Lithuanian Food Bank / „Maisto bankas“

What Lithuanian Food Bank / „Maisto bankas“ does

Lithuanian Food Bank („Maisto bankas"), formally Labdaros ir paramos fondas „Maisto bankas", is a Vilnius-headquartered charitable foundation founded in 2001 by Jolanta Blažaitė, Loreta Zakarevičienė, and Mantas Cetkauskas with the participation of then-President Valdas Adamkus. It is the first and largest food bank in Lithuania, operating a national logistics network that rescues surplus food from retailers, manufacturers, and farmers and redistributes it to people experiencing food insecurity. The foundation supports approximately 232,000 beneficiaries (roughly 1 in 12 Lithuanian residents), more than 20% of whom are children, and in 2025 rescued 6,366 tonnes of food from waste.

The organization's core operations rest on three integrated pillars: (i) biannual national collection campaigns held in 409 stores of five major retail chains (IKI, LIDL, Maxima, RIMI, NORFA) across 75 cities, mobilizing 7,000+ volunteers and 231 partner NGOs (including Caritas, SOS vaikų kaimas, and Maltos ordino pagalbos tarnyba); (ii) a permanent distribution network of 41 branches and atiduotuvės (food distribution points), including a relocated Vilnius atiduotuvė and upgraded Klaipėda and Kupiškis facilities in 2024–2025; and (iii) value-added services such as a processing kitchen that converts rescued produce into preserves, the Klaipėda charity cafeteria operated under municipal contract, and a school food-collection initiative („Pasirašyk geriems darbams") that engaged 274 schools in 2025 collecting 54,850 units.

The revenue model is entirely donation- and grant-based: individual monetary donations via SMS short codes (1343 = €5, 1413 = €10), bank transfer, and 1.2% income tax designation (GPM); corporate in-kind food donations from retailers and manufacturers; EU EPF/MNM (European Aid Fund for the Most Deprived) government grants distributed across 17 municipalities; a Klaipėda municipality service contract for the charity cafeteria; and the annual televised PasiDalink concert on LNK, which raised over €241,000 in 2024 and €205,000 in 2025. The foundation is governed independently — no parent company, no equity funding, no public listing — and is currently led by director Simonas Gurevičius.

Name

Lithuanian Food Bank / „Maisto bankas“

Legal name

Labdaros ir paramos fondas „Maisto bankas"

Website

https://maistobankas.lt

Company type

Private

Founded year

2001

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Lithuanian Food Bank („Maisto bankas") is a Vilnius-based charitable foundation that rescues surplus food from retailers and producers and redistributes it to approximately 232,000 food-insecure people across Lithuania through 41 branches, biannual national campaigns, and 231 partner NGOs.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Food Bank / Charitable Food Redistribution Services

NAICS

Community Food Services (62421), Community Food Services (624210), Special Food Services (7223)

akta.pro primary industry

Food Assistance & Food Banks (BPAGAEAA)

akta.pro secondary industries

Food Waste Reduction & Diversion Services (Donation, Animal Feed, Source Reduction Programs) (EUAIAEAH), Nutrition & Food Security (Global Health) NGOs (HLAJAKAH), Institutional Catering (Schools, Hospitals, Government) (THAFAIAE)

Keywords

• Food rescue services
• Food bank operations
• Charitable food distribution
• Food waste prevention
• Humanitarian aid logistics

Headquarters

HQ city

Vilnius

HQ country

Lithuania

HQ region

Europe

Offices10 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Operations, Supply Chain, Personnel, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure, Others

Revenue model

1. Individual Monetary Donations: Public donations via SMS short codes (1343 = €5, 1413 = €10), direct bank transfers, and 1.2% income tax designation (GPM). Telcos waive fees for SMS donations.
2. Corporate Food Donations: Retail chains (IKI, LIDL, Maxima, RIMI, NORFA) and manufacturers donate surplus food. Also collects from farmers and producers. This is in-kind revenue redistributed to beneficiaries.
3. European Aid Fund for the Most Deprived (EPF/MNM): European Food Programme for the Most Deprived distributes long shelf-life food packages (groats, flour, canned goods) to low-income individuals in 17 Lithuanian municipalities.
4. Financial Donations from Companies and Individuals: Direct financial support from businesses and individuals, including the 'PasiDalink' concert on LNK which raised over €241,000 in a single event.
5. Service Fee from Klaipėda Charity Cafeteria: Contract with Klaipėda municipality to provide charity cafeteria services for those in need, funded by the municipality.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion4 records

