Cepe - Centro Esportivo Para Pessoas Especiais

What Cepe - Centro Esportivo Para Pessoas Especiais does

CEPE - Centro Esportivo Para Pessoas Especiais is a Brazilian non-governmental non-profit organization (ONG) founded in 2002 by physical education teachers Ana Teixeira and Sonia Ribeiro in Joinville, Santa Catarina. The organization develops and delivers free paralympic sports training and competition opportunities to people with physical disabilities across four core competitive modalities - athletics (including javelin, shot put, sprints, and long jump), wheelchair basketball (the "Raposas do Sul" team), paralympic boccia, and paralympic swimming - plus the CEPINHO youth initiation program for children aged 5-12 with physical/motor disabilities. CEPE operates out of a dedicated headquarters at Arena Joinville with 5 employees and has produced internationally competitive athletes including World Record holder Edenilson Floriani (javelin F42, 60.79m at the 2023 Parapan American Games in Santiago).

Underlying service delivery is people- and facility-intensive: coaches deliver in-person training, travel teams to competitions, and conduct educational outreach via the CEPINHO program in schools and corporate environments. There is no proprietary technology platform; the product is human coaching, athletic development, and competition participation. Operational intensity is sustained by a documented coaching and technical staff pool covering all five modalities.

The business model is a non-profit funding stack rather than a commercial revenue model. All services to members are free. Revenue is sourced from (a) Brazilian federal Lei de Incentivo ao Esporte (Sports Incentive Law) tax-credited project funding across all five programs, (b) corporate sponsorships from approximately 13 industrial and consumer companies including Whirlpool, Schulz, Tupy, Taesa, Docol, Alupar, Termotécnica, Cristal Master, Milium, Copapel, La Fontaine, Youngtech, and Rieper, and (c) individual donations via PIX and bank transfer. Governance is led by a volunteer board (President Aldo Pavesi, Vice-President Carlos Eduardo Pecher, Treasurer João Padilha, Secretary Giovana Vieira, Sports Director Liandra Lima) with strategic support from municipal partners (Prefeitura de Joinville and SESPORTE) and state/national sports federations (FESPORTE, CBCP). CEPE's geographic operating scope spans Joinville (delivery), Santa Catarina (state competition), and Brazil (national representation), with no disclosed international operational footprint.

Name

Cepe - Centro Esportivo Para Pessoas Especiais

Legal name

CEPE - Centro Esportivo para Pessoas Especiais

Website

https://cepe.esp.br

Company type

Private

Founded year

2002

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

CEPE is a Brazilian non-profit NGO, founded in 2002 in Joinville, that provides free paralympic sports training and competition across athletics, wheelchair basketball, boccia, and swimming to people with physical disabilities, funded by Lei de Incentivo tax credits and corporate sponsorships.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Paralympic Sports Training

NAICS

Fitness and Recreational Sports Centers (71394), Sports and Recreation Instruction (61162)

SIC

Services-Membership Sports & Recreation Clubs (7997)

akta.pro industry

PRIMARYMPAKAJAK

Adaptive & Para-Sport Training Programs

Media, Entertainment & Sports/Sports (Leagues, Teams, Events, Venues)/Sports Camps, Academies & Training Centers

SECONDARYMPAKADAM

Adaptive & Para-Sport Event Organizers

Media, Entertainment & Sports/Sports (Leagues, Teams, Events, Venues)/Sports Event & Tournament Organizers (Tours, Championships, Meets)

SECONDARYHSADAEAM

Adaptive & Para-Sport Coaching

Home & Personal Services/Fitness, Wellness & Personal Training/Sports Coaching & Athletic Performance

SECONDARYMPAKACAH

Disability & Adaptive Sports Organizations (Paralympic, Special Olympics)

Media, Entertainment & Sports/Sports (Leagues, Teams, Events, Venues)/Collegiate & Amateur Sports Organizations (NCAA, Federations, Clubs)

Keywords

• Adapted sports programs
• Paralympic training center
• Disability sports services
• Wheelchair basketball training
• Paralympic athletics development

Headquarters

HQ city

Joinville

HQ country

Brazil

HQ region

Latin America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales

Revenue model

1. Sponsorships and Donations: Organization operates as a non-profit NGO relying on corporate sponsorships from companies such as Whirlpool, Schulz, Alupar, Termotécnica, Youngtech, Docol, La Fontaine, Cristal Master, Tupy, Milium, Copapel, and Taesa. Additional revenue comes from donations via PIX and bank transfer. All services to associated members are provided free of charge.
2. Lei de Incentivo ao Esporte (Sports Incentive Law): Governmental tax incentive funding through the Lei de Incentivo ao Esporte allowing companies to direct a portion of taxes to sports projects. Multiple projects are funded through this mechanism including Atletismo Paralímpico em Ação, Basquetebol em Cadeira de Rodas, Bocha Paralímpica, CEPINHO, and Natação Paralímpica do Futuro.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

CEPE provides free, in-person training and competition preparation in five paralympic disciplines for people with physical disabilities: wheelchair basketball (fielding the team Raposas do Sul), paralympic boccia, athletics, paralympic swimming, and CEPINHO, a children's sports initiation program. Services are delivered on-site at the Arena Joinville in Santa Catarina, Brazil, and have produced national-level and world-record-holding athletes over more than two decades of operation.

