APCE - Associação Portuguesa de Comunicação de Empresa

What APCE - Associação Portuguesa de Comunicação de Empresa does

APCE - Associação Portuguesa de Comunicação de Empresa is a Portuguese non-profit professional association founded on 27 April 1990 at the EPAL headquarters in Lisbon. It represents and connects corporate communication and public relations professionals in Portugal, serving in-house communication departments at enterprises (such as EDP, Galp, Grupo Ageas Portugal, Siemens, Banco de Portugal, Novo Banco, Delta Cafés, CUF), communication agencies (LLYC, Burson, Guess What), academia, and individual practitioners. The association is governed by an elected Direction board (President, Vice-Presidents, Directors) and a General Director, with members drawn from across at least 15 industries.

The association's offering centers on four membership-driven pillars: (1) the annual Grande Prémio APCE awards competition, running since 1995 across approximately 24 categories covering external campaigns, internal communication, events, sustainability/ESG, employer branding, innovation, publications, digital, podcasts, and the Rising Star category; (2) Academia APCE, a training academy launched in partnership with Lisbon Digital School in 2024 offering DGERT-certified digital marketing, AI, and innovation courses with member-exclusive discounts; (3) webinars and podcasts organized into themed series (Tendências, Excelência em Comunicação, Conversas sobre…); and (4) Communication Trends, a thought-leadership event series featuring international speakers. The association also publishes peer-elected awards such as 'Comunicador do Ano' and 'Líder Inspirador' and has issued normative AI guidance for the profession.

Commercially, APCE operates a community-led GTM model. Revenue derives from annual membership fees (collective and individual quotas unchanged since 2014, approved in 2023 for 2024), Grande Prémio APCE competition entry fees (free for associated members; €400 registration + €250 per project for non-members plus 23% VAT), and training referral arrangements with Lisbon Digital School. International reach is maintained through a Board seat on the Global Alliance for Public Relations and Communication Management (since 2016; 86 member associations) and bilateral ties with FEIEA, Aberje (Brazil), ARP-CV (Cape Verde), CIPR (UK), and DPRG (Germany). The 2026-2029 Direction mandate was elected on 28 January 2026. APCE has no proprietary software, APIs, or technology products; its competitive position rests on network density, brand longevity, and ecosystem partnerships.

Name

APCE - Associação Portuguesa de Comunicação de Empresa

Legal name

APCE - Associação Portuguesa de Comunicação de Empresa

Website

https://apce.pt

Company type

Private

Founded year

1990

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

APCE is the Portuguese non-profit professional association for corporate communication, founded in 1990 and serving in-house communication teams, agencies, and individual practitioners with membership services, the annual Grande Prémio APCE awards, training, and international Global Alliance representation.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Professional Association Services (Corporate Communication)

NAICS

Business Associations (813910), Religious, Grantmaking, Civic, Professional, and Similar Organizations (813)

SIC

Services-Membership Organizations (8600), Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro primary industry

Accreditation Standards, Benchmarking & Framework Organizations (EDADACAJ)

Keywords

• Professional association management
• Corporate communication services
• Public relations networking
• Communication training programs
• Communication excellence awards

Headquarters

HQ city

Lisbon

HQ country

Portugal

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Membership Fees: Annual membership fees from corporate members, individual members, and associated entities. Quota values were approved in 2023 for 2024 and have not changed since 2014.
2. Grande Prémio APCE Competition Fees: Registration and project submission fees for the annual communication excellence awards competition. Associated members: free entry; non-associated members: €400 registration + €250 per project submitted.
3. Training Programs: Partnership with Lisbon Digital School provides exclusive discounts on training programs for members, generating revenue through referral arrangements.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels9 records

Core offering

APCE is a non-profit professional association that sells annual membership subscriptions to corporate communication and public relations practitioners in Portugal. Its core deliverable is a bundled set of member benefits including access to the Academia APCE training academy (partnered with Lisbon Digital School), eligibility to compete in the Grande Prémio APCE awards program, invitations to webinars, podcasts, networking events and the Communication Trends thought-leadership series, and international connectivity through the Global Alliance.

Product overview

APCE (Associação Portuguesa de Comunicação de Empresa) is a professional association for corporate communication and public relations practitioners in Portugal, not a product company. Its offering consists of a membership-based services portfolio centered on four core pillars: (1) Academia APCE — a training academy operated in partnership with Lisbon Digital School providing DGERT-certified courses on digital marketing, AI, and communication skills, with exclusive discounts for members; (2) the annual Grande Prémio APCE awards program (running since 1995) recognizing excellence across ~24 communication categories; (3) webinars and podcasts organized into themed series covering communication trends, best practices, and professional development; and (4) Communication Trends — a thought leadership event series featuring international speakers. No software products, APIs, or SaaS offerings are present.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Academia APCE Professional development training academy offering DGERT-certified digital marketing, AI and innovation courses to communication professionals. Delivered through a partnership with Lisbon Digital School; associated APCE members receive exclusive discounts. Targets communication professionals seeking continuing education and certified skills development.
• Grande Prémio APCE Annual awards competition recognizing excellence in corporate communication in Portugal, with categories for external campaigns, internal communication, events, sustainability & ESG, employer branding, innovation, publications, websites, video, podcasts and the Rising Star award for emerging talent. Free for associated members; €400 registration + €250 per project for non-associated members.
• Webinares & Podcasts APCE Recurring webinar and podcast series covering communication trends, professional development, AI in communication, political communication and industry insights. Organized into themed series ('Tendências', 'Excelência em Comunicação', 'Conversas sobre…') and distributed through the APCE website and member communications.
• Communication Trends Thought-leadership event series featuring international and national experts discussing emerging communication trends, perspectives and best practices to form professional opinion among APCE members. Events gather over 100 associates and professionals from various European countries.
• APCE Membership (Corporate and Individual) Annual corporate and individual membership subscription granting access to Academia APCE training discounts, Grande Prémio APCE awards submission rights (free entry), webinars, podcasts, Communication Trends events, networking forums and international connections via the Global Alliance. Quotas unchanged since 2014.

