Extituto de Política Abierta

What Extituto de Política Abierta does

Extituto de Política Abierta is a Colombian non-profit think-do-tank headquartered in Bogotá, founded around 2019–2020, that designs methodologies, tools, and training programs to strengthen political participation, open government, and democratic innovation. The organization operates across three strategic pillars — Political Incidence, Democratic Innovation, and Collective Intelligence — and serves political parties, civil society organizations, electoral candidates, youth, women, and local governments in Colombia and the broader Global South. It explicitly identifies as multipartisan and avoids alignment with any single political tendency.

The product portfolio is organized as an interlocking platform: at its core is Ocupar la Política, a multipartisan political leadership formation program that has trained over 450 leaders across multiple iterations and is now scaling to a 2026 cohort of 150 Congressional candidates. Around this sit open-government and gender-mainstreaming toolkits (Toolkit HAGA, Toolkit de Género, HAGAlo Interactivo diagnostic), methodological frameworks (Tarot de Liderazgo, MEGA IP, DIGO), digital platforms (DemoLab for Bogotá's open council, FormAcci\u00f3n learning platform, CILA Global South city network, Demo.reset connecting 100+ organizations across 5 regions), co-created publications (10+ books including Del Sur — Democracias y Deliberación and Ciudadan\u00eda permanente), and audiovisual programs (Polas Opuestas, En Com\u00fan, Congreso en Campa\u00f1a legislative analysis). The organization also implements peacebuilding education through Co-creando La Paz in four Colombian municipalities under UN Women and IOM stewardship.

The business model is entirely grant-funded and non-commercial. All publications, toolkits, and courses are distributed free of charge; there is no disclosed pricing, no paywall, and no revenue from product sales. Operating capacity is sustained through partnerships with international foundations and multilateral bodies including Open Society Foundations, the National Endowment for Democracy, Konrad Adenauer Stiftung, USAID, UNDP, UN Women, IOM, the UN Peacebuilding Fund, Luminate, and several Colombian foundations. The team is small (29 employees) with leadership including David Núñez (Director de Proyectos), María Alejandra Victorino (Coordinadora de Incidencia Pol\u00edtica), and Valentina Gait\u00e1n Rangel (Enlace Legislativa). No revenue figures are disclosed.

Name

Extituto de Política Abierta

Legal name

Extituto de Política Abierta

Website

https://extituto.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2020

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Extituto de Política Abierta is a Colombian non-profit think-do-tank that designs free methodologies, toolkits, and training programs to strengthen political participation, open government, and democratic innovation for political parties, candidates, civil society, and local governments in Colombia and the Global South.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Civic Education and Democratic Innovation Services

NAICS

Political Organizations (813940), Other General Government Support (921190)

akta.pro primary industry

Democracy, Voting Rights & Civic Participation Advocacy (BPAGAFAJ)

akta.pro secondary industries

Democratic Governance & Public Administration Reform (BPADAGAJ), Civic Participation & Leadership Development (Voting, Advocacy, Community Leadership) (EDAAADAL), Civic, Citizenship & Community Engagement Education (EDAAAEAI)

Keywords

• Democratic innovation services
• Civic education programs
• Open government consulting
• Political formation training
• Deliberative democracy research

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

Extituto de Política Abierta is a Colombian multipartisan non-profit think-do-tank that designs tools, methodologies, and educational programs to strengthen democracy, open government, and political participation. It delivers formation programs (Ocupar la Política, FormAcción, Co-creando La Paz), proprietary toolkits for governments and civil society (Toolkit HAGA, Gender Toolkit, Tarot de Liderazgo), digital platforms for deliberative democracy (DemoLab, Demo.reset, CILA), and a body of publications, audiovisual content, and legislative analysis—all offered free of charge and funded by international donors.

