Health and Social Development Foundation (HESED)

What Health and Social Development Foundation (HESED) does

Health and Social Development Foundation (HESED) is a Bulgarian nonprofit foundation founded in 1998 that operates a community-based integrated development model (the 'MIR Model') targeting Roma and other vulnerable populations in Bulgaria. The organization runs six community centers located directly inside isolated Roma neighborhoods across Sofia (Fakulteta, Filipovtsi, Hristo Botev), Kyustendil (Iztok quarter), and Samokov, delivering early childhood development programs for children aged 0-3, preventive health services, food assistance, parenting education, and labor-market preparation for youth. Its multidisciplinary, multi-ethnic team of 100+ specialists includes psychologists, social workers, teachers, medical staff, and community assistants drawn from the Roma community itself.

HESED generates no commercial revenue from beneficiaries — all services are delivered free of charge. Its operating model is grant-and-donation funded, with four primary revenue streams: project-based EU funding (SOLACE-CEE, ShowUp4Health, Window Youth/ROMANI under Erasmus+ and EU4Health), Bulgarian municipal and central government grants (notably Sofia Municipality), institutional foundation support (Open Society Foundations, UNICEF, UNDP, Trust for Social Achievement, Bcause Foundation, EEA/Norway Grants), and corporate donations (Lidl Bulgaria, Sopharma, Velux, Colonnade Insurance-Bulgaria, and others). Individual giving is solicited through a 'DARi' donation program. The organization participates in several international consortia (SOLACE-CEE with Housing First Foundation Poland, Casa Ioana Romania, and Hungarian Charitable Service; We-Care Network with 11 Bulgarian CSOs; ShowUp4Health across EU member states), positioning it as both a national operator and a CEE-region delivery partner.

There is no proprietary technology platform; HESED is a field-services organization. Service delivery is physical and human-staff-intensive, with documented outcomes including a cited 5x improvement in educational achievement for children enrolled in its early childhood programs versus community peers without access, and 150+ children receiving preventive medical examinations in 2025. The organization is led by Dr. Elena Kabakchieva (Chairperson) and Dr. Silvia Vasileva (Deputy Chairperson), with a small core staff supplemented by project-funded specialists.

Name

Health and Social Development Foundation (HESED)

Legal name

Health and Social Development Foundation

Website

https://hesed.bg

Company type

Private

Founded year

1998

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Health and Social Development Foundation (HESED) is a Bulgarian nonprofit founded in 1998 that operates six community-based integrated development centers inside Roma neighborhoods in Sofia, Kyustendil, and Samokov, delivering free early childhood education, preventive healthcare, food assistance, and youth employment preparation funded primarily by EU grants and institutional donors.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Social Services and Community Development

NAICS

Child Care Services (62441), Child and Youth Services (624110), Services for the Elderly and Persons with Disabilities (62412)

SIC

Services-Social Services (8300), Services-Child Day Care Services (8351)

akta.pro primary industry

Family Resource Centers & Wraparound Support Services (EDACALAH)

akta.pro secondary industries

Inclusive / Special-Needs Childcare Centers (EDACAAAH), Inclusive Infant & Toddler Care (Special Needs / IFSP-Aligned) (EDACAGAI)

Keywords

• Community social services
• Early childhood development
• Roma community integration
• Health promotion programs
• Social welfare support

Headquarters

HQ city

Sofia

HQ country

Bulgaria

HQ region

Europe

Offices6 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Project-based EU funding: HESED receives significant funding from European Union programs including EU4Health, Erasmus+, and other EU-funded projects (SOLACE-CEE, ShowUp4Health, ROMANI). Funding covers operational costs, staff, and service delivery.
2. Municipal and government grants: Partnerships with Sofia Municipality, Bulgarian government agencies, and municipal programs for social services delivery.
3. Foundation and donor funding: Support from foundations including Open Society Foundations, UNICEF, UNDP, Trust for Social Achievement, TDFund, and corporate donors such as Lidl, Sopharma, Velux, and others.
4. Private donations: Individual and corporate donations through the foundation's 'DARi' (Donate) program.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

HESED delivers integrated social, health, and early childhood development services to vulnerable Roma families and individuals through its MIR (Integrated Development Model) Centers. Core services include early childhood development programs, health promotion and preventive care, labor market preparation for youth, food assistance and Housing First support for people experiencing homelessness, all provided free of charge through six community centers located directly within isolated communities in Sofia, Kyustendil, and Samokov.

