Manqa

What Manqa does

Manq'a is a Bolivian social-impact organization founded in July 2014 in El Alto under the legal entity Manq'a Sostenible Sociedad Civil, operating as a program of Conexión ICCO Cooperación and Melting Pot. The organization delivers a free, certified technical gastronomy training program (Basic, Auxiliary, and Medium levels, recognized by Bolivia's Ministry of Education) to vulnerable youth aged 16-35 — 76% of whom are women — through 8 fixed schools across El Alto, Sucre, Yacuiba, and Cochabamba, plus the MISKA mobile kitchen school serving rural communities and a school in Bogotá, Colombia. The Integral Formation Model integrates culinary instruction with socio-emotional skills, entrepreneurship, digital literacy, and a 7-step employment-insertion methodology, with cross-cutting axes of healthy eating, gender/interculturality, technology, and circular-economy practices.

Manq'a supplements donor-funded training with three social businesses: two restaurants in La Paz (Sopocachi and Sur), full-service catering, and the Celebra gastronomic-tourism brand, all of which employ trained youth and co-finance the program. A separate youth-mobilization pillar (AruManq'a radio, Manq'a Parlani forum, Wayna collective, Manq'a Irnaqawi reverse job fair) extends the model into civic engagement and public-policy advocacy. Since 2014 the organization has trained over 7,000 youth, supported 2,400+ youth-led enterprises, and placed 1,800+ youth in formal gastronomy employment.

The organization is funded by a broad international donor base including IFAD (Puentes project across Bolivia, Colombia, Honduras), the Swedish Embassy, Swiss Cooperation (DAC/Solidar Suisse), the European Union, BIDLAB, Kerk in Actie, and the María Marina Foundation, with co-funding from Bolivian municipal governments (El Alto, Sucre, Yacuiba, Sacaba). The model has been replicated beyond Bolivia to Colombia (since 2016) and Honduras and Guatemala (since 2024), and has received recognition from SUSTAINIA (Top 100 Global Solutions), the UN Food Systems Summit (Top 50 Social Small Businesses), YBI (Active Member 2023), the French Embassy's Agricultural Merit order (to General Manager Ariel Tito Correa), and Bolivian institutions including the GAMLP and the El Alto Municipal Council.

Name

Manqa

Legal name

Manq'a Sostenible Sociedad Civil

Website

https://manqa.org.bo

Company type

Private

Founded year

2014

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Manq'a is a Bolivian social-impact organization founded in 2014 that delivers free, Ministry-certified technical gastronomy training and employment-placement support to vulnerable youth aged 16-35, operating schools and social businesses across Bolivia, Colombia, Honduras, and Guatemala.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Culinary Education and Social Enterprise

NAICS

Technical and Trade Schools (61151), Other Technical and Trade Schools (611519)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200), Retail-Eating & Drinking Places (5810)

akta.pro industry

PRIMARYEDAOAKAA

Professional Culinary Arts (Chef Training)

Education/Vocational, Technical & Trade Education/Culinary Arts, Baking & Food Service Training

SECONDARYTHAJAGAI

Cooking Classes & Chef-Led Workshops

Travel & Hospitality/Tours, Attractions & Experiences/Food & Drink Experiences (Culinary Tours, Tastings, Cooking Classes)

SECONDARYTHAJALAH

Private Culinary Experiences (Chef’s Table, Home Dining, Market-to-Meal)

Travel & Hospitality/Tours, Attractions & Experiences/Private & Custom Experiences (VIP, Bespoke Itineraries)

SECONDARYTHAJAGAA

Culinary Walking & Market Tours

Travel & Hospitality/Tours, Attractions & Experiences/Food & Drink Experiences (Culinary Tours, Tastings, Cooking Classes)

Keywords

• Gastronomy vocational training
• Youth employability programs
• Social impact catering
• Culinary tourism experiences
• Mobile kitchen training

Headquarters

HQ city

La Paz

HQ country

Bolivia

HQ region

Latin America

Offices8 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Restaurant Operations: Manq'a operates 2 restaurants in La Paz (Sopocachi and Sur) and catering services. These social businesses provide employment to trained youth, generate revenue to co-finance the social model, and promote organic, local, and healthy eating.
2. Catering Services: Full-service catering for events including lunches, dinners, breakfasts, conferences, private events, and gastronomic performances, delivered by trained young chefs using local products and ancestral techniques under a gourmet approach.
3. Gastronomic Tourism (Celebra): A social business model through tourism gastronomy connecting travelers with Bolivian knowledge and flavors, creating experiences around culture, products, services, habits, rituals, and culinary activities, generating employment for trained youth.
4. Institutional Grants and Donor Funding: Core operations are funded by international development organizations including ICCO Cooperación/Conexión, Embassies (Sweden, France), IFAD, European Union, Swiss Cooperation, María Marina Foundation, Kerk in Actie, BIDLAB, and government ministries.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels9 records