Product overview

Extituto de Política Abierta is a Colombian think-do tank operating across three strategic pillars — Political Incidence, Democratic Innovation, and Collective Intelligence — through which it designs tools, methodologies, and technologies for political and democratic strengthening. The portfolio is organized as a platform of interlocking products and programs: at the core are formation programs (Ocupar la Política and its 2.0 iteration, FormAcción, Habitar la Política) that build electoral and legislative leadership; surrounding these are practical toolkits (Toolkit HAGA for open government, Toolkit de Género for gender mainstreaming, HAGAlo Interactivo diagnostic test) for governments and civil society; embedded within these are methodological products (Tarot de Liderazgo for leadership assessment) and digital platforms (DemoLab for Bogotá's open council, Demo.reset for Global South exchange, CILA for international city networks, Co-creando La Paz for peacebuilding education); these are supported and disseminated through publications (Del Sur — Democracias y Deliberación, Ciudadanía permanente para la incidencia política, Partidos políticos en la era digital, and 6 additional books), audiovisual programs (Polas Opuestas YouTube series, En Común TV program, ¿Vamos a Incidir? fanzine), and legislative analysis products (Congreso en Campaña, Partidos más abiertos report). The organization acts as both a content publisher and a platform provider, hosting its own educational and diagnostic web applications.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Ocupar la Política Multipartisan political formation and electoral accompaniment program that strengthens citizens' connection with decision-makers; prepares candidates for elections through formation, strategic mentoring, and use of digital tools, based on collective leadership and open politics.
• Ocupar la Política 2.0 Second-iteration formation program focused on the Colombian Congress, accompanying candidates and future Representatives with formation, strategic support, and digital tools to practice open, transparent, and participatory politics throughout the legislative term.
• Toolkit HAGA (Caja de Herramientas Aplicadas de Gobierno Abierto) Three-part open government and public innovation toolkit for local and regional governments: MEGA IP conceptual model, HAGA repository of tools and good practices, and DIGO methodologies and canvases for designing open-government interventions.
• Toolkit de Género para la transversalización Toolkit that verifies whether a legislative or executive initiative includes gender and diversity perspectives, with recommendations and resources to incorporate gender approaches at any stage of an initiative.
• Tarot de Liderazgo Research and action methodology using archetypal cards to identify and strengthen individual and collective leadership profiles (Rebel, Explorer, Hero, Sage, Magician, etc.) at individual and organizational levels.
• Toolkit HAGA: HAGAlo Interactivo Interactive diagnostic test that assesses how an entity implements open government and public innovation, reviewing citizen involvement in participation, transparency, technology, innovation, and accountability, with tailored recommendations.
• Habitar la Política Program that strengthens the legislative processes of the Colombian Chamber of Representatives by providing tools for the institution to become more open, democratic, and transparent, and to better connect citizens with power and public officials.
• FormAcción de Ocupar La Política Online educational program offering courses, guides, and tools to form and inspire electoral campaigns, aimed at transforming deliberative democracy with Global South perspectives.
• DemoLab — Laboratorio de Concejo Abierto de Bogotá Laboratory for the Open Council of Bogotá, co-founded with the Bogotá Council, Fundación Corona, Fundación Avina, FESCOL, NIMD, Diseño Público, and Ideemos, working to strengthen citizen-Council trust through openness, new participation mechanisms, and political innovation.
• Demo.reset Program connecting political innovation experiences across five Global South regions (Latin America, Africa, Eastern Europe, Southeast Asia, India) with over 100 organizations, activating deliberative democracy and building a repository of innovative solutions.
• CILA (Consorcio de Ciudades en Acción) International consortium addressing local democracy and open government needs in the Global South, responding to institutional distrust, internal conflicts, and the need to strengthen citizen advocacy and dialogue at the subnational level.
• Co-creando La Paz Course for young women on leadership and peacebuilding, developed under the Peacebuilding Fund (PBF) project implemented by UN Women and IOM, promoting inclusive participation of young women in municipalities of Popayán, Santander de Quilichao, Pasto, and Ricaurte.
• En Común Television program connecting youth with politics through audiovisual conversations between groups of young people and Chamber Representatives from different parties, developed with the Chamber of Representatives, Universidad Jorge Tadeo Lozano, and Konrad Adenauer Foundation.
• Polas Opuestas YouTube program of 12 videos generating debates on political current events, fostering dialogue between citizens and politicians in exercise, covering topics such as Venezuela, the police code, JEP, women in politics, and environmental policy.
• ¿Vamos a Incidir? Fanzine Free political advocacy fanzine for community organizations, territorial leaders, and collectivities, built from real processes and designed as a practical guide for political advocacy.
• Congreso en Campaña: Claves de la Agenda Legislativa Regular legislative analysis publication by Valentina Gaitán Rangel, Extituto's Legislative Link, providing coverage of the congressional legislative agenda, reform progress, electoral dynamics, and legislative deadlines ahead of the 2026 elections.
• Activa Buenaventura Alliance to reconfigure the relationship between citizens and local institutions in Buenaventura District, Colombia, contributing to strengthening public management and democracy, in alliance with USAID, Fundación Corona, and Fundación Avina.
• Informe: Partidos más abiertos, democracias más fuertes Research report on the internal democracy of political parties in Colombia, conducted with MOE and Konrad Adenauer Foundation (KAS), revealing challenges and proposing concrete solutions for parties to strengthen legitimacy and recover citizen trust.
• HAGAmos click: INTERRUPTORes para encender la innovación pública In-person event of the HAGA Community for public innovation in Colombia presenting the new Toolkit HAGA 2.0, the Collabora Lab of Bucaramanga, and advances on the decree for the National Public Innovation Network.

Quantifiable outcome

• Ocupar la Política program has trained over 450 leaders across multiple versions, with the 2026 version preparing 150 Congressional candidates
• +3 more outcomes

Segments6 records

Ideal customer profiles6 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature5 records

Partnerships

15 partnerships are on record, tiered core, major, moderate and minor.

