Autoridade para a Prevenção e o Combate à Violência no Desporto (APCVD)

What Autoridade para a Prevenção e o Combate à Violência no Desporto (APCVD) does

APCVD (Autoridade para a Prevenção e o Combate à Violência no Desporto) is the Portuguese central government authority responsible for preventing and combating violence, racism, xenophobia, and intolerance in sporting events. Established on 1 November 2018 under Decreto Regulamentar n.º 10/2018, it operates as a central service of the direct state administration with administrative autonomy, under the direction of the government member responsible for sports. The authority succeeded IPDJ.IP in all matters related to sports safety and enforces Lei n.º 39/2009 (later updated by Lei n.º 40/2023). Its core regulatory functions include qualifying high-risk sporting events, instructing contravention proceedings, registering Organized Supporter Groups (GOAs), approving safety and usage regulations for sports venues, and certifying security managers. Headquartered in Viseu with approximately 15 employees, APCVD serves national and regional sports federations, sports clubs and promoters, supporter groups, and security professionals across Continental Portugal and the Autonomous Regions.

The authority operates a portfolio of digital platforms, training programs, and public-awareness initiatives. Key technological assets include REDES+ — a process-transformation platform developed under the EU's COMPETE 2020/SAMA 2020 program (€278,772.89 approved funding) covering contravention management, supporter card issuance, and online event risk classification — and the Gerador de Regulamentos, a tutorial tool for creating venue safety regulations. Training products include the PRO S4+ e-learning course (co-developed with the Council of Europe and University of Liverpool, eight modules, ~16 hours of instruction) and the Formação de Gestor de Segurança certification under Portaria n.º 320/2023. Awareness and convening assets include the annual S4 Congress international conference (3rd edition October 2025 in Viseu), the "Sintam-se em Casa" hospitality campaign with Liga Portugal, the "Violência Zero" national prevention campaign, and the RAViD (Relatório de Análise da Violência associada ao Desporto) annual report produced jointly with PNID/PSP.

As a public regulatory body, APCVD charges no fees for its services; funding flows from state budget allocations supplemented by project-based EU grants. Its customer-facing channels are administrative rather than commercial: the apcvd.gov.pt portal, social media presence on Instagram, LinkedIn, Facebook and YouTube, and direct regulatory engagement with federations, clubs and promoters. Stakeholder partnerships span the Council of Europe, University of Liverpool, IPDJ, Liga Portugal, FPF, Fundação do Desporto, Erasmus+ (STOP Radicalization project), UNOCT, CICDR, AIMA, DGEstE, Football Supporters Europe, and the FARE Network, reflecting an explicitly European-standard, multi-institutional approach grounded in the Saint-Denis Convention's integrated Safety, Security and Service (S4) model.

Name

Autoridade para a Prevenção e o Combate à Violência no Desporto (APCVD)

Legal name

Autoridade para a Prevenção e o Combate à Violência no Desporto (APCVD)

Website

https://apcvd.gov.pt

Company type

Private

Founded year

2018

Operating status

Operating

Short description

APCVD is the Portuguese central government authority regulating sports safety, violence prevention, and anti-racism. It qualifies high-risk events, registers supporter groups, trains security managers, and enforces Lei n.º 39/2009 across Portugal's sporting ecosystem.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Sports Governance and Safety Regulation

NAICS

Justice, Public Order, and Safety Activities (922), Regulation, Licensing, and Inspection of Miscellaneous Commercial Sectors (92615)

SIC

Services-Racing, Including Track Operation (7948)

akta.pro industry

PRIMARYBPAGAFAA

Civil Liberties & Constitutional Rights Advocacy

Business & Public Services/Nonprofit, NGO & Social Services/Civil Rights, Advocacy & Public Policy Organizations

SECONDARYMPAKAFAK

Rules, Officiating & Referee Associations (Officials/umpires bodies)

Media, Entertainment & Sports/Sports (Leagues, Teams, Events, Venues)/Sports Rights Holders & Governing Bodies (Federations, Associations, Sanctioning Bodies)

