La Carovana società cooperativa sociale ONLUS

What La Carovana società cooperativa sociale ONLUS does

La Carovana società cooperativa sociale ONLUS is an Italian non-profit social cooperative founded in 1982 and headquartered in Bologna, operating in the socio-educational and prevention services sector. The organization delivers a portfolio of more than 25 distinct programs across five intervention areas: education, parenting, consumption and addictions, sustainability/outdoor education, and community welfare. Service offerings include youth prevention programs (L.O.O.P., In Sostanza, Beat Project, FreeZone, Area 15), street-based education (educativa di strada), youth aggregation centers (La Saletta, In & Out), outdoor adventure education (Triton's Park adventure park, Wild Adventures, NaturAvventura, ¡Vamos nel Vamos!, Re-gang), family and perinatal support (Sostegno Mamma, Progetto natalità), and labor reintegration services (NEET-WORK, Sportelli Lavoro). The cooperative employs 23 staff coordinating these programs, with 12 named project coordinators overseeing specialized service lines.

La Carovana operates as a service provider to public institutions rather than a direct-to-consumer business. Primary revenue derives from contracts with public bodies including Comune di Bologna (relationship dating to 1982), Azienda USL della Città di Bologna, ASP Laura Rodriguez, and multiple municipal unions (Unione dei Comuni Savena-Idice, Terre d'Acqua). Secondary revenue streams include project-based grants from private foundations (Fondazione Carisbo, Fondazione Con i Bambini, Fondazione Del Monte), 5x1000 tax donations, and fee-based outdoor adventure programs. The technology base is operational rather than proprietary: websites, project-specific social media accounts, and traditional service delivery through physical youth centers, schools, hospitals (Bologna's Maggiore Hospital emergency department), and outdoor locations including the Triton's Park facility in Monghidoro.

The business model combines tax-advantaged non-profit status with diversified funding across public contracts, foundation grants, and limited fee-based programs. Services are predominantly free to end users (youth, families, vulnerable populations) with the cooperative monetizing through institutional fees and charitable contributions. Geographic scope is regional, focused on Bologna city and province in Emilia-Romagna, with operational reach extending to surrounding municipalities including Pianoro, Granarolo, San Giovanni in Persiceto, Loiano, Monterenzio, and Monghidoro. No parent company, subsidiaries, external funding rounds, or M&A activity are disclosed.

Name

La Carovana società cooperativa sociale ONLUS

Legal name

La Carovana Società Cooperativa Sociale ONLUS

Website

https://lacarovanacoop.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1982

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

La Carovana is a Bologna-based non-profit social cooperative, founded in 1982, delivering socio-educational, prevention, street education, outdoor adventure, and family support services across Emilia-Romagna, primarily funded through public institution contracts.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Social-Educational Services

NAICS

Individual and Family Services (6241), Child and Youth Services (624110), Other Individual and Family Services (624190)

SIC

Services-Social Services (8300), Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro primary industry

Wraparound Student Support & Case Management Services (At-Risk K–12) (EDAJAEAJ)

akta.pro secondary industries

Behavioral Health & Substance Use Public Health Programs (BPAIAJAK), Family & School System Navigation (Parent Engagement, Youth Services) (EDAAADAH), Health Promotion & Public Health Education (Community Workshops) (EDAAAFAG)

Keywords

• Socio-educational services
• Youth prevention programs
• Outdoor adventure education
• Family support services
• Community aggregation centers

Headquarters

HQ city

Bologna

HQ country

Italy

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales

Revenue model

1. Public Institution Contracts: Primary revenue through contracts with public institutions including Comune di Bologna, Azienda USL, ASP Laura Rodriguez, and various municipalities in the Bologna area. Services include youth centers, street education, prevention programs, and family support services.
2. Project-Based Funding: Funding from foundations and regional programs including Fondazione Con i Bambini, Fondazione Carisbo, and regional government programs for specific social projects.
3. 5x1000 Donations: Italian tax donation mechanism where citizens can direct 5x1000 of their tax contribution to the cooperative (Tax Code: 02360580373).
4. Outdoor Adventure Programs: Fee-based outdoor adventure programs including multi-day camps (€650 for 5-day programs), adventure park access, and summer camp activities.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

La Carovana is a non-profit social cooperative that designs and delivers socio-educational services for children, pre-adolescents, adolescents, young adults, and families in the Bologna metropolitan area. Its core offerings include substance abuse and behavioral addiction prevention programs (L.O.O.P., In Sostanza, Guida la Notte/Beat Project, AREA 15), street-based youth education (Educativa di Strada), youth aggregation centers, outdoor adventure education programs (Triton's Park, Wild Adventures, NaturAvventura, ¡Vamos nel Vamos!), family and parenting support services, and labor-market reintegration initiatives (NEET-WORK, Sportelli Lavoro). Services are delivered primarily through contracts with municipalities, local health authorities, and schools.

