CECOBI | Confederación Empresarial de Comercio de Bizkaia

What CECOBI | Confederación Empresarial de Comercio de Bizkaia does

CECOBI (Confederación Empresarial de Comercio de Bizkaia) is a non-profit business confederation founded in 1984 and headquartered in Bilbao, Spain. It represents the commerce sector — primarily small and medium-sized retail and wholesale enterprises — across the province of Bizkaia in the Basque Country, aggregating a federated network of sector-organized trade guilds (gremios) and zonal commerce associations that span municipalities including Bilbao, Getxo, Balmaseda, Abanto-Zierbena, Algorta, and Trapagaran.

The confederation operates as a service and advocacy organization rather than a technology company, with no proprietary software platform at its core. Its offering is a portfolio of services: subsidy and grant processing (Tramitación de Subvenciones), personalized business advisory (Asesoramiento al Comercio), sector-specific training (Formación), and collective bargaining representation (Negociación Colectiva), supplemented by programs such as CB113 for new entrepreneurs and Segurmania Zurekin for occupational risk prevention. Supporting digital touchpoints include the CECOBI Gestor member portal, the CecoBilan employment portal, and the affiliated Fundación Comercial Bizkaia training foundation; the confederation also incorporates third-party technologies such as Seeketing for footfall analytics in retail zones.

The business model blends recurring membership fees from affiliated businesses and trade associations with administrative and project funding from public institutions — notably the Diputación Foral de Bizkaia, Eusko Jaurlaritza (Basque Government), SPRI, Lanbide, Emakunde, Innobasque, and several foundations (BBK, Mapfre, Novia Salpedo). Most member-facing services are delivered free or heavily subsidized. With 21 staff, CECOBI functions primarily as a distribution and intermediation layer between provincial/Basque public funding streams and the Bizkaia SMB commerce base, monetizing this role through membership and administrative scope rather than commercial product sales.

Name

CECOBI | Confederación Empresarial de Comercio de Bizkaia

Legal name

CONFEDERACION EMPRESARIAL DE COMERCIO DE BIZKAIA (CECOBI)

Website

https://cecobi.es

Company type

Private

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

CECOBI is a non-profit provincial commerce confederation in Bizkaia, Spain, founded in 1984, that aggregates retail and wholesale SMBs through a network of trade guilds and zonal associations to deliver subsidized advisory, training, subsidy processing, and collective bargaining services.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Bilbao

HQ country

Spain

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Membership Fees: CECOBI generates revenue through annual membership fees paid by affiliated commerce businesses and associations. The confederation's contact page and legal notices reference 'empresas asociadas' (associated companies) paying for membership benefits.
2. Subsidy and Grant Administration: CECOBI processes subsidies and grants on behalf of member businesses, likely receiving administrative fees or funding allocations from government bodies (Diputación Foral de Bizkaia, Eusko Jaurlaritza) for these services.
3. Training and Advisory Services: CECOBI provides training programs and personalized business advisory services to commerce businesses, which may generate service fees or be funded through government subsidies.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

CECOBI is a non-profit business confederation that represents retail and wholesale commerce businesses across the province of Bizkaia (Basque Country, Spain). It delivers a portfolio of professional services to member commerce enterprises, including public subsidy and grant processing, personalized business advisory, sector-specific training, and collective bargaining representation with labor unions. The confederation aggregates trade guilds (gremios) and zonal commerce associations, providing a unified voice for the local commerce sector and channeling public funding from Basque and Bizkaian government bodies.

Product overview

CECOBI is a business confederation for retail commerce in Bizkaia that functions as a service organization rather than a product company. Its offering consists of multiple service areas including Subsidy Processing (Tramitacin de Subvenciones), Business Advisory (Asesoramiento al Comercio), Training (Formacin), and Collective Bargaining (Negociacin Colectiva). These core services are delivered through Technical Commerce Offices and supplemented by specialized programs such as the CB113 entrepreneurship support and Segurmania occupational risk prevention. CECOBI also operates digital touchpoints including the CECOBI Gestor member portal, the CecoBilan employment portal, and the Fundacin Comercial Bizkaia training foundation. The organization does not offer a unified software product with modules but rather provides a portfolio of professional and support services to its member commerce businesses.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Tramitación de Subvenciones (Subsidy Processing) Processing and management of subsidies and grants from Basque and provincial government bodies on behalf of member commerce businesses in Bizkaia, helping them access public funding opportunities.
• Asesoramiento al Comercio (Business Advisory)
• Formación (Training)
• Negociación Colectiva (Collective Bargaining)
• Oficinas Técnicas de Comercio (Technical Commerce Offices)
• CB113 - Emprende con CB113 Entrepreneurship support program providing inspiration, resources, and incentives for new entrepreneurs and commerce ventures in Bizkaia.
• Acuerdos con Empresas (Business Agreements) Partnership arrangements with third-party companies offering preferential conditions and services to member businesses, such as the Koala Rotulación agreement signed May 7, 2026.
• CecoBilan (Employment Portal)
• Observatorio del Comercio de Bizkaia
• Fundación Comercial Bizkaia
• CECOBI Gestor (Member Portal)