• Konrad Adenauer Stiftung (KAS)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerGerman political foundation collaborating on political party research and democratic development. Co-developed the report on internal party democracy 'Partidos más abiertos, democracias más fuertes' alongside MOE and Extituto.
• United Nations Development Programme (UNDP/PNUD)majorStrategic or Co-development PartnerUN agency supporting democratic development and open government initiatives. Partner in advancing innovation in public administration and civic participation in Colombia.
• UN Women (ONU Mujeres)majorStrategic or Co-development PartnerUN entity for gender equality and women's empowerment. Collaborates on the Co-creando La Paz project and gender mainstreaming initiatives with Extituto.
• International Organization for Migration (IOM/OIM)majorStrategic or Co-development PartnerUN migration agency implementing peacebuilding programs. Co-implements Co-creando La Paz project with ONU Mujeres and Extituto in Colombian territories.
• Fundación CoronamajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerColombian foundation supporting social development. Co-founder of DemoLab initiative for open Congress in Bogotá alongside Extituto.
• Fundación AvinamajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerLatin American foundation promoting civic innovation. Partner in DemoLab and 'Ocupar la Política' initiative launching candidates to Congress.
• FESCOL (Fundación Friedrich Ebert Colombia)majorStrategic or Co-development PartnerGerman political foundation focused on social democracy. Co-founder of DemoLab and collaborator on 'Democracia en III actos' publication.
• NIMD (National Democratic Institute)majorStrategic or Co-development PartnerInternational democracy assistance organization. Collaborates on political formation and innovation programs including 'Ocupar la Política' and 'Innnovar en Política' workshops.
• Diseño PúblicomoderateStrategic or Co-development PartnerDesign organization providing public innovation expertise. Co-founder of DemoLab open Congress laboratory initiative.
• IdeemosminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner organization in DemoLab open Congress laboratory initiative providing civic innovation support.
• Cámara de Representantes de ColombiamajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerLower house of Colombian Congress. Institutional partner for 'En Común' television program and 'Habitar la Política' legislative strengthening initiative.
• Universidad Jorge Tadeo LozanomoderateStrategic or Co-development PartnerColombian university collaborating on 'En Común' television program connecting youth with political representatives.
• Misión de Observación Electoral (MOE)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerElectoral observation organization. Co-developed research on political party internal democracy 'Partidos más abiertos, democracias más fuertes' with Extituto and KAS.
• Alianza por la DemocraciacoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerDemocracy alliance network. Extituto is member organization participating in collective advocacy and democratic defense initiatives.
• CILA GlobalmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerConsortium of Cities in Action connecting Global South cities for democratic innovation. Extituto provides research and methodological support on civic tech and gender mainstreaming.

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Regional players

• CIPPEC: Argentina-based think tank focused on public policy and democratic governance in Latin America. Strong methodological parallel to Extituto's Toolkit HAGA and open-government diagnostics.
• Fundar (Mexico): Mexican civic-organization working on democratic accountability, budget transparency, and political participation. Comparable mandate on civic engagement and open-government tool development.

Direct peers

• National Democratic Institute (NDI): International democracy assistance organization explicitly listed as Extituto's core partner on 'Ocupar la Pol\u00edtica' and political formation programs. Operates the same multipartisan civic-training model globally, making it the closest functional peer.
• International IDEA: Intergovernmental organization focused on democratic institutions, electoral processes, and political participation worldwide. Shares Extituto's emphasis on internal party democracy and open government, with comparable research and tool outputs.
• Konrad Adenauer Stiftung (KAS): German political foundation and Extituto core partner on political-party research and 'En Com\u00fan' TV program. Functions as both a peer (political formation) and a co-development partner.
• Dejusticia: Colombia-based research and advocacy organization working on democracy, human rights, and constitutional reform. Overlaps with Extituto on civic-formation outputs and Colombian political-reform commentary.
• Misi\u00f3n de Observaci\u00f3n Electoral (MOE): Colombia's principal electoral observation body and Extituto's co-author on 'Partidos m\u00e1s abiertos, democracias m\u00e1s fuertes'. Directly comparable on Colombian political-party reform and democratic-strengthening research.
• Friedrich Ebert Stiftung (FESCOL Colombia): German social-democratic foundation, co-founder of DemoLab and collaborator on 'Democracia en III actos'. Operates the same political-education and democratic-innovation model in Colombia.

Broad incumbents

• Open Society Foundations: Major international funder of Extituto's civic engagement work and a much larger player running parallel democratic-strengthening portfolios across Latin America and globally. Acts as both funder and broad incumbent.
• International Foundation for Electoral Systems (IFES): US-based international NGO providing technical assistance on elections and democratic governance worldwide. Overlaps with Extituto's electoral-formation and party-strengthening work at a global scale.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/Extituto
• Instagraminstagram.com/extituto
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/extituto-de-pol%C3%ADtica-abierta

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles3 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 Extituto de Política Abierta