Core offering

Manqa delivers free technical gastronomy and tourism vocational training to vulnerable youth ages 16-35 in Bolivia, using an integral curriculum that combines culinary technique, soft skills, and entrepreneurship. To fund the mission and provide hands-on placement, it operates owned restaurants, catering, gastronomic-tourism experiences (Celebra), and a mobile kitchen school (MISKA), all under the Manq'a Sostenible Sociedad Civil legal entity as part of the Conexión ICCO / Melting Pot network.

Product overview

Manq'a is a social impact organization offering an integrated gastronomy-based ecosystem of products and services. The core offering consists of training schools (Escuelas Manq'a) that provide technical-level gastronomy education for vulnerable youth, supplemented by operating businesses including restaurants (Manq'a Restaurant), catering services, and gastronomic tourism (Celebra). Supporting programs include the mobile kitchen school (MISKA), the employability model for job placement, entrepreneurship support with seed capital, and youth mobilization initiatives. Additional brand extensions include Aru Manq'a radio program, event series (Manq'a Parlani, Manq'a Siñani), Wayna entrepreneur support, and the IMPULSA mentorship program. The organization operates schools in Bolivia (El Alto, Sucre, Yacuiba, Cochabamba) and Colombia (Bogotá), with restaurants and catering services primarily in La Paz. The model is a program of ICCO Cooperación and Melting Pot.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Manq'a Restaurante: Social restaurants that provide employment to young people in vulnerable situations and promote healthy eating with local products.
• CELEBRA
• AruManq'a
• Manq'a Parlani
• Wayna
• Manq'a Tinku
• Manq'a Irnaqawi
• Miska

Products and services

• Escuelas Manqa (Manqa Training Schools) Free technical vocational training in gastronomy and tourism for vulnerable young people ages 16-35, delivered through a network of fixed schools using an integral curriculum that combines culinary technique, soft skills, and entrepreneurship. Graduates are connected to employers through the Reverse Job Fair (Feria Inversa).
• Manqa Restaurants

Named customers1 record

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature4 records

Partnerships

14 partnerships are on record, tiered core, minor and flagship.

• Cámara Gastronómica de CochabambacoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 21 August 2025The Gastronomic Chamber of Cochabamba and Manq'a signed a Framework Cooperation Agreement to promote youth employability, strengthen the orange and circular economy, and boost local product valuation as pillars for the department's economic and social development.
• Federación de Entidades Empresariales Privadas de Cochabamba (FEPC)minorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 21 August 2025FEPC hosted the signing ceremony of the cooperation agreement between the Cámara Gastronómica de Cochabamba and Manq'a, providing the venue for the institutional alliance.
• Gobierno Autónomo Municipal de SacabacoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 14 February 2025The municipal government of Sacaba signed a four-party cooperation agreement to strengthen youth employment and entrepreneurship in the municipality through the 'Ecosystem for Youth Employment and Entrepreneurship Promotion in the Cochabamba Metropolitan Axis' project.
• CEMSEcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 14 February 2025CEMSE is part of the consortium with Manq'a and Kallpa signed with the Municipality of Sacaba to promote youth employment and entrepreneurship in Cochabamba.
• KallpacoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 14 February 2025Kallpa is part of the consortium with Manq'a and CEMSE signed with the Municipality of Sacaba to promote youth employment and entrepreneurship in Cochabamba.
• Universidad Católica Boliviana (UAC-UCB)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2023Manq'a and UCB signed an inter-institutional cooperation agreement to promote actions to improve socioeconomic conditions and opportunities for youth in Bolivia.
• International Labour Organization (ILO)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2022ILO (specifically its SCORE project) partners with Manq'a in organizing the IMPULSA mentorship program, providing technical expertise on employment and entrepreneurship support for youth.
• Confederación de Empresarios Privados de Bolivia (CEPB)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2022CEPB participates in the IMPULSA mentorship program, mobilizing volunteer business leaders to mentor young Manq'a entrepreneurs. It represents the private business sector in Bolivia.
• Pacto Global BoliviacoreGTM or Marketing Partner · 1 January 2022Pacto Global Bolivia (UN Global Compact local network) co-organizes the IMPULSA mentorship program, connecting young entrepreneurs with the sustainable business community in Bolivia.
• Le Dôme de AuquisamañaminorOthers · 1 January 2021Le Dôme de Auquisamaña provided the venue for the QuintaEsencia 2025 gastronomic event, where Manq'a Restaurant won the Emerging Category award.
• Youth Business International (YBI)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2016YBI partnered with Manq'a for the IMPULSA mentorship program linking volunteer business leaders with young Bolivian entrepreneurs. YBI granted Manq'a active member certification in 2023.
• ICCO Cooperación / ConexiónflagshipStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2014ICCO Cooperación (now Conexión ICCO Cooperación) is the parent organization that created and manages Manq'a. It provides institutional funding, strategic direction, international network, and administrative support. Manq'a is a program of ICCO Cooperación and Conexión. The relationship began in 2014 when Manq'a was founded.
• Melting PotcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2014Melting Pot is co-founder/co-sponsor of Manq'a alongside ICCO Cooperación. Both organizations share the vision of using gastronomy for social transformation and youth empowerment.
• Ministry of Education of BoliviaflagshipStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2014Manq'a signed an inter-institutional agreement with the Ministry of Education for certification of participants at Basic, Auxiliary, and Medium technical levels. The Ministry provides official certification through Alternative Education Centers (CEAs), making Manq'a training formally recognized.