Named customers16 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles4 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 moderate, core and minor.

• DPRG - Associação Alemã de Relações PúblicasmoderateStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2025German PR association. APCE Vice-President António Rapoula participated in the German PR Day 2025 in Stuttgart, representing Portuguese communication professionals in the international panel.
• Lisbon Digital SchoolcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2024APCE partnered with Lisbon Digital School to provide exclusive training discounts to members. Members receive 30% off intensive courses and masterclasses, 10% off specialized long-duration courses, and special conditions for custom training. The partnership aligns with APCE's mission to develop communication professional competencies.
• Lisbon Digital SchoolcoreGTM or Marketing Partner · 1 January 2024Exclusive training benefits for APCE members through partnership with DGERT-certified digital marketing school
• Grupo MultipublicaçõescoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2024APCE signed a collaboration protocol with Grupo Multipublicações to promote initiatives that contribute to developing Communication and Public Relations professions. The partnership includes joint events like the Fórum de Comunicação Marketeer/APCE, published in Marketeer magazine. Grupo Multipublicações owns publications including Marketeer, Human Resources, Executive Digest, and others.
• Chartered Institute of Public Relations (CIPR)moderateStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2023UK's professional body for public relations. APCE hosted a Communication Trends event with CIPR CEO Alastair McCapra on AI and public relations sustainability.
• Global Alliance for Public Relations and Communication ManagementcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2016APCE has been a Board member of the Global Alliance since 2016, representing Portuguese communication professionals in this global confederation of 86 member associations. The partnership enables international collaboration, knowledge sharing, and participation in global initiatives like World Public Relations Forum and World Public Relations & Communication Awards. APCE's Director-General Paula Portugal Mendes serves on the Global Alliance Board.
• FEIEA - European Association of Internal CommunicationmoderateStrategic or Co-development PartnerEuropean association for internal communication professionals, part of APCE's international network
• Aberje - Associação Brasileira de Comunicação EmpresarialmoderateStrategic or Co-development PartnerBrazilian corporate communication association, part of APCE's international network connections
• ARP-CV - Associação de Relações Públicas de Cabo VerdeminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCape Verde public relations association, part of APCE's network of Portuguese-speaking communication associations
• Observatório Social para a Inteligência Artificial e Dados Digitais da Universidade NOVA de LisboacoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerAPCE partnered with NOVA University's observatory to conduct research on AI adoption by communication professionals. The study 'Profissionais de Comunicação e Inteligência Artificial' provides evidence on current practices and perceptions regarding AI tools in communication.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves1 record

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Deutsche Public Relations Gesellschaft (DPRG): Germany's national PR association, hosting the annual German PR Day. APCE's Vice-President António Rapoula participated in DPRG's 2025 Stuttgart event; the two associations are structurally identical — professional body, national awards, ethics council, individual and corporate members.
• Public Relations Society of America (PRSA): The largest US professional association for PR practitioners, with chapters, an annual conference, and the Silver Anvil awards. APCE mirrors PRSA's combination of membership, awards, ethics council, and continuing education, but operates at far smaller national scale.
• Chartered Institute of Public Relations (CIPR): The UK's professional body for public relations practitioners, offering chartered status, training, events, and awards. APCE explicitly partnered with CIPR for joint events on AI and PR sustainability, and the two organizations serve the same member archetype (corporate communication and PR professionals) on a country-by-country basis.
• Public Relations and Communications Association (PRCA): UK-based industry body for PR and communications agencies and professionals, running CPD, accreditation, and industry awards. Directly comparable to APCE in mission (professional standards, awards, networking) but operating at a larger UK scale with a more developed commercial offering.
• Aberje - Associação Brasileira de Comunicação Empresarial: Brazil's leading corporate communication association and a direct Lusophone counterpart to APCE. APCE lists Aberje as an international network partner; both serve large Latin economies with similar awards programs, ethics frameworks, and corporate member bases.
• International Association of Business Communicators (IABC): Global professional association for business communicators offering accreditation (ABC, SCMP), regional chapters, and the Gold Quill Awards. Highly comparable to APCE in target membership (corporate communication departments and consultants) and service mix (awards, accreditation, professional development).
• FEIEA - European Association of Internal Communication: Pan-European federation for internal communication professionals, part of APCE's international partnership network. Comparable mission (advancing a communication sub-discipline, sharing best practice, organizing events) but with a Europe-wide rather than national scope.

Broad incumbents

• Global Alliance for Public Relations and Communication Management: The umbrella confederation of 86 national PR associations, of which APCE has been a Board member since 2016. Operates the World Public Relations Forum and World PR & Communication Awards; broader in scope than APCE but not a direct competitor — it acts as APCE's international platform.

Emerging players

• Arthur W. Page Society: US-based elite membership organization for chief communications officers, focused on advancing corporate communications as a strategic function. Not a volume competitor to APCE but a peer in setting standards and convening senior communicators from major enterprises.

Regional players

• ARP-CV - Associação de Relações Públicas de Cabo Verde: Cape Verde's national public relations association, listed by APCE as a Portuguese-speaking network partner. Structurally similar (membership body for PR professionals) but serves a much smaller market; useful comparator for Lusophone scale dynamics.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/apce-pt

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles15 records

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 APCE - Associação Portuguesa de Comunicação de Empresa