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

„Maisto bankas" is a non-profit charitable foundation that rescues surplus food from retailers, manufacturers, and farmers and redistributes it free of charge to people experiencing food insecurity across Lithuania. Its operational core is a 41-branch network of "atiduotuvės" (food distribution points) and biannual mass food collection campaigns staffed by 7,000+ volunteers in 400+ retail stores, supplemented by a school collection initiative, a charity cafeteria in Klaipėda, and a processing kitchen that turns rescued produce into preserves.

Product overview

Lithuanian Food Bank ("Maisto bankas") is a charitable foundation that operates as a network of food collection and distribution services rather than a technology product company. Its core offering consists of food rescue and redistribution programs, including the twice-yearly "Maisto banko akcija" (food bank campaigns), the "Pasirašyk geriems darbams" school initiative for collecting long-shelf-life food products, and the "PasiDalink" support concert for fundraising. The organization operates "atiduotuvės" (food distribution pickup points) and charity cafeteria services across 41 branches throughout Lithuania, rescuing over 6,000 tons of food annually and supporting approximately 232,000 people in need.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Maisto banko akcija (Twice-yearly food collection campaign) The flagship twice-yearly food collection campaign in which 7,000+ volunteers staff retail stores to solicit long-shelf-life food donations from shoppers for distribution to people in need. The 40th campaign collected 316,426 food units with an estimated value exceeding €500,000.
• Pasirašyk geriems darbams (School food collection initiative) School and kindergarten food collection initiative where educational institutions collect long-shelf-life food products from their communities to donate to people in need. 274 schools participated in the 2025 edition, collecting 54,850 food units.
• PasiDalink (Annual televised fundraising concert) Annual televised fundraising concert broadcast on LNK television, featuring Lithuanian celebrities, to raise funds and awareness for the organization's mission. The 2024 edition raised over €241,000 via SMS donations.
• Atiduotuvės (Food distribution points) 41 food distribution pickup locations across Lithuania where registered beneficiaries can collect food parcels, including long-shelf-life products and rescued fresh food. Located in every Lithuanian region including remote rural areas; some home delivery for immobile elderly.
• Ilgo galiojimo maisto produktų rinkimas (Long-shelf-life food collection) Collection and redistribution of long-shelf-life food products including oil, grains, pasta, canned goods, flour, tea, and dry cereals through campaigns and atiduotuvės.
• Labdaros valgykla (Charity cafeteria in Klaipėda) Charity cafeteria operated under contract with Klaipėda municipality that provides prepared hot meals to people in need.

Quantifiable outcome

• 6,366 tonnes of food rescued from waste in 2025
• +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