Product overview

HESED operates as a social organization providing integrated community-based services rather than a technology product company. The core offering consists of MIR (Integrated Development Model) Centers that deliver early childhood development, health promotion, and social integration services in Roma communities. The organization runs multiple EU-funded international projects including SOLACE-CEE (homelessness support), ShowUp4Health (health screening), Window Youth (media literacy), and ROMANI (photography). HESED also implements food assistance programs, housing support using the Housing First model, and early childhood development interventions. All services are delivered through physical community centers and field operations, not through a digital product platform.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• MIR Centers (Integrated Development Centers) Community-based centers providing integrated social and health services in isolated Roma communities in Bulgaria, offering early childhood development, health promotion, and labor market preparation programs to vulnerable families and individuals.
• Early Childhood Development Programs Programs focused on early childhood development for children from 0-3 years, including early learning spaces and parental support designed to build fundamental life skills and improve educational outcomes.
• Health Promotion Services Health education, preventive medical examinations, and health screening services for vulnerable populations, including pediatric consultations, maternal health support, and anemia treatment monitoring.
• Food Assistance Program (Food Vouchers) Pilot program providing food vouchers to vulnerable families with young children to combat chronic malnutrition and food insecurity in Bulgaria.
• Housing First Support Integrated social-health support for people experiencing homelessness or housing vulnerability, providing food packages, medical care, and Housing First assistance.
• SOLACE-CEE Project European-funded project improving access to health and social services for people experiencing homelessness across Central and Eastern Europe.
• ShowUp4Health Project EU4Health-funded project for prevention and screening of non-communicable diseases among vulnerable populations through training and community outreach.
• Window Youth Project Erasmus+ funded project developing media literacy and podcasting skills among youth from vulnerable communities.
• ROMANI Project EU-funded traveling photo exhibition project using Photovoice methodology to document and share personal stories of women from Roma communities.
• Early Learning Spaces (Пространства за ранно учене) Early learning spaces for children 0-3 years using the Element Play methodology, implemented in partnership with Trust for Social Achievement.

Quantifiable outcome

• Children increase educational achievements 5x compared to community peers without access to programs
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers5 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Nine partnerships are on record, tiered major, core and minor.

• UNICEF BulgariamajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership for child welfare, early childhood development, and health programs for vulnerable children.
• UNDP BulgariamajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaboration on development programs and social integration initiatives for marginalized communities.
• Metropolitan Research Institute (MRI)majorTechnology or IntegrationInternational research partner for SOLACE-CEE project, providing methodology for needs assessment questionnaires across six languages.
• SOLACE-CEE Consortium PartnerscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerInternational partnership with Housing First Foundation (Poland), Casa Ioana (Romania), Hungarian Charitable Service, and others for integrated homeless services in Central and Eastern Europe.
• We-Care Network PartnerscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaboration with Foundation IGA, Association Znanie, Association Future for Children, and Trust for Social Achievement for the 'Good Nutrition for Good Future' initiative covering 11 civil society organizations.
• Sofia MunicipalitymajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership with Sofia Municipality for social services, including the Sofia Program 'Social Innovations' funding the children's playground in Hristo Botev quarter.
• ShowUp4Health ConsortiumcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerEU4Health-funded project for cancer prevention and health screening training materials, working with partners across European countries.
• Housing First FoundationmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPolish partner in SOLACE-CEE project, sharing model for housing-first approach to homelessness.
• Open Space FoundationminorOthersOrganizer of international digital citizenship conference where HESED presented Window Youth project.

Scale indicators7 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Broad incumbents

• Caritas Bulgaria: Faith-based social-services network providing food aid, family support, and homelessness services in Bulgaria — comparable as a generalist social-services NGO operating in the same beneficiary population and geographies.
• UNICEF Bulgaria Country Office: UN agency implementing child-welfare and ECD programs in Bulgaria — HESED is a current operational partner; comparable on ECD focus and as an institutional counterpart for vulnerable children.
• Bulgarian Red Cross: National humanitarian organization delivering health and social services including food assistance and health screening — comparable on the health-promotion and emergency-relief service lines.
• Habitat for Humanity Bulgaria: Large international NGO operating housing and community-development programs in Bulgaria — overlaps with HESED on social-infrastructure delivery and the Housing First linkage under SOLACE-CEE.
• Foundation for the Child (Bulgaria / Animus Association): Established Bulgarian social-services NGO providing child welfare, family support, and crisis intervention — comparable on child-and-family social-assistance service delivery and national-level grant access.

Direct peers

• Roma Education Fund: Specialized international fund (part of the Open Society network) financing Roma education programs across CEE — directly comparable for educational-outcome programming targeting Roma children.
• Trust for Social Achievement (TDFund): Bulgarian foundation funding early childhood, education, and Roma community programs — a direct operational peer and existing funding partner of HESED through the We-Care Network 0-3 initiative.
• Amadeus DVT Foundation: Major Roma-focused Bulgarian foundation working on education, employment, and integration — directly overlapping HESED's mission in serving Roma communities with education and employment outcomes.
• Housing First Foundation (Hungary): Polish/Hungarian SOLACE-CEE consortium partner implementing Housing First homelessness services in CEE — directly comparable as a peer NGO within the same EU-funded project ecosystem.

Regional players

• Médecins du Monde – Bulgaria: International medical humanitarian organization delivering health care to vulnerable populations across Europe — comparable on the health-screening-for-marginalized-populations service line, especially through EU4Health programming.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/hesedbulgaria

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles8 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 Health and Social Development Foundation (HESED)