Fundação Aga Khan

What Fundação Aga Khan does

Fundação Aga Khan is the Portuguese-anchored operating entity of the Aga Khan Development Network (AKDN), a private, non-profit development organisation led by the Ismaili Imamat. Established in Portugal since 1983 and legally constituted in 1996, it operates from Lisbon with 72 employees and delivers a portfolio of interconnected development programmes: a Civil Society Programme supporting 264 partner organisations reaching 116,000 people; an Early Childhood Development (ECD) programme with an owned centre in Lisbon reaching 3,500 people in 2024; an Education Programme serving 51,000 learners and approximately 800 teachers; a Work and Enterprise Programme benefiting 17,000+ people; cultural development initiatives; and a Portuguese-Speaking Countries programme reaching 500,000+ Mozambicans. Its programmatic delivery rests on direct programme operation plus a partner-organisation distribution model, with no proprietary technology platforms described in the source data.

The foundation operates under a layered stack of sovereign-level agreements with the Portuguese Republic — the 2005 Protocol of Cooperation, 2008 Protocol with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, 2009 International Agreement, and 2015 Seat Agreement for the Seat of the Ismaili Imamat — supplemented by protocols with Brazil and the Community of Portuguese-speaking Countries (CPLP). It collaborates with the European Commission, FCT (Portugal's Foundation for Science and Technology), the Catholic Church, and civil society organisations. Its revenue model is non-commercial: it is funded through donations, institutional grants, and government cooperation agreements, with the Ismaili Imamat and Portuguese state as principal funding counterparties. Services are provided free of charge to beneficiaries, and there is no commercial pricing model. Recent activity includes a €5 million scientific research collaboration protocol with FCT, a €1.5 million disaster-reconstruction donation in Portugal, and a coastal resilience partnership with Portugal extended into Kenya.

Name

Fundação Aga Khan

Legal name

Fundação Aga Khan

Website

https://akfportugal.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1983

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

51–100 employees

Short description

Fundação Aga Khan is the Lisbon-based Portuguese operating entity of the Aga Khan Development Network (AKDN), delivering non-profit development programmes in civil society, early childhood development, education, cultural heritage, and workforce integration across Portugal and Portuguese-speaking African countries.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Development and Humanitarian Services

NAICS

Grantmaking and Giving Services (81321)

SIC

Services-Management Services (8741), Services-Child Day Care Services (8351)

akta.pro primary industry

Monitoring, Evaluation, Learning (MEL) & Reporting for Donor Programs (BPADAOAL)

akta.pro secondary industries

Economic Growth, Trade & Private Sector Development Programs (BPADABAF), Maternal, Child & Family Health Program Funding (HLAJALAG), Agriculture & Food Security Development (BPAGABAB)

Keywords

• Civil society programmes
• Early childhood development
• Education and training
• Workforce development services
• Cultural development initiatives

Headquarters

HQ city

Lisbon

HQ country

Portugal

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Others

Revenue model

1. Donations and Institutional Funding: As a non-profit development foundation, AKF generates revenue through donations, institutional grants, and international cooperation agreements with governments and multilateral organisations. The foundation receives funding from the Ismaili Imamat, Portugal's government agreements, European Commission, and bilateral partnerships.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels3 records

Core offering

Fundação Aga Khan delivers development and humanitarian programmes in Portugal focused on civil society strengthening, early childhood development, education, workforce development, and cultural development for underserved, migrant, and marginalised communities. Programmes are provided free of charge to beneficiaries, primarily through direct service delivery (such as its Lisbon ECD centre) and through a network of 264 civil society partner organisations.

Product overview

Fundação Aga Khan operates a portfolio of interconnected development programmes focused on civil society strengthening, cultural heritage, early childhood development, education, workforce development, and South-South cooperation. The Aga Khan Foundation (AKF) began operations in Portugal in 1983 and manages programmes including an Early Childhood Development centre in Lisbon, education initiatives reaching 51,000 learners, civil society support for 264 organisations, and enterprise development for vulnerable populations. These programmes are delivered through partnerships with the Portuguese government, European Commission, and civil society organisations under formal cooperation protocols.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Civil Society Programme Programme supporting 264 civil society organisations in Portugal, working with government, private sector and civil society to make diverse urban neighbourhoods more participatory, socially connected, and inclusive of migrant and marginalised populations. Reached 116,000 people through partner organisations.
• Cultural Development Programme Cultural initiatives delivered in Portugal, including collaboration on the conservation of a 12th-century settlement and promotion of greater understanding of Muslim art, music and architecture. Showcases culture as a development tool.
• Early Childhood Development (ECD) Centre Early Childhood Development programme investing in the development of children, their caregivers, and the educators who teach them in their formative years, including through an ECD centre operated in Lisbon. ECD programmes reached 3,500 people in 2024.
• Education Programme Programme raising educational standards in Portugal by generating research and knowledge, teaching education professionals, promoting intercultural collaboration and establishing learning communities. Works with 51,000 learners and approximately 800 teachers and school heads.
• Work and Enterprise Programme Personal, social and professional development support that contributes to the economic and social integration of vulnerable populations in Portugal. Has supported over 17,000 people to improve their skills and access better employment opportunities.
• Portuguese-Speaking Countries Programme Interrelated development programmes run across Mozambique, supported through multilateral and bilateral partnerships, that have benefitted over 500,000 Mozambicans. Includes protocols signed with Brazil and the Community of Portuguese-speaking Countries (CPLP) to stimulate development and improve quality of life for underprivileged populations.

