Česká asociace paraplegiků – CZEPA, z.s.

What Česká asociace paraplegiků – CZEPA, z.s. does

Česká asociace paraplegiků – CZEPA, z.s. is a Czech registered association (zapsaný spolek, IČO 00473146) founded in February 1990 in Prague, originally as Svaz paraplegiků, to serve the approximately 17,000 people living with spinal cord injuries in the Czech Republic and the ~200 newly injured each year. The organization operates a vertically integrated ecosystem of free or favorably priced social services, including professional social counseling, peer mentoring (15 mentors nationwide, expanded from 11 in 2022), legal counseling, barrier-free starter housing in Prague 10 Malešice, equipment loans, ŠKODA vehicle lending with hand controls, and webinars plus educational videos. Its core technology platform is VozejkMap — an interactive web and mobile app (iOS/Android) built on the Czech Mapotic mapping platform, providing a crowdsourced, administrator-validated database of barrier-free places across the Czech Republic and abroad, with a major modernization released in April 2024 and a new school-accessibility layer added in June 2026 via the Výtahy do škol partnership.

The business model is that of a multi-funder Czech non-profit: CZEPA does not charge clients for core services but finances operations through a mix of EU/ESF operational program grants (notably the PRÁCE employment project, Nov 2024 – Oct 2026), Czech ministerial subsidies (Ministry of Health, Ministry of Interior, Ministry for Regional Development), corporate sponsorships (ŠKODA Auto, Nadace Vodafone, Nadace ČEZ, Kooperativa), individual and corporate donations via the Daruj správně platform and the ČSOB NaDobrouVěc micro-donation program, membership fees, and modest service revenues from space rental and vehicle lending. The organization employs roughly 15 staff and is led by Director Alena Jančíková, with a management team that includes a spinal-cord specialist, social workers, peer-mentoring coordinators, and a PR specialist. CZEPA also runs two complementary programs — BanalFatal! (youth spinal-cord-injury prevention, operating under Ministry of Education patronage and now deployed via ÁMOS digital displays in 368 schools) and Podcast Nezlomnĺ — and operates the Hvězdný bazar charity shops in Prague as both a fundraising channel and a training workplace for people with disabilities.

Name

Česká asociace paraplegiků – CZEPA, z.s.

Legal name

Česká asociace paraplegiků – CZEPA, z.s.

Website

https://czepa.cz

Company type

Private

Founded year

1990

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Česká asociace paraplegiků – CZEPA is a Prague-based Czech non-profit (founded 1990) serving roughly 17,000 people with spinal cord injuries through free social counseling, peer mentoring, barrier-free housing, and the VozejkMap accessibility-mapping platform, funded by EU grants, government subsidies, and corporate sponsorships.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Disability Social Services and Accessibility Platform

NAICS

Services for the Elderly and Persons with Disabilities (62412), Services for the Elderly and Persons with Disabilities (624120), Individual and Family Services (6241), Vocational Rehabilitation Services (624310), Vocational Rehabilitation Services (62431)

SIC

Services-Social Services (8300), Services-Health Services (8000)

akta.pro primary industry

Disability Services & Assistive Solutions (Accessibility, Assistive Tech) (BPAGALAM)

akta.pro secondary industries

Disability Services & Independent Living Support (BPAGAEAG), Disability Services & Independent Living Support (BPAGACAG), Special Education Paratransit & On-Demand Ride Services (EDAKAOAC)

Keywords

• Disability social services
• Spinal cord injury support
• Accessibility mapping platform
• Peer mentoring services
• Non-profit patient association

Headquarters

HQ city

Prague

HQ country

Czechia

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. EU/ESF Project Funding: CZEPA receives European Union funding through operational programs (Operační program Zaměstnanost) for projects such as Peer mentoring and the PRÁCE employment support project.
2. Government Subsidies and Grants: Government grants from Czech ministries (Ministry of Health, Ministry of Interior) for specific programs, legislative advocacy work, and operational costs.
3. Donations and Fundraising: Individual and corporate donations through campaigns, the Daruj správně platform, ČSOB NaDobrouVěc micro-donation program, and benefit events (e.g., concerts with Anna K.).
4. Service Fees: Rental of spaces and loaning of ŠKODA automobiles with hand controls generate modest revenue. Services are provided free or at favorable prices to target clients.
5. Membership Fees: Annual membership fees from the association's member base, recorded and managed in compliance with statutes.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels10 records

Core offering

Česká asociace paraplegiků – CZEPA provides a comprehensive portfolio of social services for people with spinal cord injuries in the Czech Republic, including peer mentoring, professional social and legal counseling, temporary barrier-free housing, employment support, equipment and adapted vehicle lending, and the VozejkMap accessibility mapping platform. The organization also runs the BanalFatal! youth injury prevention program, charitable shops as training workplaces, and advocacy campaigns for disability rights. All core services are provided free of charge or at favorable prices to clients with spinal cord injuries.