Product overview

La Carovana is a social cooperative offering a comprehensive portfolio of social-educational services as a unified platform of interconnected programs. The core offerings include: prevention services (L.O.O.P., In Sostanza, Guida la Notte with Beat Project, FreeZone, and GAP sections, AREA 15) addressing substance use, gambling, and digital addiction; street education and youth aggregation centers (Educativa di Strada, CAG La Saletta, CAG In&Out) providing community-based support; outdoor adventure education programs (Triton's Park, Wild Adventures, NaturAvventura, ¡Vamos nel Vamos!, Re-gang) using nature-based methodologies; family support services (Progetto natalità, Sostegno Mamma, Ritagliamoci uno spazio, parenting support); and employment/labor market integration (Sportelli Lavoro, NEET-WORK). Services are delivered through regional public institutions, schools, and community partnerships across Bologna and province.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Nottambula: Nighttime urban initiative promoting safer, more inclusive nightlife in Bologna through street host services and accompaniment.
• Guida la Notte – Beat Project
• L.O.O.P. (Laboratorio Osservazione Organizzazione Prevenzione)
• In Sostanza
• Triton's Park
• La Carovana Outdoor
• Wild Adventures
• ¡Vamos nel Vamos!
• Giovani in Pronto Soccorso
• Inside Out
• La Saletta

Products and services

• Servizio L.O.O.P. (Laboratorio Osservazione Organizzazione Prevenzione) Prevention service active since 2002 addressing drug use, gambling, and risky behaviors (new media, social networks) targeting schools, students, and the broader community in Bologna province.
• Guida la Notte – Beat Project

Quantifiable outcome

• Active since 1982 with over 40 years of continuous operation
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers6 records

Segments7 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Nine partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Comune di BolognacoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 1982Primary institutional partner since 1982. Multiple ongoing contracts for youth services including aggregation centers, street education, prevention programs, and night services across various city districts.
• Azienda USL della Città di BolognacoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership for prevention and health services including L.O.O.P. service, workplace services for addiction patients, and youth health interventions including emergency room presence.
• ASP Laura RodriguezcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerSocial services partnership for minors and families in Savena-Idice district, including socio-educational groups, family support, and child protection services.
• Unione dei Comuni Savena-IdicecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerMunicipal union partnership for outdoor adventure education projects (¡Vamos nel Vamos!, Re-gang) serving Pianoro municipality adolescents.
• Comune di GranarolocoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership for youth aggregation center (In & Out), Council of Youth Representatives (CCRR), and street education services.
• Unione dei Comuni Terre d'AcquacoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerMunicipal union partnership for various projects serving families and youth in San Giovanni in Persiceto, Crevalcore, and surrounding municipalities.
• Open Group coop soc.minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerATI (temporary business association) partner for Area 15 service delivery in Bologna.
• Schools and Vocational Training CenterscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerEducational institution partnerships for prevention programs, student support services, and collaborative educational projects throughout Bologna province.
• Casa delle donne per non subire violenzaminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaboration on project addressing addiction and gender-based violence, with joint training activities.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Gruppo Abele: Italian non-profit social cooperative founded in Turin in 1965, focused on social exclusion, addiction prevention, and support for vulnerable people. Directly comparable to La Carovana's addiction prevention and harm reduction services (Beat Project, In Sostanza, L.O.O.P.) at a national scale.
• Open Group coop soc. Italian social cooperative based in Bologna that is both a partner (ATI for Area 15 service) and a direct competitor in the Emilia-Romagna social services market. Operates overlapping youth, family, and community services with similar public-sector contract model.
• CEIS A.R.T.E. (Centro Italiano di Solidarietà): Italian social cooperative network providing addiction prevention, treatment, and youth services. Directly comparable to La Carovana's substance abuse and behavioral addiction (GAP) prevention programs across schools and community.
• San Patrignano: Italian non-profit community near Rimini providing residential recovery, education, and vocational reintegration for young people with addiction and social vulnerability issues. Comparable to La Carovana's Sportelli Lavoro, NEET-WORK, and addiction prevention portfolio.

Broad incumbents

• La Piccola Carovana / similar Coopselios group entities: Large Italian social cooperative group providing educational, welfare, and socio-educational services including youth services. Operates at significantly greater scale with national footprint, making it a broad incumbent peer for the same municipal contract market.
• Arci Nazionale: Italian national association promoting social engagement, cultural activities, and community-based projects including youth and education initiatives. Comparable to La Carovana's community engagement, youth aggregation, and territorial animation work, though at national scale.

Regional players

• Fondazione San Gennaro: Italian social foundation operating youth-focused educational and family support programs. Comparable to La Carovana's parenting support, family engagement, and youth development services, though regionally focused in different Italian territories.

Emerging players

• Consorzio CGM: National consortium coordinating Italian social cooperatives providing welfare, educational, and social services. Comparable as a peer in tendering for municipal and regional contracts across Italy, often competing against individual cooperatives like La Carovana.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Instagraminstagram.com/nottambula_bologna
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/la-carovana-societ%C3%A0-cooperativa-sociale-onlus

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles12 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 La Carovana società cooperativa sociale ONLUS