Il Cerchio Cooperativa Sociale

What Il Cerchio Cooperativa Sociale does

Il Cerchio Cooperativa Sociale is an Italian Type B social cooperative founded in June 1981 in Valdagno, Vicenza, operating as the first social cooperative in the Valle dell'Agno territory. The cooperative's mission is to create employment opportunities for disadvantaged persons and people with disabilities, with approximately 100 worker-members of whom at least 30% are persons with disabilities as required by Italian Law 381/91. The organization operates across multiple service lines: industrial assembly outsourcing (heat shrink packaging, flow pack, labeling, mechanical assembly, warehousing), green maintenance (lawn mowing, pruning, tree-climbing, Parco La Favorita management), environmental services (street cleaning, ecocenter management, clothing collection from approximately 80 street containers), textile services (laundry, dry cleaning, embroidery school, custom tailoring), facility services (cleaning and wardrobe management), work integration programs (internships, Art. 14 conventions), and ancillary activities (beekeeping and honey production, greenhouse/educational facilities at Le Serre dei Carmini).

The cooperative serves three primary customer segments: public entities and municipalities (green maintenance and environmental services contracts, some running since 1983), manufacturing and industrial enterprises (assembly outsourcing with clients including Vimar, Amer, Ferplast, Why Sport, and Valfussbett), and private individuals (laundry, textile, and honey products). Revenue is generated through transaction-fee service contracts with public procurement being a major channel, supplemented by direct enterprise sales and retail store operations at four physical locations in Valdagno. The business model is labor-intensive with no proprietary technology stack; competitive differentiation rests on regulatory positioning (Law 381/91, Law 68/99, Art. 14 conventions), 40+ years of operational reputation, ISO 9001 and ISO 14001 certifications, and integration into consortium networks (Consorzio Prisma, Tessuto Sociale). The cooperative is governed by a worker-member structure with a Board of Directors and Board of Statutory Auditors, and is currently undergoing operational restructuring including a March 2026 relocation of its Pulitura (laundry) service to a new location with a transformed service offering.

Name

Il Cerchio Cooperativa Sociale

Legal name

Il Cerchio Cooperativa Sociale

Website

https://ilcerchiocoop.it

Company type

Private

Founded year

1981

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Il Cerchio Cooperativa Sociale is a Type B Italian social cooperative founded in 1981 in Valdagno, employing approximately 100 worker-members (30% with disabilities) to deliver industrial assembly, green maintenance, environmental services, textile, and work integration programs across the Valle dell'Agno region.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Social cooperative services and work integration

NAICS

Social Assistance (624), Services for the Elderly and Persons with Disabilities (62412), Vocational Rehabilitation Services (624310)

SIC

Services-Social Services (8300)

akta.pro primary industry

Disability Services & Independent Living Support (BPAGACAG)

akta.pro secondary industry

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

Keywords

• Social cooperative services
• Work integration programs
• Industrial assembly outsourcing
• Green maintenance services
• Environmental waste services

Headquarters

HQ city

Valdagno

HQ country

Italy

HQ region

Europe

Offices4 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Assembly Services: Outsourcing assembly services for companies (thermoretraction, flow pack, labeling, mechanical assembly, storage, and shipping) for a workforce of approximately 100 employees with the ability to shift resources quickly for large orders.
2. Green Maintenance Services: Public green maintenance contracts including lawn mowing, pruning, tree work via tree-climbing techniques, and management of Parco La Favorita.
3. Environmental Services: Street cleaning, waste collection center management, and clothing collection from approximately 80 street containers across the Valle dell'Agno and other municipalities.
4. Textile Services: Dry cleaning, laundry, ironing services for private individuals, businesses and public administrations; tailoring workshop with custom home furnishings; color card samples for fashion industry; embroidery school.
5. Beekeeping and Honey Production: Apiculture activities producing honey (spring/summer multifloral, acacia, chestnut) from apiaries at various hillside elevations in Valle dell'Agno, sold at cooperative store.
6. Work Integration Programs: Internship programs, trial periods (messa alla prova), and Art. 14 conventions where companies outsource employment obligations in exchange for work orders to the cooperative.