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Nine partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Retail chains (IKI, LIDL, Maxima, RIMI, NORFA)coreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ Distributor · 1 April 2026Major Lithuanian retail chains host biannual Maisto banko food collection campaigns in 400+ stores across Lithuania. Retailers provide store locations, allow volunteer solicitors, and often contribute additional donations.
• 231 Partner NGOs (Caritas, Maltos ordino pagalbos tarnyba, SOS vaikų kaimas, and 228 others)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2025231 NGOs across Lithuania collect food during Maisto banko campaigns for their own beneficiaries. Maisto banko provides campaign coordination, volunteer management, and food supply.
• LNK (television channel)coreGTM or Marketing Partner · 1 November 2024LNK broadcasts the annual 'PasiDalink' fundraising concert, raising over €241,000 in 2024 and €205,000 in 2025. LNK provides airtime, production support, and on-air promotion. Maisto banko is the sole charity beneficiary.
• MantingaminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerIn 2024, Mantinga and Maisto banko rescued secondary apples from a 100-year-old orchard and processed them into apple butter with Marijampolės profesinis rengimo centras. Over 300 jars of apple butter distributed to Maisto banko beneficiaries.
• Klaipėdos savivaldybė (Klaipėda Municipality)coreOthersKlaipėda municipality contracted Maisto banko to operate the charity cafeteria (labdaros valgykla), providing meals to those in need. Previously the cafeteria was under the municipality's social support center.
• Kalvarijos savivaldybės administracija (Kalvarija Municipality Administration)minorOthersKalvarija municipality and Maisto banko co-organized the largest emergency preparedness drill in Maisto banko's history, with 500+ participants, making Kalvarija a temporary national humanitarian aid center.
• Triniti JurexminorImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerTriniti Jurex provided legal assistance during Maisto banko's expansion period, with project requiring attention to detail and legal expertise.
• Marijampolės profesinis rengimo centrasminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerVocational training center processed rescued apples into apple butter in collaboration with Mantinga and Maisto banko. Produced over 300 jars for distribution.
• VšĮ 'SOPA'minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerSix-month partnership where SOPA clients volunteer at Maisto banko warehouses and distribution points, gaining work experience while helping sort food and serve beneficiaries.

Scale indicators10 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Banco Alimentare (Italy): Italian national food bank foundation operating surplus-food redistribution through affiliated charities and a dense retail partner network. Closely comparable as a European charitable foundation with similar programme architecture (collection campaigns, volunteer base, distribution to social services).
• Second Harvest (Canada): Canada's largest food rescue charity redirecting surplus food to non-profits and schools. Comparable in operating a national food rescue and redistribution network, retail/manufacturer partnerships, and producing public impact data on tonnes rescued and meals served.
• FareShare (UK): UK food redistribution charity that rescues surplus food from manufacturers and retailers and redistributes it to charities and community groups. Comparable mandate of food waste reduction and food poverty alleviation via a redistribution network.
• FoodCloud (Ireland): Irish food rescue charity that connects retailers with surplus food to charities and community groups. Highly comparable operating model of corporate food donation, NGO distribution partners, and technology-enabled logistics across a national market.
• Trussell Trust (UK): UK network of food banks supporting people in crisis through emergency food parcels. Comparable in mission (food poverty alleviation for vulnerable populations) and in operating a branded national food bank network with local branches, though focused on emergency supply rather than surplus rescue.
• Tafel Deutschland (German Food Banks): Germany's largest food redistribution network, collecting surplus food and distributing it via local branches. Comparable in programme design (food rescue, volunteer-driven local distribution, partnerships with retailers) and in serving households below the poverty line.
• Federacja Polskich Banków Żywności (Polish Federation of Food Banks): Polish national federation of food banks and the most direct geographic and structural parallel to Maisto bankas. Operates a similar model of surplus food rescue, retail partnerships, volunteer mobilization, and redistribution to low-income households at national scale.
• Fédération Française des Banques Alimentaires (French Federation of Food Banks): French national federation of food banks using the same surplus-food rescue and redistribution model, including partnerships with retailers and the EU Fund for European Aid to the Most Deprived (FEAD). The closest analogue to Maisto bankas in terms of EPF/MNM-aligned funding and operations.

Broad incumbents

• European Food Banks Federation (FEBA): Umbrella federation of European food banks including Maisto bankas. Comparable as a food-bank umbrella body coordinating cross-border support, EU funding access (EPF/FEAD), and shared best practices among national food banks.

Regional players

• Wiener Tafel (Vienna Food Bank): Austrian food bank focused on Vienna and surroundings, redistributing surplus food to social institutions. Comparable operational model, but smaller geographic scope than Maisto bankas's nationwide Lithuanian coverage.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/maistobankas
• Facebookfacebook.com/maistobankas
• Instagraminstagram.com/maisto_bankas
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/lithuanian-food-bank-maisto-bankas

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 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 Lithuanian Food Bank / „Maisto bankas“