIC code is 8600.