APPACDM

What APPACDM does

APPACDM Lisboa is a Portuguese private social solidarity institution (Instituição Particular de Solidariedade Social, NIPC 504 646 788) founded on February 2, 1962 by Sheila Stilwell and Dra. Alice de Mello Tavares. The organization delivers a comprehensive lifecycle of social services for people with intellectual disabilities across the Lisbon, Almada, and Cascais municipalities, anchored by eight-plus physical facilities and roughly 251-500 staff. Its service portfolio spans inclusive early childhood education (Creche A Tartaruga e a Lebre, capacity 63 children aged 5 months to 3 years, operational since 1978 and recognized as the first inclusive creche in Europe), school inclusion support through the Centro de Recursos para a Inclusão serving approximately 400 students across 15 school groupings, DGERT-certified vocational training at Centro Quinta dos Inglesinhos, five CACI (Centro de Atividades e Capacitação para a Inclusão) structures serving 265 adult clients, and five Lares Residenciais housing 90 residents aged 16 and above. The institution has also spawned more than 30 autonomous APPACDM delegations across Portugal and was a pioneer in Portuguese disability inclusion with the country's first inclusion center in 1965.

The institution operates no proprietary software platform; service delivery is conducted through physical facilities staffed by multidisciplinary teams (technical directors per facility, social workers, therapists, caregivers). Its "Soluções com Valor" arm produces handcrafted goods (traditional sweets, artisanal soaps priced €0.50-€5.00, felt and trapilho crafts priced €10-€30) created by clients in occupational therapy programs, alongside commercial services including green space maintenance (Flor da Quinta, operating since 2002), event venue rental and catering, laundry services, and graphic arts finishing. The Real Virtual + Independencia project with Universidade Lusófona - Hei-lab represents the most notable technology adjacency, applying virtual reality to occupational and therapeutic activities at Casas de Alapraia.

Revenue blends four streams: government protocol funding from MTSSS, IEFP, and the municipalities of Lisbon, Almada, and Cascais; EU co-financing through Portugal 2020 / POR LISBOA frameworks; charitable donations collected under Portuguese mecenato tax-benefit laws; and earned income from family contributions (comparticipações familiares, calculated on income under social security guidelines) and "Soluções com Valor" product and service sales. The institution is member-governed through an elected General Assembly, Conselho Fiscal, and Direção under a 2024-2027 mandate, with most governance roles performed voluntarily.

Name

APPACDM

Legal name

Associação Portuguesa de Pais e Amigos do Cidadão Deficiente Mental de Lisboa

Website

https://appacdm-lisboa.pt

Company type

Private

Founded year

1962

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

251–500 employees

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

NAICS

Residential Intellectual and Developmental Disability Facilities (62321), Services for the Elderly and Persons with Disabilities (62412), Social Advocacy Organizations (8133)

SIC

Services-Nursing & Personal Care Facilities (8050), Services-Social Services (8300)

akta.pro primary industry

Specialized Assisted Living for Developmental/Intellectual Disabilities (Adult) (HLADABAJ)

akta.pro secondary industries

Disability & Chronic Condition Care Coordination (EDALAFAI), Housing Accessibility & Accommodations (ADA/Disability) (EDALACAM), Disability Services & Assistive Solutions (Accessibility, Assistive Tech) (BPAGALAM), Assistive Technology (AT) & AAC Services (EDAJAKAF)

Keywords

• Disability social services
• Residential care homes
• Vocational training programs
• Inclusive daycare services
• Intellectual disability support

Headquarters

HQ city

Lisboa

HQ country

Portugal

HQ region

Europe

Offices9 records

Markets served

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Social Services Funding: Government-funded social services through public-private partnerships with municipalities, the Ministry of Solidarity and Social Security (MTSSS), and IEFP. Services are financed through protocol agreements with local authorities and national social security systems.
2. Donations and Mecenato: Charitable donations from individuals and companies under Portuguese mecenato (patronage) laws, which provide tax benefits for donors. NIB provided for donations: 0010.0000.12745970001.32
3. Product Sales: Sale of artisanal products including traditional sweets (doçaria), soaps, felt crafts, and trapilho items. Products are created by clients in occupational therapy programs.
4. Services Revenue: Revenue from green space maintenance services (Flor da Quinta), event spaces and catering, and laundry services. These social enterprise activities provide employment opportunities for clients.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

APPACDM Lisboa is a Private Social Solidarity Institution (Instituição Particular de Solidariedade Social) that delivers a full lifecycle of social services for people with intellectual disabilities, including inclusive daycare (Creche A Tartaruga e a Lebre), school inclusion support (Centro de Recursos para a Inclusão), DGERT-certified vocational training (Formação Profissional), adult activity centers (CACI), and residential care homes (Lares Residenciais). It supplements these with respite care (Tempo para Si), an assistive-product lending bank (BEPA), and commercial social-enterprise activities such as handcrafted products, green-space maintenance, event/catering venues, laundry, and graphic arts finishing.

