Fundació Mercè Fontanilles

What Fundació Mercè Fontanilles does

Fundació Mercè Fontanilles is a private non-profit foundation (Fundació Privada, CIF G59978932) headquartered in Barcelona that delivers social services across Catalonia and Andorra. Founded in the mid-1990s with over 30 years of operating history, the foundation operates under a three-pillar framework — Atenció (care), Formació (training), and Ocupació (employment) — and serves vulnerable populations including children and adolescents in protective care, unaccompanied migrant youth, young people aging out of the guardianship system, adults with drug dependencies or HIV/AIDS, people with employment barriers (including prison inmates), and elderly people at risk of loneliness.

The foundation's service portfolio is organized into three lines: residential services (Centre d'Acollida, CRAE, PAJ assisted housing, SAEJ, IPI, PIL, Unitat Dependent, SPAAI, CREI Andorra, and Can Santa Digna for seniors); specialized technical services (EVAMI child abuse assessment, open-community drug dependency support, intercultural mediation, SAVA autonomous living support, SEVAP benefits assessment, and SARU university degree recognition for migrants); and orientation, training, and labor insertion programs (Programes de Formació, Incorpora, Reincorpora, Làbora, Singulars, and an authorized Agència de Col·locació). It operates through a UTE joint venture with Fundació Resilis that manages SEVAP statewide and CREI Andorra.

The foundation generates revenue from public sector contracts (principally with the Generalitat de Catalunya via DGAIA, Departament de Drets Socials i Inclusió, and SOC, plus the Govern d'Andorra), funding from Fundació "la Caixa" for the Incorpora and Reincorpora programs, EU Next Generation grants, and donations from individuals and corporates. It is not a technology company — there is no proprietary platform, AI/ML capability, or consumer-facing software product. Its core 'technology' is its multidisciplinary human service teams (131 employees) and 27+ years of accumulated know-how in specialized child protection, youth autonomy, and labor insertion methodologies.

Name

Fundació Mercè Fontanilles

Legal name

Fundació Privada Mercè Fontanilles

Website

https://mercefontanilles.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1996

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

101–250 employees

Short description

Fundació Mercè Fontanilles is a Barcelona-based non-profit foundation delivering residential care, specialized technical services, and labor insertion programs for vulnerable children, youth, adults, and elderly people across Catalonia and Andorra, funded primarily by Generalitat de Catalunya, the Govern d'Andorra, and Fundació "la Caixa."

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Social Services

NAICS

Grantmaking Foundations (813211), Grantmaking and Giving Services (81321), Religious, Grantmaking, Civic, Professional, and Similar Organizations (813)

SIC

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

akta.pro primary industry

Social Justice & Human Rights Grantmaking Foundations (BPAGAKAN)

Keywords

• Social services
• Residential care
• Child protection
• Labor insertion
• Vulnerable populations

Headquarters

HQ city

Barcelona

HQ country

Spain

HQ region

Europe

Offices6 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Others

Revenue model

1. Social Services & Public Funding: Fundació Mercè Fontanilles operates as a social services provider integrated into the Public Social Services Network (Xarxa de Serveis Socials d'Atenció Pública) of Catalonia. The foundation receives public funding to manage residential services, specialized care programs, and labor insertion services for vulnerable populations. Revenue is derived from government contracts and subsidies rather than direct service fees. Donations from individuals and companies also contribute to funding equipment upgrades and infrastructure improvements.

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Fundació Mercè Fontanilles is a non-profit private foundation that provides residential care, specialized technical services, and training/employment insertion programs for vulnerable populations across Catalonia and Andorra. Its portfolio covers child protection residential services (CA, CRAE, PAJ, SAEJ, IPIS, PIL, UD, SPAAI), specialized technical services (EVAMI, SAVA, SARU, SEVAP, intercultural mediation), and labor intermediation and training programs (Incorpora, Reincorpora, Làbora, Singulars), delivered as part of the Catalan Public Social Services Network and through government contracts.

Product overview

Fundació Mercè Fontanilles offers a comprehensive portfolio of social services organized into three main areas: Residential Services, Specialized Technical Services, and Training, Orientation, and Employment Insertion Services. The residential services include emergency reception centers (Centre d'Acollida), residential educational action centers (CRAE), assisted apartments for youth (PAJ), specialized youth care services (SAEJ), individualized protection itineraries (IPIS), labor insertion programs (PIL), dependent units, first reception services (SPAAI), and senior care facilities including Can Santa Digna. Specialized technical services encompass child abuse assessment (EVAMI), open community drug dependency support, intercultural mediation, autonomous living support (SAVA), benefits assessment for extutored youth (SEVAP), and university degree recognition (SARU). Training and employment services include competency-based training programs, labor orientation and insertion programs, and employment agencies, delivered through initiatives like Incorpora, Reincorpora, Làbora, and Singulars programs.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• SAEJ: Servei d'Acompanyament Especialitzat en Joves - Specialized accompaniment service for tutored and extutored youth
• SARU
• SEVAP
• CREI Andorra
• Can Santa Digna
• EVAMI
• SAVA
• CRAE