Product overview

Česká asociace paraplegiků – CZEPA operates as a multi-service non-profit organization offering a comprehensive portfolio of products and services for people with spinal cord injuries. The core offerings include VozejkMap (barrier-free places mapping platform), Peer mentoring (peer-to-peer social rehabilitation), BanalFatal! (injury prevention program), and Odborné sociální poradenství (professional social counseling). Supporting services include Vozejkov (information portal), Hvězdný bazar (charitable shops/training workplace), starter housing, equipment lending, ŠKODA vehicle lending with hand controls, webinars, educational videos, legal counseling, and the PRÁCE employment support project. The Podcast Nezlomní provides psychological support through inspirational stories. The organization serves approximately 17,000 people with spinal cord injuries in the Czech Republic.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• VozejkMap: Interactive map application and database of barrier-free places in Czech Republic and abroad.
• Vozejkov
• Peer mentoring
• BanalFatal!
• Hvězdný bazar
• Podcast Nezlomní
• Startovací bydlení
• Poradna CZEPA

Products and services

• VozejkMap Interactive map platform and mobile application (iOS and Android) for wheelchair users and people with mobility limitations, showing barrier-free places across the Czech Republic and abroad. Includes categories for food, accommodation, culture, sports, institutions, shops, services, nature, public toilets, doctors, pharmacies, and gas stations, with crowdsourced entries validated by administrators and photo documentation.
• Peer Mentoring Social rehabilitation service where experienced wheelchair users (peer mentors) guide people after spinal cord injury through their new life situation using peer-to-peer methodology, delivered to individuals with newly acquired spinal cord injuries across the Czech Republic.
• BanalFatal! Prevention Program Primary prevention program focused on spinal cord injuries, targeting secondary school students and summer camp participants. Features lecturers including wheelchair users sharing personal stories and risk occupation professionals, delivered in schools and camps across the Czech Republic.
• Professional Social Counseling (Odborné sociální poradenství) Professional social counseling service providing information, advice, help, and support to people with spinal cord injuries and their loved ones facing challenging life situations. Includes the Poradna CZEPA counseling service.
• Startovací bydlení (Starter Housing) Temporary barrier-free apartments in Prague 10 Malešice, available for one to two people who pay standard municipal rent and services while adapting their original housing. Five apartments are provided under classic municipal lease to people with spinal cord injuries transitioning from hospital or rehabilitation.
• Bydlení pro tetraplegiky (Housing for Quadriplegics) Training housing for tetraplegic individuals to support independent living.
• Hvězdný bazar Charity Shops Two charity shops in Prague operated as part of the Hvězdný bazar project, also functioning as a training workplace for people with disabilities.
• ŠKODA Car Lending with Hand Controls Loan program for ŠKODA vehicles equipped with hand controls for wheelchair users.
• Equipment Lending (Půjčování pomůcek) Lending service for compensation aids and equipment to people with disabilities.
• Legal Counseling (Právní poradenství) Legal advice service for people with disabilities provided by Mgr. Radka Pešlová, supporting legislative advocacy and client rights protection.
• PRÁCE Employment Support Project EU-funded employment support project for people with spinal cord injuries, offering educational courses, soft skills development, job search motivation activities, and counseling for job seekers.
• Vozejkov Information Portal Community and information portal for wheelchair users providing resources and community connection.
• Webinars (Webináře) Educational webinars on health and social topics related to spinal cord injuries, with 15 webinars per year and recordings available on YouTube.
• Educational Videos (Edukační videa) Educational videos on topics such as barrier-free home modifications, intimate health issues, incontinence management, and pressure sore prevention, produced by spinal specialist Zdeňka Faltýnková.