Product overview

APPACDM Lisboa is a social welfare institution (Instituição Particular de Solidariedade Social) providing a portfolio of interconnected social services and commercial products. Core social services include the inclusive Creche A Tartaruga e a Lebre (daycare), Centro de Recursos para a Inclusão (school inclusion support), Formação Profissional (professional training), CACI (activity and capacity-building centers), and Lares Residenciais (residential homes). Complementary social programs include Tempo para Si (respite care for caregivers) and BEPA (assistive product lending bank). The institution also operates commercial products and services under its 'Soluções com Valor' initiative, including handcrafted products (traditional sweets, artisanal soaps, felt crafts, trapilho items) and commercial services (green space maintenance, event venues, laundry, and graphic arts finishing). A quarterly newsletter called Boletim MAIS supports communication and awareness. The social services are primarily funded through Portugal 2020/POR LISBOA and IEFP, while commercial offerings generate revenue supporting the institution's social mission.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Creche A Tartaruga e a Lebre: Inclusive creche serving children from 5 months to 3 years old, operational since 1978.
• Centro de Recursos para a Inclusão (CRI)
• CACI - Centro de Atividades e Capacitação para a Inclusão
• Flor da Quinta
• Pontos e pespontos

Products and services

• Creche A Tartaruga e a Lebre Inclusive daycare service established in 1978, with capacity for 63 children from 5 months to 3 years old, including and empowering children with disabilities.
• Centro de Recursos para a Inclusão (CRI) Resource center providing specialized services in school contexts for students with special educational needs, partnering with 15 school clusters in Lisbon, Odivelas, and Almada, covering approximately 400 students.
• Formação Profissional (Centro Quinta dos Inglesinhos) DGERT-certified professional training programs for people with disabilities, covering areas of hospitality, domestic services, gardening, and social support.
• Centro de Atividades e Capacitação para a Inclusão (CACI) Activity and capacity-building center for people with disabilities aged 18 and above, serving 265 clients across five structures, offering therapeutic, occupational, and complementary activities including Snoezelen, physiotherapy, and art therapy.
• Lares Residenciais Residential care homes for people with intellectual disabilities and incapacities aged 16 and above, providing services to 90 clients across five structures in Lisbon, Almada, and Cascais.
• Tempo para Si Respite care service for informal caregivers in Almada municipality, providing temporary breaks from caregiving responsibilities through a pool of qualified formal caregivers.
• BEPA – Banco de Empréstimo de Produtos de Apoio Loan bank for assistive products, established as a partnership between IACESS, APPACDM Lisboa, and Hospital Garcia de Orta, providing wheelchairs, walkers, and other assistive devices to improve quality of life for children and populations served.
• Doçaria Tradicional Traditional sweets and preserves produced by clients, including marmalade (300g, €2.50), orange jam (300g, €3.00), tomato jam, pumpkin jam, sand cookies, and multifloral honey.
• Sabonetes Artesanais Handcrafted artisanal soaps in various shapes including bouquet, leaves, Christmas ball, gnome, nativity scene, tile, snowflake, and mini soaps, priced from €0.50 to €4.00 per unit.
• Trabalhos em Feltro Felt crafts including 3D Christmas decorations such as reindeer, dinosaur, Christmas tree (€25), balloon, Our Lady, Merry Xmas (€30), and nativity scene (€18).
• Trabalhos em Trapilho Upcycled fabric cord crafts including table placemats (€15) and hot pads (€10), made by clients in occupational activities.
• Flor da Quinta – Espaços Verdes Green space construction and maintenance services, including garden construction and maintenance, irrigation system execution, land clearing and cleaning, and weed control, operating in Almada, Lisbon, Seixal, and Sesimbra since 2002.
• Espaço para Eventos e Catering Event venue rental and catering services available for external entities and private events, supporting the institution's social objectives.
• Lavandaria Laundry and ironing services provided to meet population needs while promoting active inclusion.
• Acabamentos em Artes Gráficas Graphic arts finishing services for external partners including electrical component assembly and graphic arts finishing work, with TAP being a long-standing client.

Quantifiable outcome

• 265 clients served in CACI programs
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers4 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

19 partnerships are on record, tiered core, notable and minor.