Product overview

CEPE - Centro Esportivo Para Pessoas Especiais is a non-profit paralympic sports organization offering a portfolio of five core programs: wheelchair basketball (Raposas do Sul), paralympic boccia, athletics with world-record-holding athletes, swimming, and CEPINHO (a children's paralympic sports school for ages 5-12). All services are provided free of charge to members. The organization has operated since 2002, achieving national and international competitive success while promoting inclusion and autonomy for people with physical disabilities.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• CEPINHO: Escolinha de Esportes Paralímpicos - a paralympic sports school program for children and adolescents with physical and motor disabilities aged 5-12 years.

Products and services

• Wheelchair Basketball Structured wheelchair basketball training and competition program for athletes with physical disabilities, delivered in-person at Arena Joinville. The competitive team Raposas do Sul represents CEPE in state and national competitions.
• Paralympic Boccia Training and competition preparation in paralympic boccia, a precision sport designed for athletes with severe physical disabilities affecting motor function, delivered at Arena Joinville.
• Athletics (Paralympic Track and Field) Track and field training adapted for athletes with physical disabilities, supporting progression from initiation to competitive participation.
• Paralympic Swimming Swimming training adapted for athletes with physical disabilities, supporting both recreational development and competitive race preparation.
• CEPINHO (Children's Sports Initiation Program) Sports initiation program for children with disabilities, serving as the entry-level pathway into CEPE's broader paralympic disciplines and supporting long-term athlete development.

Named customers1 record

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles1 record

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Seven partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• SESPORTE (Secretaria de Esportes de Joinville)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerMunicipal sports secretariat providing support for CEPE's sports programs. Partnership enables participation of CEPE athletes in municipal events like JEVILLE (Jogos Estudantis de Joinville) and provides funding through municipal sports programs.
• SESC PelotenseminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerSocial service organization contributing to CEPE's sports and educational programs.
• FESPORTEcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerSanta Catarina State Sports Federation supporting CEPE athletes representing the state in national competitions like Paralympic Games School Selection.
• Comitê Brasileiro de Clubes Paralímpicos (CBCP)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerBrazilian Paralympic Clubs Committee providing support for CEPE's swimming team participation in competitions and athlete development programs.
• Prefeitura de JoinvillecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerMunicipal government providing institutional support for CEPE's operations and sports programs.
• Prefeitura de Joinville - Secretaria de EsportescoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerMunicipal Sports Department partnering on events like JEVILLE and supporting CEPE athletes representing the city.
• Prefeitura de Joinville - Secretaria de EducaçãominorStrategic or Co-development PartnerMunicipal Education Department partnering with SESPORTE for inclusive sports events like JEVILLE.

Scale indicators7 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Regional players

• APD Portugal - Associação Portuguesa de Desporto para Pessoas com Deficiência: Portuguese umbrella organization for adapted sports, providing training and competition pathways analogous to CEPE but operating in Portugal; useful comparable for governance and funding model.
• Move United (formerly Disabled Sports USA): US-based umbrella organization that supports a network of community-based adapted sports chapters. Mirrors CEPE's community-led model but at federal/network scale in a different geography.
• Wheelchair Basketball Canada: Canadian national body for wheelchair basketball with club network across provinces. Directly comparable to the competitive structure CEPE/SESPORTE competes within (state and national championships), but at a national scale in Canada.

Direct peers

• AACD - Associação de Assistência à Criança Deficiente: Major Brazilian NGO providing rehabilitation, adapted sports, and inclusive programs for people with physical disabilities; directly comparable to CEPE in mission, target population, and free/sponsored service model, though at a much larger scale (multiple centers across São Paulo).
• Clube dos Paraplégicos de São Paulo: Long-standing São Paulo-based adapted sports club offering wheelchair basketball, swimming, athletics and boccia to people with physical disabilities, organized as an association with sponsorship support — directly comparable to CEPE in structure and offering.
• Instituto Jô Clemente: São Paulo-based NGO focused on disability inclusion, including adapted sports, health screening, and social programs. Comparable as a Brazilian disability-focused NGO with sports programming and corporate funding.
• Associação Desportiva para Deficientes (ADD): Brazilian adapted sports association providing wheelchair basketball and athletics programs for people with physical disabilities, organized around regional clubs and sponsorship — directly comparable to CEPE's community sports model.

Broad incumbents

• Centro de Treinamento Paralímpico Brasileiro: National high-performance training center operated under CPB in São Paulo. Provides advanced training infrastructure for elite Brazilian paralympic athletes, including some who started at regional clubs like CEPE.
• Comitê Paralímpico Brasileiro (CPB): National governing body for paralympic sport in Brazil. Sets policy, certifies clubs, and allocates funding (Lei de Incentivo) to organizations like CEPE; an upstream ecosystem partner rather than a direct competitor.

Others

• Special Olympics Brasil: Brazilian affiliate of Special Olympics offering year-round training for children and adults with intellectual disabilities. Adjacent to CEPE rather than directly comparable, but uses a similar community-led, donation-funded adapted sports model.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks4 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UC00sOLxxFQo4liBV_LC2m3g/featured
• Facebookfacebook.com/CEPEJOINVILLE
• Instagraminstagram.com/cepejoinville
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/cepe---centro-esportivo-para-pessoas-especiais

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about Cepe - Centro Esportivo Para Pessoas Especiais