Scale indicators10 records

Recent moves8 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• DC Central Kitchen: DC Central Kitchen is a US nonprofit that operates culinary job-training programs for at-risk youth and adults, runs social-enterprise catering, and partners with employers to place graduates. Directly comparable to Manq'a's school-to-employment pipeline and social-business-funded training model.
• Gastromotiva: Gastromotiva is a Brazilian social organization that uses gastronomy to transform lives of vulnerable youth through professional culinary training, social businesses (restaurants, catering), and employability programs. Highly comparable to Manq'a in mission, target population, training-plus-social-business model, and LATAM operating context.
• Hot Bread Kitchen: Hot Bread Kitchen is a US nonprofit providing culinary workforce training and a food business incubator focused on immigrant women and entrepreneurs of color. Comparable to Manq'a in vocational culinary training plus entrepreneurship support, with strong emphasis on women's economic empowerment.
• The Sylvia Center: The Sylvia Center is a US nonprofit providing hands-on culinary education and training to young people and families in underserved communities. Comparable to Manq'a in its youth-focused culinary instruction, community-based delivery model, and emphasis on healthy cooking skills.
• La Cocina: La Cocina is a San Francisco-based kitchen incubator and food business program for low-income immigrant women and people of color, providing culinary training, mentorship, and market access. Comparable to Manq'a in its combination of technical food training, business incubation, and graduate-focused restaurant/catering support.
• Ceres Community Project: Ceres Community Project is a US nonprofit combining culinary job training for at-risk youth with healthy meal production and food security programs. Comparable to Manq'a in using food as a vehicle for youth workforce development and community nutrition outcomes.
• Melting Pot: Melting Pot is the Italian/Mediterranean organization co-founded Manq'a alongside ICCO Cooperación, sharing the gastronomy-for-social-transformation thesis. Direct strategic peer as parent/co-founder with overlapping culinary training and cultural-preservation mission.

Others

• Youth Business International (YBI): YBI is a global network supporting young entrepreneurs through local programs; Manq'a is an active YBI member. Comparable as ecosystem partner rather than direct competitor — YBI supports Manq'a's IMPULSA mentorship and connects it to global best practices in youth entrepreneurship.
• World Food Programme (WFP): WFP is a UN agency addressing food security and nutrition through programs that include school feeding, youth skills, and food systems — the same themes as Manq'a's 'Good Food for All' recognition. Comparable as ecosystem/thematic peer rather than direct competitor.
• ACDI/VOCA: ACDI/VOCA is a US-based international development organization focused on economic opportunities, including youth employability and rural livelihoods in LATAM. Comparable as enabling peer in the same donor and rural-youth development space where Manq'a operates.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks7 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/manqa16
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/escuelasmanqa

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles6 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 Manqa