Keywords

• Sports safety regulation
• Violence prevention authority
• Anti-discrimination enforcement
• Security manager training
• Supporter group registration

Headquarters

HQ city

Viseu

HQ country

Portugal

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Government Budget Allocation: APCVD is a public regulatory body funded by state budget allocations. As a central service of direct state administration, it operates under government direction and its funding comes from public treasury allocations.
2. EU Co-financing (COMPETE 2020/Portugal 2020): APCVD received EU funding through the SAMA 2020 program for the REDES+ project 'Recintos e Espetáculos Desportivos mais Seguros'. Approved amount: €278,772.89 total, with EU FSE contribution of €158,761.16 and National Public contribution of €120,011.73.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

APCVD is the Portuguese government authority responsible for preventing and combating violence, racism, xenophobia, and intolerance in sporting events. It qualifies high-risk sporting events, instructs contravention proceedings against offenders, registers organized supporter groups (GOAs), approves safety and usage regulations for sports venues, and delivers certified training for security managers of sports venues.

Product overview

APCVD operates as a unified regulatory authority offering a portfolio of governance services centered on sports safety and violence prevention. The core offering consists of regulatory oversight and compliance services for sports organizations, supported by digital platforms (REDES+ for process digitalization and the Gerador de Regulamentos for safety regulation management), training programs (PRO S4+ and Gestor de Segurança certification), and awareness campaigns (Sintam-se em Casa hospitality initiative). The organization also produces analytical reports (RAViD) and hosts the S4 Congress international event. These services collectively form an integrated approach to preventing violence, racism, and intolerance in Portuguese sports.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• S4Congress: International Congress on Safety, Security and Service at Sports Events organized by APCVD. The 3rd edition was held in Viseu in October 2025.
• Sintam-se em Casa
• STOP Radicalization

Products and services

• REDES+ (Recintos e Espetáculos Desportivos mais Seguros) A digital transformation project (POCI-05-5762-FSE-000297) that modernizes APCVD administrative processes including contravention management, fan card issuance, dematerialization of safety regulation registration, and an electronic platform for sports event risk classification. Built for sports federations, clubs, and APCVD internal operations.
• Gerador de Regulamentos (Regulation Generator)

Quantifiable outcome

• 46 registered Organized Supporter Groups with documented protocols and membership records
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers4 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