Quantifiable outcome

• Successfully appealed care allowance reductions and obtained proper IV-degree ratings for multiple clients (e.g., after 3 years of reduction, after 25 years of waiting)
• +4 more outcomes

Named customers5 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration1 record

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Eight partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Výtahy do školcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 24 June 2026CZEPA partnered with the Výtahy do škol project to create a comprehensive national database of barrier-free schools. Parents of young wheelchair users maintain the database, while CZEPA integrates the data into VozejkMap platform. Launched with 400+ schools mapped.
• FGQ (Föderation Gewebespende? — likely German partner organization)minorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 22 May 2024Host organization of ESCIF 2024 conference in Berlin, bringing together European spinal cord injury organizations.
• MapoticcoreTechnology or IntegrationMapotic is the Czech map platform underlying VozejkMap, providing robust mapping capabilities with real-time data overlays and external system integration — chosen over GIS and Google Maps for its flexibility.
• Hartmann Česká republikaminorGTM or Marketing PartnerSupports the 'Pečuji s láskou' project, within which the podcast 'Dva ve zdraví, nejen o otázkách na tělo' was produced, featuring CZEPA's Zdeňka Faltýnková.
• ČSOBminorGTM or Marketing PartnerČSOB offers the 'NaDobrouVěc' micro-donation service in ČSOB Smart banking, redirecting a percentage of card transactions to CZEPA on an ongoing basis.
• ESCIF (European Spinal Cord Injury Federation)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCZEPA is an active member of ESCIF, participating in annual European conferences (ESCIF 2023 in Thessaloniki, ESCIF 2024 in Berlin), exchanging experiences with spinal injury organizations across Europe and contributing to advocacy efforts.
• Czech GangminorGTM or Marketing PartnerPartner in organizing the 'Každá jsme krásná' charity fashion show celebrating all women, held in collaboration with Hvězdný bazar.
• Česká televizeminorGTM or Marketing PartnerTelevision coverage on ČT (Reportéři ČT, Události, pořad Klíč) amplifying CZEPA's advocacy on care allowances and showcasing Peer mentoring program.

Scale indicators8 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Federazione Italiana Associazioni Lesioni Midollo Spinale (FAIP): Italian federation of spinal cord injury associations providing peer support, advocacy, and assistance. Direct peer in mission and structure, co-member with CZEPA in ESCIF.
• SIA (Spinal Injuries Association, UK): UK-based spinal cord injury charity offering peer support, advocacy, and information services. Closely comparable mission and service mix to CZEPA.
• Wheelmap: OpenStreetMap-based crowdsourced platform for mapping wheelchair-accessible places globally. Most direct functional competitor to VozejkMap; difference is CZEPA's country-specific depth and spinal cord injury focus.
• AccessNow: Crowdsourced accessibility app focused on mobility-impaired users. Comparable to VozejkMap in product mechanics and target user, with broader geographic reach.

Emerging players

• ParaCENTRUM Fénix: Czech non-profit supporting people with spinal cord injuries in Brno and surrounding region. Comparable in target population and peer-support mission, with overlapping but geographically narrower footprint than CZEPA.

Others

• ESCIF (European Spinal Cord Injury Federation): Umbrella federation of European national spinal cord injury associations of which CZEPA is an active member. Comparable as an ecosystem peer and partner rather than a competitor.
• Nadace Vodafone Česká republika: Major long-term funder of CZEPA's VozejkMap project. Comparable as a partner and analogous tech-for-good funder in the Czech disability space.
• EPP – Pomáhej pohybem (Nadace ČEZ): Czech foundation app that converts physical activity into donations for nonprofits, including CZEPA. Comparable as a fundraising/engagement channel and partner rather than a competitor.

Regional players

• Svaz paraplegiků – STrata: Peer support organization for people with spinal cord injuries in other Central European countries (e.g., Slovakia). Directly comparable in mission to CZEPA, operating in a different national context.
• Asistence, o.p.s. Czech NGO providing social services and advocacy for people with disabilities. Comparable peer as a domestic Czech disability-services organization, though not specialized in spinal cord injury.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat6 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/czepa_
• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UCbGWOVRMm9xWr5p-M2dLBSQ/videos
• Facebookfacebook.com/czepa.cz
• Instagraminstagram.com/czepa_cz
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/czech-paraplegic-association

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles10 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about Česká asociace paraplegiků – CZEPA, z.s.