Quantifiable outcome

• Access to subsidized training and consulting services
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers4 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

Five partnerships are on record, tiered minor and core.

• Koala RotulaciónminorGTM or Marketing Partner · 7 May 2026CECOBI signed a collaboration agreement with Koala Rotulación on May 7, 2026, to offer specialized signage and corporate image services to member businesses at preferential conditions.
• Diputación Foral de Bizkaia (Provincial Government of Bizkaia)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCECOBI collaborates with the Provincial Government of Bizkaia on multiple projects including the 'Observatorio del Comercio de Bizkaia' (Commerce Observatory), personalized advisory services for Bizkaia commerce, commerce dynamization projects, and the 'Bertokoak' interactive shopping promotion game. The partnership provides funding and institutional support for commerce sector development.
• Eusko Jaurlaritza - Gobierno Vasco (Basque Government)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCECOBI partners with the Basque Government's Ministry of Commerce, Consumption and Tourism on various projects including the CB113 entrepreneurship program, Google My Business optimization services, and retail dynamization initiatives. The Basque Government provides funding through various subsidy programs that CECOBI helps administer to member businesses.
• Fundación Comercial BizkaiacoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCECOBI works with Fundación Comercial Bizkaia to provide free training for workers in the commerce sector. The foundation offers complimentary training programs referenced on CECOBI's website under 'Entidades colaboradoras' (collaborating entities).
• CecobilanminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCecobilan is an employment portal and job listings service operated by CECOBI, referenced as a 'collaborating entity' offering employment opportunities and labor offers for commerce sector workers.

Scale indicators2 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• Cámara de Comercio de Bilbao: Bilbao Chamber of Commerce — provides training, advisory, and internationalization services to businesses in Bizkaia. Overlaps with CECOBI on training and advisory services for SMB commerce members but with a broader (non-sector-specific) mandate.
• Confederación Española de Comercio (CEC): National-level Spanish commerce confederation acting as the umbrella organization for regional commerce associations including CECOBI. Comparable business model (membership fees, collective representation, government dialogue) but national scope.
• SPRI Grupo: Basque Government's development agency. Funds and operates SME programs (including Hazinnova) that CECOBI helps distribute. Comparable in providing subsidized services to Bizkaia SMBs, though SPRI is a public agency covering all sectors rather than commerce-specific.

Direct peers

• CEBEK: Confederación Empresarial de Bizkaia — the broader Bizkaia business confederation that aggregates sector bodies including commerce. CECOBI operates within or alongside CEBEK's structure, making it the most direct peer for sector-based representation and government lobbying.
• Innobasque: Basque Innovation Agency — already a partner that coordinates the Hazinnova program which CECOBI delivers. Comparable in coordinating public-private SME support services, though with a cross-sector innovation mandate rather than commerce-specific.

Regional players

• SEA Empresas Alavesas: Confederación Empresarial de Álava — the analogous business confederation in the neighboring Basque province of Álava. Same confederation model, same public-institution funding flows, but a different provincial territory.
• Confederación de Comercio de Gipuzkoa: Commerce confederation for Gipuzkoa, the third Basque province. Mirrors CECOBI's role at provincial level with the same sector services (subsidies, training, collective bargaining) but in a different regional market.
• Confederación de Comercio de la Comunidad Valenciana: Valencian community commerce confederation. Comparable in scope (regional SMB retail/wholesale representation, government-funded programs) and structure (sector guilds and zonal associations), though geographically separate.
• Confederación de Comercio de Galicia: Galician commerce confederation with the same SMB-representation, subsidy administration, and collective bargaining model — comparable structural peer in a different Spanish autonomous community.
• Confederación de Comercio de Cataluña: Catalan regional commerce confederation. Operates an analogous trade-association model with gremio/zonal structures and government liaison, but serves Catalonia rather than the Basque Country.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/CecobiBizkaia
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/cecobi

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

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 CECOBI | Confederación Empresarial de Comercio de Bizkaia