17 partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Direção-Geral dos Estabelecimentos Escolares (DGEstE)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 25 March 2025Collaboration protocol for joint initiatives to involve the school community in preventing and combating sports violence. The 'Cria a tua cena, inspira a mudança!' short film competition was launched together, mobilizing students to create content promoting fair play, inclusion, and respect in sports.
• Fundação do DesportocoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 28 February 2025Protocol of collaboration signed with Fundação do Desporto (Sports Foundation) to develop joint initiatives in sports safety and ethics promotion.
• Conselho da Europa (Council of Europe)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerDeep collaboration on the PRO S4+ e-learning course on the Council of Europe Convention on Safety, Security & Service at Sports Events. The course is a joint product of the Council of Europe, APCVD, and the University of Liverpool, available in Portuguese and aligned with European standards.
• Universidade de Liverpool (University of Liverpool)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCo-development partner in the PRO S4+ e-learning course on sports event safety and service, contributing academic expertise to the training program.
• Associação dos Profissionais de Educação Física e Desporto (APEFE)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerAPCVD participated in a session at Arena Liga Portugal organized by APEFE, presenting its prevention and intervention initiatives as part of the Erasmus+ STOP Radicalization project.
• Erasmus+ ProgrammecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerFunding source for the STOP (Sport for Preventing and Addressing Radicalization and Extremism through Knowledge Building) project, aimed at preventing radicalization and extremism among youth through sports.
• Ponto Nacional de Informações sobre Desporto (PNID) - PSPStrategic or Co-development PartnerJoint production of the annual RAViD report (Relatório de Análise da Violência associada ao Desporto), combining PNID's police data with APCVD's enforcement data for comprehensive sports violence analysis.
• Liga PortugalcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerKey partner in the 'Sintam-se em casa' hospitality campaign, collaborating since 2022/2023 season to promote fan hospitality and reduce tensions at sporting events.
• Federação Portuguesa de Futebol (FPF)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner in the 'Sintam-se em casa' campaign and supporter of the 'Cria a tua cena' competition. FPF's Portugal Football School recognized the PRO S4+ course for inclusion in its curriculum.
• Fundação da Federação Portuguesa de FutebolcoreGTM or Marketing PartnerCo-supporter of the 'Cria a tua cena, inspira a mudança!' competition, contributing to prize funding and promoting ethical values in youth through sports.
• Instituto Português do Desporto e Juventude (IPDJ)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner in the PNED (Plano Nacional de Ética no Desporto) and related initiatives including the STOP Radicalization project and Violence Zero campaign.
• Comissão para a Igualdade e Contra a Discriminação Racial (CICDR)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner in providing 'Literacia sobre Racismo e Discriminação Racial' (Racism and Racial Discrimination Literacy) e-learning course through the NAU platform.
• Agência para a Integração, Migrações e Asilo (AIMA)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner in providing 'Competências para a Interculturalidade' (Competencies for Interculturality) e-learning course, supporting inclusion in sports contexts.
• United Nations Office of Counter-Terrorism (UNOCT)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner through the UNOCT Connect & Learn platform offering counter-terrorism training resources relevant to sports event security.
• Parlamento Europeu (European Parliament)minorOthersEuropean Parliament Declaration on Combating Racism in Football (2005) referenced in APCVD's digital library as foundational anti-racism policy framework.
• Football Supporters EuropeminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner in the SAFER project supporting and raising awareness for female fans in European football through research and engagement.
• FARE NetworkminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerEuropean network partner referenced in APCVD's resources for anti-racism initiatives in football, including UEFA partnership guides.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves8 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Sports Grounds Safety Authority (SGSA): UK statutory authority that issues safety certificates for sports grounds and advises on spectator safety, the closest international analogue to APCVD's sports safety regulatory role. Both bodies license/qualify event safety and oversee spectator welfare at large sporting venues.
• Consejo Superior de Deportes (CSD) – Spain: Spanish national sports authority that absorbed the former Comisión Estatal contra la Violencia, el Racismo, la Xenofobia y la Intolerancia en el Deporte, performing the equivalent anti-violence and discrimination regulatory function for Spanish sport.
• FARE Network: European NGO coordinating anti-racism and anti-discrimination action in football across more than 50 countries, directly aligned with APCVD's anti-racism mandate and listed as an APCVD partner organization.
• Football Supporters Europe (FSE): Independent European network of football fans running inclusion, diversity and supporter engagement programmes such as the SAFER project, closely aligned with APCVD's Organized Supporter Group and hospitality agenda.

Broad incumbents

• Union of European Football Associations (UEFA) – Safety and Security: European football governing body that issues safety and security regulations and disciplinary frameworks for national associations and clubs, operating a broader mandate but overlapping with APCVD on event-level safety standards.
• FIFA – Safety and Security: Global football governing body that sets worldwide safety and security standards and coordinates with member associations on event risk classification, an incumbent counterpart to APCVD at the international level.

Others

• Council of Europe – Sport Conventions Division: Stewards the Saint-Denis Convention on an integrated approach to Safety, Security and Service at sports events, the policy framework that APCVD operationalizes in Portugal and co-delivers training for.
• Instituto Português do Desporto e Juventude (IPDJ): Predecessor Portuguese state body from which APCVD inherited sports safety and anti-racism functions in 2018, and current partner on PNED ethics and STOP Radicalization projects.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/@apcvd
• Facebookfacebook.com/apcvd.gov
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/published
• Instagraminstagram.com/apcvd.gov.pt

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about Autoridade para a Prevenção e o Combate à Violência no Desporto (APCVD)