Cercibeja, CRL

What Cercibeja, CRL does

Cercibeja, CRL — legally Cooperativa para a Educação, Reabilitação, Capacitação e Inclusão de Beja, CRL — is a Portuguese social solidarity cooperative founded in 1978 and headquartered at Quinta dos Britos, Beja, in Portugal's Alentejo region. The organization delivers a continuum of services for children, youth, and adults with intellectual disabilities and incapacities across Beja municipality and nine neighbouring municipalities (Aljustrel, Alvito, Barrancos, Cuba, Ferreira do Alentejo, Mértola, Moura, Serpa, Vidigueira). Its operating model rests on three core social service responses: upsCAO (Centro de Actividades Ocupacionais, founded 1991, capacity 60 clients), upsLRVC (Lar Residencial 'Vidas Coloridas', inaugurated 2008, residential care), and upsQE (Qualificação e Emprego, founded 1992, vocational qualification and employment integration for clients aged 16+). The cooperative is registered as an Instituição Particular de Solidariedade Social (IPSS) and operates with approximately 19 employees.

The organization supplements contracted public services with ancillary revenue streams including a beach bar concession (Bar Praia dos Cinco Reis), a portfolio of locally produced goods (Fava Frita, oranges, small horticultural products, almonds) commercialised under the 'Sabores com Arte' brand created in 2018, monetary donations under Portugal's mecenato framework, and IRS tax consignation (0.5%) from individual taxpayers (NIPC 500807914). Its technology footprint is minimal — no proprietary software platform, no app, and no API — consistent with its role as a service-delivery cooperative rather than a technology entity. Cercibeja is co-financed through multiple European Social Fund programmes (POISE, PESSOAS 2030, Alentejo 2020) and works in partnership with IEFP, INR, Câmara Municipal de Beja, and fellow social entities Cáritas and Cercicoa via the INCORPORA Núcleo de Beja employment-placement network established in July 2019.

Cercibeja is not a commercial enterprise; it is a regional social services provider whose 'revenue' is structured as contracted service fees from the Portuguese social security system and IEFP, supplemented by EU/Portuguese public co-financing, donations, and minor product/concession income. Pricing for events such as the annual Noite Colorida (December 3, International Day of Persons with Disabilities) is voluntary ('pay what you can'). The cooperative has no venture, private equity, or parent ownership, and there are no disclosed subsidiaries, acquisitions, or exits.

Name

Cercibeja, CRL

Legal name

Cooperativa para a Educação, Reabilitação, Capacitação e Inclusão de Beja, CRL

Website

https://cercibeja.org.pt

Company type

Private

Founded year

1978

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Cercibeja, CRL is a 1978-founded Portuguese social solidarity cooperative in Beja delivering occupational, residential, and vocational services to people with intellectual disabilities across ten Alentejo municipalities, funded primarily by government contracts and EU social funds.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Disability Social Services

NAICS

Residential Intellectual and Developmental Disability Facilities (62321), Residential Intellectual and Developmental Disability, Mental Health, and Substance Abuse Facilities (6232)

SIC

Services-Nursing & Personal Care Facilities (8050), Services-Membership Organizations (8600)

akta.pro primary industry

Disability Services & Independent Living Support (BPAGAEAG)

akta.pro secondary industries

Disability Services & Independent Living Support (BPAGACAG), Specialized Assisted Living for Developmental/Intellectual Disabilities (Adult) (HLADABAJ)

Keywords

• Disability social services
• Vocational rehabilitation
• Residential care
• Occupational activities
• Social inclusion programs

Headquarters

HQ city

Beja

HQ country

Portugal

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Others

Revenue model

1. Social Services / Government-Funded Programs: Cercibeja operates social response programs funded through public grants, co-financed by European funds (POISE, FSE, PESSOAS 2030). Services include Centro de Actividades Ocupacionais (CAO) with capacity for 60 clients, Lar Residencial 'Vidas Coloridas' (residential care), and Qualificação e Emprego (vocational training and employment support). Revenue derives from contracted social service agreements with the Portuguese government and social security system.
2. Donations and Mecenato (Tax-Deductible Giving): Cercibeja receives monetary donations from companies and individuals under Portugal's mecenato framework (EBF Art. 62). The organization also receives 0.5% IRS consignation from individual taxpayers (NIPC: 500807914), redirecting a portion of personal income tax to the cooperative.
3. Product Sales: Cercibeja sells locally produced goods including Fava Frita (traditional snack), Oranges, Small Horticultural Products, and Almonds. These are produced by clients in their vocational training units and sold to the local community in Beja.
4. Social Enterprise Concessions: Cercibeja operates the Bar Praia dos Cinco Reis concession (bar at the Cinco Reis riverside beach) and commercializes products under the 'Sabores com Arte' brand created in 2018 for transformed and agricultural products.

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

Cercibeja is a Portuguese social solidarity cooperative providing disability services including occupational day activities (Centro de Actividades Ocupacionais with capacity for 60 clients), 24/7 residential care (Lar Residencial 'Vidas Coloridas'), and vocational qualification and employment support (Qualificação e Emprego) for people with intellectual disabilities and incapacities in the Beja region. The organization also produces and sells agricultural products such as Fava Frita, oranges, small horticultural products, and almonds under the 'Sabores com Arte' brand, and operates the Bar Praia dos Cinco Reis concession.