• Câmara Municipal de LisboacoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerMunicipal government partnership providing funding, facilities coordination, and community integration support for APPACDM services in Lisbon.
• Câmara Municipal de AlmadacoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerJoint initiative for Tempo para Si respite care program. Partnership established July 2021 under the Autarquias que Cuidam dos Cuidadores Informais network.
• Câmara Municipal de CascaiscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership through Plataforma Cascais Inclui+ and Comissão para a Pessoa com Deficiência. Supports community inclusion activities and social programs at Casas de Alapraia.
• Instituto de Emprego e Formação Profissional (IEFP)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerGovernment employment institute providing funding for vocational training programs and professional inclusion initiatives under Portugal 2020 and POR LISBOA.
• DGERTcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerGovernment body certifying professional training courses delivered by APPACDM Formação Profissional.
• 15 Agrupamentos de EscolascoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnerships with school groupings in Lisbon, Odivelas, and Almada municipalities for inclusive education support through Centro de Recursos para a Inclusão.
• Universidade Lusófona - Hei-labnotableStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership for Real Virtual + Independencia project using virtual reality tools in occupational and therapeutic activities.
• Museu da Cidade de LisboanotableStrategic or Co-development PartnerLong-term partnership hosting Grupo de teatro Nós performances, received honorable mention for accessibility in 2017.
• Escola de Dança Ana Köhler (EDAK)notableStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership for 2FEET dance project 2016, leading to UNESCO dance certification for Pé de Dança group members.
• Clube Naval de CascaisnotableStrategic or Co-development PartnerProvides adapted sailing activities for Casa de Alapraia clients.
• Associação Palco da Tua ArtenotableStrategic or Co-development PartnerOrganizes inclusive dance performances at Casino Estoril featuring Pé de Dança group.
• TAPnotableStrategic or Co-development PartnerLongest-standing client for graphic arts finishing services provided by Centro Júlia Moreira clients.
• JSLnotableStrategic or Co-development PartnerElectrical components assembly services provided by Centro Júlia Moreira clients.
• OTISnotableStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner for 30 years; clients paint oil canvases gifted to elevator users.
• IACESSnotableStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership for BEPA (Banco de Empréstimo de Produtos de Apoio) - assistive products lending bank.
• Hospital Garcia de Orta - Centro de Desenvolvimento da Criança Torrado da SilvanotableStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership for BEPA program serving children followed at the hospital.
• APCAS - Associação de Paralisia Cerebral de Almada SeixalnotableStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner in Tempo para Si respite care program, executing services while APPACDM manages the Centro Quinta dos Inglesinhos.
• Santa Casa da Misericórdia de LisboaminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerHealthcare partnership for Centro Júlia Moreira residents.
• Externato Florinda LealminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCommunity partner providing socially useful activities for Casa de Alapraia clients.

Scale indicators13 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• Cáritas Portuguesa: Large Portuguese social-services and social economy organization providing social assistance, training, and community support. Comparable in IPSS status and national scope, though broader in mission than APPACDM's disability focus.
• Santa Casa da Misericórdia de Lisboa: Large Lisbon-based social solidarity institution with overlapping services including residential care, social support, and healthcare partnerships. Already a partner of APPACDM for Centro Júlia Moreira residents, making it both peer and ecosystem player. Comparable in mission and IPSS status but operates at materially larger scale.
• CERCI Portugal (Federação Nacional de Cooperativas de Solidariedade Social): National federation supporting cooperatives serving people with intellectual disabilities across Portugal. Comparable in mission (inclusion, vocational training, residential care) and in serving the same client population, with national reach that APPACDM Lisboa lacks.

Regional players

• Plena Inclusión España: Spanish national federation representing organizations supporting people with intellectual disabilities. Highly comparable in service portfolio (residential, day centers, employment, family support) and mission, but operates in Spain rather than Portugal.

Direct peers

• APCAS - Associação de Paralisia Cerebral de Almada Seixal: Disability-focused IPSS serving Almada and Seixal. Already a partner in the Tempo para Si respite care program. Directly comparable as a regional disability services provider executing overlapping community-based care for people with disabilities.
• APPACDM Coimbra: Sister delegation of the same APPACDM federation, providing identical social services (residential, vocational, day programs) for people with intellectual disabilities. Same brand, same mission, comparable service portfolio, different region.
• CERCICA - Cooperativa para a Educação e Reabilitação de Cidadãos Inadaptados de Cascais: Cascais-based cooperative providing education, rehabilitation, and vocational training for people with intellectual disabilities. Direct peer in the same metropolitan area, with comparable service mix (training, residential, day programs).
• IACESS - Instituto de Apoio à Criança e à Comunidade Socialmente Excluída: Social solidarity institution focused on child and community support. Already a BEPA program partner with APPACDM. Comparable as an IPSS providing complementary disability and social services in the Lisbon area.
• Fundação LIGA: Portuguese foundation supporting people with intellectual disabilities through residential, occupational, and inclusion services. Comparable IPSS-style mission, with similar lifecycle care programs and Lisbon-area footprint.

Others

• Special Olympics Portugal: Portuguese arm of the Special Olympics movement organizing sports inclusion programs for people with intellectual disabilities. Not a direct service provider but a comparable mission-driven organization in the disability inclusion ecosystem.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/appacdm

Compliance4 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles10 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 APPACDM