Quantifiable outcome

• 116,000 people reached through civil society programmes
• +5 more outcomes

Segments6 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Ten partnerships are on record, tiered core, major and minor.

• Portuguese Republic (Seat Agreement)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2015Agreement for the establishment of the Seat of the Ismaili Imamat in Portugal, marking the institutional recognition of AKDN's permanent presence.
• Portuguese RepubliccoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2009International Agreement with the Portuguese Republic further solidifying the partnership framework for development cooperation.
• Ministry of Foreign Affairs (Portugal)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2008Protocol of International Cooperation with Portugal's Ministry of Foreign Affairs, deepening governmental engagement in development activities.
• Portuguese GovernmentcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2005Protocol of Cooperation between the Ismaili Imamat and Portuguese Government, establishing the foundational framework for AKDN activities in Portugal.
• FCT - Fundação para a Ciência e a TecnologiacoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership between AKDN and Portugal's Foundation for Science and Technology to drive impact across communities, including scientific research collaboration.
• European CommissionmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaboration with European Commission on development programmes and civil society strengthening initiatives.
• Civil Society OrganisationscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerNetwork of 264 civil society organisations supported by AKF, reaching 116,000 people in diverse urban neighbourhoods to make them more participatory and socially connected.
• Catholic ChurchminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaboration with religious institutions including the Catholic Church for social inclusion and civil society programmes.
• BrazilmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerProtocol signed with Brazil to stimulate development and improve quality of life for underprivileged populations in Portuguese-speaking countries.
• Community of Portuguese-speaking Countries (CPLP)majorStrategic or Co-development PartnerProtocol with CPLP to stimulate development and improve quality of life for underprivileged populations across Portuguese-speaking nations.

Scale indicators9 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• Ford Foundation: Major international foundation with established programmes in civil society, education, and economic inclusion — overlapping thematic priorities with AKF, particularly around social inclusion and migration.
• Open Society Foundations: Large private foundation funding civil society, education, and migration-inclusion programmes across Europe and globally — broadly comparable in mission (civil society strengthening, migrant inclusion) but operating at much greater scale and across more geographies.
• Rockefeller Foundation: Global philanthropic foundation funding resilience, education, and economic inclusion programmes — comparable as a multi-sector international grantmaker with overlapping themes around resilience and opportunity.
• Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation: Global philanthropic foundation with development, health, and education programmes; comparable as a multi-sector international development grantmaker, though operating at vastly larger scale and with different thematic emphasis.
• UNICEF: UN agency funding early childhood development, education, and child protection programmes globally — directly comparable thematic mandate to AKF's ECD and education programmes but operating through public-sector channels and at far larger scale.

Direct peers

• Aga Khan Trust for Culture (AKTC): Sister AKDN agency operating cultural heritage and conservation programmes in Portugal and across 10+ countries — same parent network, same Lusophone geographic focus, and overlapping cultural-development mandate.
• European Cultural Foundation: European foundation supporting cultural development and civil society across Europe — comparable to AKF's cultural-development and civil-society programmes, particularly relevant given AKF's cultural initiatives in Portugal.
• Fundação Calouste Gulbenkian: Portugal's largest grantmaking foundation, funding cultural, educational, social, and scientific programmes domestically and in Lusophone Africa — directly comparable to AKF as a Portuguese-based grantmaker with overlapping programme domains (civil society, education, culture).

Emerging players

• Save the Children: International NGO focused on children's education, ECD, and welfare — comparable to AKF's Early Childhood Development and education programmes serving 51,000+ learners, though operating at much greater global scale and through emergency-response channels.

Regional players

• Comunidade dos Países de Língua Portuguesa (CPLP): Intergovernmental organisation coordinating development and cooperation among Portuguese-speaking countries — directly comparable as a Lusophone South-South cooperation platform; AKF already maintains a formal protocol with CPLP.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/funda%C3%A7%C3%A3o-aga-khan-portugal

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Subsidiaries3 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about Fundação Aga Khan