APECA - Associação Portuguesa das Empresas de Contabilidade e Administração

What APECA - Associação Portuguesa das Empresas de Contabilidade e Administração does

APECA, formally 'Associação Portuguesa das Empresas de Contabilidade e Administração', is a non-profit business association constituted on May 21, 1988, and headquartered in Porto, Portugal. It represents accounting and business administration companies operating across mainland Portugal and the Autonomous Regions of Madeira and the Azores, with a stated membership of over 600 firms ranging from individual practices to larger SROC-classified accounting service companies. The association also serves certified accountants (Contabilistas Certificados) and indirectly supports Portuguese SMEs that rely on member firms for compliance, payroll, and tax reporting.

The association's core offering is a portfolio of member services rather than a technology product. These include DGERT-certified and OCC-recognized professional training (Formação Profissional), a technical/legal/fiscal consultory (Consultório Técnico) staffed by recognized experts, online access to fiscal codes (IRC, IRS, IVA, IMT, IMI, IS, ISV, IUC, JM) and binding tax information, a published library of reference books on accounting and tax matters, and a Collective Labor Agreement (CCT APECA) that governs labor relations between accounting firms and their employees. The underlying technology is a member portal (Área Reservada) backed by searchable databases of legislation, opinions, and administrative instructions, alongside standard e-commerce functionality for training enrollment and payment.

APECA generates revenue through monthly membership quotas of €20 per member, training fees for non-members (€120 in-person, €60 online), and ancillary book/program revenue. As of May 21, 2026, the one-time registration fee was reduced from €100 to free, lowering the entry barrier for new members. The organization is member-governed through an elected Direção (currently 2024–2026), employs approximately five staff, and owns its Porto headquarters. It is a member of CCP (Confederação do Comércio e Serviços de Portugal) and maintains institutional relationships with OCC and several higher-education institutions.

Name

APECA - Associação Portuguesa das Empresas de Contabilidade e Administração

Legal name

APECA - Associação Portuguesa das Empresas de Contabilidade e Administração

Website

https://apeca.pt

Company type

Private

Founded year

1988

Operating status

Operating

Short description

APECA is a Portuguese non-profit association, founded in 1988 and headquartered in Porto, representing over 600 accounting and business administration firms through certified training, technical consultory, fiscal reference content, and sector-wide collective labor bargaining.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Porto

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, Others

Revenue model

1. Annual Membership Fees: Members pay a monthly quota of €20 for access to all association services including technical support, training, and resources.
2. Training Fees for Non-Members: Non-members pay for professional training courses: €120 in-person (includes coffee break and printed manual with VAT) or €60 online (includes VAT and PDF manual). Members receive preferential rates.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels3 records

Core offering

APECA is a non-profit business association that represents accounting and administration companies across Portugal. It sells annual membership (€20/month quota) and delivers associated services: DGERT-certified professional training, technical legal-and-fiscal consultancy, online access to fiscal codes and binding tax information, published reference books, and negotiation of the sector's Collective Labor Agreement (CCT APECA).

Product overview

APECA operates as a professional association for accounting and administration companies, offering a portfolio of member services including professional training (Formação Profissional) certified by DGERT and recognized by OCC, technical and fiscal consultancy (Consultório Técnico), access to fiscal codes (Códigos Fiscais) and binding tax information (Informações Vinculativas), published reference books (Livros Editados), and a collective bargaining agreement (CCT APECA). Members also access a reserved area (Área Reservada) for training enrollments, payment management, and technical support. This is not a software product but a service-based association.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Formação Profissional (Professional Training) DGERT-certified professional training courses for accounting and fiscal matters, covering fiscal legislation, accounting standards, labor law, and tax declarations. Recognized by OCC for quality-control credits. Available to both members (preferential rates) and non-members (€120 in-person / €60 online).
• Consultório Técnico (Technical Consultancy) Technical, legal, and fiscal consultancy service for members, providing written opinions and answers to questions on accounting, taxation, and labor law matters. Includes searchable database of past opinions and individual consultation sessions (in-person at Porto HQ or via Zoom).
• Livros Editados pela APECA (Published Reference Books) Series of published reference books covering IRC, IRS, IES/DA, fiscal legislation, accounting standards, and practical cases for accounting professionals.
• CCT APECA (Collective Bargaining Agreement) Collective bargaining agreement regulating labor relations between accounting companies and their employees, negotiated by APECA and published in the Boletim do Trabalho e Emprego (BTE). The latest published version (BTE n. 25/2026) includes salary table changes effective from June 1, 2026.

Named customers1 record

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Five partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• CCP - CONFEDERAÇÃO DO COMÉRCIO E SERVIÇOS DE PORTUGALcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerAPECA is a member of the CCP - Confederation of Commerce and Services of Portugal, which provides institutional representation at a broader commercial level and facilitates connections with government and other business organizations.
• OCC - Ordem dos Contabilistas CertificadoscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerAPECA maintains institutional contacts with the Order of Certified Accountants. Training provided by APECA is recognized by OCC for quality control credits applicable to members.
• ISCAP - Instituto Superior de Contabilidade e Administração do PortominorStrategic or Co-development PartnerProtocol of Collaboration with ISCAP's Internship and Employability Office. Facilitates curricular internships for association members' companies, helping accounting firms recruit young talent while providing students practical work experience in accounting contexts.
• ISAG - Instituto Superior de Administração e GestãominorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership providing special conditions for APECA members, their collaborators, and family members (spouses and children in the household) for ISAG educational programs and degrees.
• Católica Porto Business SchoolminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerEducational partnership offering APECA members a 10% discount on postgraduate programs including the 'Pós-Graduação em Fiscalidade Intensiva'. Part of broader protocol with Universidade Católica.

Scale indicators2 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Market position

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Customer concentration

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles4 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about APECA - Associação Portuguesa das Empresas de Contabilidade e Administração