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Il Cerchio Cooperativa Sociale is a Type B social cooperative that provides outsourcing services (industrial assembly and packaging, green maintenance and tree care, environmental and street cleaning services, textile and laundry services, facility cleaning) through which it integrates disadvantaged workers into employment. Its activities are designed to create work opportunities for people with disabilities and those in difficulty, with at least 30% of the workforce composed of disadvantaged persons in compliance with Italian Law 381/91.

Product overview

Il Cerchio Cooperativa Sociale is a social cooperative offering a diverse portfolio of physical services and products rather than a unified software platform. The core offerings include: Assemblaggio (industrial assembly services), Cura del Verde (landscape and tree maintenance), Ambiente (environmental/waste management services), Tessile (textile services including sewing, laundry, embroidery school), Servizi (cleaning and facility management), Inserimento Lavorativo (job placement programs for disadvantaged workers), Le Serre dei Carmini (educational greenhouse with organic garden and creative reuse), and Il Miele (beekeeping and honey products). These services are designed to create employment opportunities for people with disabilities and those in difficulty, with approximately 100 worker-members, 30% of whom are disabled workers per Italian Law 381/91.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Assemblaggio (Industrial Assembly Services) Industrial assembly and packaging services for companies including heat shrink packaging (termoretrazione), flow pack/vertical bagging, label printing and application, display assembly and filling, cutting and trimming with presses, mechanical assembly, warehousing, storage, and shipping. Operated by a workforce of approximately 100 employees with ability to shift resources quickly for large orders. Approximately 20 workers are in the assembly sector, over 40% disadvantaged personnel.
• Cura del Verde (Green Maintenance Services) Green maintenance and landscaping services including lawn mowing, hedge and ornamental plant pruning, fertilization, pest treatments, tree climbing (tree-climbing technique), fruit tree and olive tree maintenance, and park maintenance including Parco La Favorita. The cooperative has been managing Valdagno's public green spaces since 1983 and the La Favorita park in collaboration with Consorzio Prisma since 2009.
• Ambiente (Environmental Services) Environmental services including street sweeping, bin emptying, ecocenter management, and clothing collection from approximately 80 street containers across the Valle dell'Agno and other municipalities. The Ambiente sector is ISO 14001 certified for environmental management.
• Tessile (Textile Services) Textile services including dry cleaning, laundry, ironing, sewing workshop and shop, sample catalog production (color card samples) for the fashion and accessories industry, permanent embroidery school, and artisanal tailoring for home decor and clothing. Custom home furnishings available at the Galleria Dante 12 retail shop.
• Servizi (Facility Services) Facility services including wardrobe and laundry management at IPAB Villa Serena, cleaning and sanitization services for public and private buildings, involving approximately 15 people.
• Inserimento Lavorativo (Work Integration Programs) Structured work integration programs including observation and orientation, on-the-job training, internships, trial periods (messa alla prova), and job placement with support. Uses Art. 14 agreements with companies for subsidized employment of disadvantaged persons. The service is ISO 9001 certified since 2016.
• Le Serre dei Carmini (Greenhouse Facility) Greenhouse facility at Via Carmini 12 featuring organic garden, botanical garden, aerobic composting system, barn with poultry, creative reuse laboratory, and educational workshops and courses for adults and children. Hosts social and cultural exchange activities.
• Il Miele (Beekeeping and Honey Production) Beekeeping and honey production from apiaries in the Agno Valley at various hillside elevations. Products include spring and summer wildflower honey (multifloral), acacia honey, and chestnut honey, processed in a third-party honey extraction laboratory and sold at the cooperative store.