Product overview

Cercibeja is a social solidarity organization (Cooperativa para a Educação, Reabilitação, Capacitação e Inclusão de Beja) founded in 1978, providing services to people with disabilities. The organization operates three main social service responses: upsCAO (Centro de Actividades Ocupacionais - occupational activities center founded 1991), upsLRVC (Lar Residencial Vidas Coloridas - residential home established 2007), and upsQE (Qualificação e Emprego - professional qualification and employment service founded 1992). The organization also produces and sells agricultural products including Fava Frita, Laranja, Pequenas Hortículas, and Amêndoa under the SABORES COM ARTE brand. Additional programs include the Noite Colorida annual community event, ACROBACIAS adapted gymnastics program, DESCONFINARTE arts project, INCORPORA employment integration initiative, and the Centro de Recursos providing professional rehabilitation services. Founded in 1978, the organization serves the municipality of Beja and neighboring municipalities in Alentejo, Portugal.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Sabores com Arte: Product brand for transformed and agricultural products created by Cercibeja in 2018 to commercialize their productions.
• ExpressArte
• Bar Praia dos Cinco Reis
• Noite Colorida

Products and services

• Centro de Actividades Ocupacionais (upsCAO)
• Lar Residencial 'Vidas Coloridas' (upsLRVC)
• Qualificação e Emprego (upsQE)
• Centro de Recursos da Cercibeja
• Fava Frita
• Sabores com Arte Product Line
• Bar Praia dos Cinco Reis Concession

Quantifiable outcome

• 60 clients can be accommodated in the Centro de Actividades Ocupacionais

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Six partnerships are on record, tiered core and major.

• INCORPORA — Núcleo de BejacoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 July 2019INCORPORA Núcleo de Beja is a joint initiative of Cercibeja, Cáritas, and Cercicoa, established in July 2019. It promotes the professional integration of people in social vulnerability through mediation between social entities and companies, creating employment opportunities. Each entity provides a technical follow-up professional and a prospecting professional who systematically and personalizedly support beneficiaries and companies.
• IEFP — Instituto do Emprego e Formação ProfissionalcoreTechnology or IntegrationCercibeja's Centro de Recursos is an entity accredited by IEFP, I.P., as a support structure for the Employment Service of Moura, providing specialized intervention in professional rehabilitation. It develops integrated measures including information, evaluation and guidance for qualification and employment; placement support; and post-placement follow-up.
• CáritascoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCáritas participates in the INCORPORA Núcleo de Beja together with Cercibeja and Cercicoa, jointly working on professional integration of vulnerable populations.
• CercicoacoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCercicoa participates in the INCORPORA Núcleo de Beja together with Cercibeja and Cáritas, jointly working on professional integration of vulnerable populations.
• INR — Instituto Nacional para a ReabilitaçãomajorTechnology or IntegrationINR (Instituto Nacional para a Reabilitação) co-funds several Cercibeja inclusion projects including: Project 0099/2019 'Da Planície ao mar IV' (holiday camp), Project 0194/2019 'ExpressARTE Circence II' (artistic visibility), and Project 0244/2019 'Noite Colorida' (International Day of Persons with Disabilities commemoration).
• Câmara Municipal de BejamajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerMunicipal government of Beja — Cercibeja's 'Noite Colorida' event uses the Casa da Cultura (Av. do Brasil, Beja) for the December 3 event. The municipal government supports the event venue and likely provides logistical support for activities.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• CERCICA: Cooperativa de Educação e Reabilitação de Cidadãos com Incapacidades operating in the Cascais/Lisbon area. Directly comparable as a CERCIs cooperative providing CAO, residential, vocational training, and employment integration under the same national FENACERCI federation framework.
• Cáritas Portuguesa: Portuguese Catholic social services organization that partners with Cercibeja in the INCORPORA Beja nucleus. Directly comparable as a non-profit delivering disability, employment, and community social services across Portugal, with overlapping funding sources (state contracts, donations, EU funds).
• Santa Casa da Misericórdia de Beja: Local social solidarity institution in Beja providing a comparable mix of community social services, residential care, and support for vulnerable populations. Operates under the same Portuguese IPSS framework and competes for the same regional public contracts.
• CRINABEL: Centro de Recuperação Infantil de Beja — a Beja-based disability services organization for children. Same geographic catchment as Cercibeja, complementary pediatric focus, and operates under the same Portuguese IPSS regulatory regime.
• Cercicoa: A sister CERCIs cooperative operating in the adjacent Alentejo region; co-founded the INCORPORA Beja nucleus with Cercibeja. Most directly comparable as a Portuguese cooperative providing social and vocational services to people with disabilities under the same FENACERCI-aligned legal and funding framework.

Broad incumbents

• APCC - Associação de Paralisia Cerebral de Coimbra: Established Portuguese disability non-profit operating residential, occupational, and vocational programs. Comparable service portfolio (CAO-equivalent, residential care, vocational training) but with cerebral palsy specialization and substantially larger scale than Cercibeja.
• APPACDM Portugal: National federation of Portuguese associations serving people with intellectual and developmental disabilities, with regional chapters including in Beja. Comparable mission and population served, but operates at national scale as a federated network of associations rather than a single cooperative.
• Centro de Reabilitação Profissional de Gaia: Larger IEFP-accredited professional rehabilitation center in northern Portugal. Comparable to Cercibeja's Centro de Recursos in offering vocational evaluation, training, and employment placement, but operates at greater scale as a national-level rehabilitation reference.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks4 records

Key highlights5 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UCMDn3Q9pIl54VDq4BQ-t3ug
• Facebookfacebook.com/cercibeja.crl
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/cercibeja-crl

Compliance1 record

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 Cercibeja, CRL