Quantifiable outcome

• 30% of workforce are people with disabilities as required by law
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers9 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

Partnerships

Ten partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Valfussbett SrlcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2023Collaboration since 2023 through Art. 14 convention under D.Lgs. 276/2003. Valfussbett Srl specializes in shoe insole production and outsources work to the cooperative, which employs disabled workers for stamping, board sorting and similar tasks. The company provides technical training and logistical support.
• Consorzio PrismacoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 1994Consortium formed in 1994 by multiple cooperatives to valorize activities and work contracts among multiple actors. The cooperative participates in joint bids and projects through the consortium.
• Tessuto SocialeminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerBrand/mark identifying shared ethical, social, and environmental values for textile collection cooperatives. Il Cerchio participates in this cooperative network for clothing collection alongside other cooperatives.
• Cooperativa InsiememinorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaboration on ecocenter project involving insertion of a container for storing reusable materials to be reintroduced into circulation through reuse.
• Cooperativa FerracinaminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPart of Tessuto Sociale network for synergistic collaboration in clothing collection across multiple municipalities.
• AmercoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorClient partner since 2014 when first Art. 14 implementation began, leading to diversification of assembly activities. Company of various size seeking outsourcing solutions.
• VimarcoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorImportant assembly partner from 2006 requiring reorganization of spaces, equipment and work schedules. Major company in the electrical equipment sector.
• Agno Chiampo AmbienteminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorMunicipal environmental utility company collaborating on road cleaning and sustainability initiatives.
• FerplastminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorPet products company utilizing assembly services for products such as New Pet Generation Atlas.
• Why SportminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorSports nutrition company using assembly and packaging services for products like Perfect Whey Protein.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Consorzio Prisma: A consortium of Italian social cooperatives founded in 1994 in which Il Cerchio is a founding member. Consorzio Prisma coordinates joint bids and multi-cooperative projects in environmental services and work integration — the most direct structural peer given shared governance and overlapping service scope.
• Cantiere Verde Cooperativa Sociale: An Italian social cooperative providing green maintenance, environmental services, and work integration of disadvantaged persons. Closely comparable business model, mission (Type B under Law 381/91), and service portfolio overlap with Il Cerchio's Cura del Verde and Ambiente divisions.
• La Cascina Cooperativa Sociale: A Type B Italian social cooperative in Lombardy operating across agriculture, green services, work integration, and educational activities. Comparable multi-sector social enterprise model and regulatory positioning under Italian Law 381/91, though serving a different regional market.
• Cooperativa Sociale Il Cerchio (other entities): Note: not to be confused with the subject company. Other Italian cooperatives using similar "Il Cerchio" branding exist in the social cooperative space and may share overlapping work-integration service offerings in different geographies.

Emerging players

• Specialisterne Foundation: Danish-founded social enterprise focused on employment of people with autism and similar neurodivergent conditions in IT, data, and assembly-adjacent roles. Comparable work-integration mission under a different regulatory and operational model, useful for cross-border social-enterprise comparison.

Regional players

• Sol.Co Padova: A consortium of social cooperatives in the Padova area coordinating work integration and enterprise Art. 14 conventions. Highly comparable to Il Cerchio's Consorzio Prisma affiliation but operates in a different Veneto region.
• Il Faro Cooperativa Sociale: An Italian social cooperative focused on work integration of disadvantaged persons and provision of industrial assembly, packaging, and cleaning services. Comparable to Il Cerchio's assembly and facility services lines, but operating primarily in other Italian regions.

Broad incumbents

• Consorzio CGM: One of the largest consortia of Italian social cooperatives (Cooperativa Gino Mattarelli), aggregating dozens of Type B and Type A cooperatives. Operates as a broad incumbent providing scale, financing, and market access to its member cooperatives, comparable in role to Consorzio Prisma but at national scale.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/IlCerchioCooperativaSocialeValdagno
• Instagraminstagram.com/ilcerchiocooperativa
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/il-cerchio-cooperativa-sociale

Compliance3 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles9 records

Subsidiaries1 record

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 Il Cerchio Cooperativa Sociale