Products and services

• Centre d'Acollida (CA)

Quantifiable outcome

• Reincorpora program reached 467 inmates in third-degree regime for labor insertion
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers4 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

14 partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Fundació "la Caixa" (CaixaBank Foundation)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2026Fundació la Caixa is the foundation's key strategic partner through its Incorpora and Reincorpora programs. Incorpora provides labor intermediation for people at risk of exclusion, while Reincorpora focuses on inmates in the final phase of their sentence. These programs provide personalized labor insertion itineraries, training, and corporate volunteer engagement, reaching hundreds of beneficiaries annually.
• Hospital Sant Joan de DéuminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2026Hospital Sant Joan de Déu collaborated on the foundation's innovative video game training project, which was featured in an RTVE report. The partnership brings healthcare expertise to the mental health dimensions of the gaming training program.
• Departament de Política Lingüística de la Generalitat de CatalunyaminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2026In collaboration with the Consorci per a la Normalització Lingüística de Catalunya and the Departament de Política Lingüística, the foundation runs Catalan language courses (programa 'Activa la Llengua') for newly arrived migrants, providing introductive A1/A2 level courses.
• Associació de Sèniors de Catalunya per a l'Orientació del Talent Emprenedor (ASENCAT)minorGTM or Marketing Partner · 1 January 2026ASENCAT collaborated on a 'Speed Dating' labor event with students from the Logistics and E-commerce training course under the Singulars project, providing mentorship and entrepreneurial orientation support.
• Fundació ResiliscoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2022Fundació Mercè Fontanilles and Fundació Resilis formed a UTE (Unió Temporal d'Empreses) to jointly manage the SEVAP (Servei de Valoració de la Prestació per a joves extutelats) across all of Catalonia, and the CREI in Andorra. The partnership leverages complementary expertise in youth care and protection.
• Departament de Drets Socials i Inclusió (Generalitat de Catalunya)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2022The Departament de Drets Socials i Inclusió provides funding and commissioning for key services including SARU (university degree recognition service). The department oversees the broader child protection and youth care system within which the foundation operates.
• Servei d'Ocupació de Catalunya (SOC)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2019SOC provides funding and commissioning for training and employment programs including Singulars (Guarantee Youth program). The foundation operates as an authorized placement agency (0900000003) in coordination with SOC for labor intermediation services.
• Fundació Catalunya Voluntària (FCV)minorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2018Through an agreement with FCV, young people from PAJ Guinardó (assisted housing) participate in Erasmus+ European exchanges, enabling them to attend 10-day international youth exchanges in Norway, the Netherlands, and Spain, promoting social integration.
• Fundació CARESminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2018Fundació CARES collaborated with the Federació Catalana de Vela to provide sailing training (auxiliary sailing monitor and boat maintenance) for young people in the SAEJ program. The one-year program leads to a Certificate of Professionalism and provides access to employment in the nautical sector.
• Associació de Viticultors del PenedèsminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2018A custom training program for auxiliary viticultors was created in collaboration with the Associació de Viticultors del Penedès to meet the industry's labor demand. Young people receive technical training and practical experience on member vineyards, with 11 of 13 graduates achieving employment in Alt Penedès companies.
• ESADE Alumni SocialminorOthers · 1 January 2018ESADE Alumni Social provided a team of pro-bono consultants who conducted a process review project for the foundation's internal operations, offering strategic management consulting at no cost.
• Guzmán Gastronomia, Maresmar SL, CREC, Meet BCN, and other companiesminorGTM or Marketing Partner · 1 January 2017Multiple companies participated in the 'Treball i Joves' program by offering company visits, practical training opportunities, and employment contracts to young people. The foundation establishes synergies with companies interested in corporate social responsibility.
• MercabarnaminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2016Mercabarna partnered with the foundation to provide vocational training courses (warehouse work, fishmongery) for former 'manters' (street vendors) and other young people, with practical training at the Mercabarna facilities, enabling transitions to formal employment in the food wholesale market.
• Federació d'Entitats amb Projectes i Pisos Assistits (FEPA)minorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2015The foundation's director Pepa Arqué serves as president of FEPA. The federation coordinates entities working with tutored and formerly tutored youth, facilitating knowledge sharing and advocacy at the regional level.

Scale indicators8 records

Recent moves10 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Fundació Joia: Fundació Joia is a Catalan foundation providing mental health support and labor insertion services for people with mental health challenges. The organization's work intersects with Fundació Mercè Fontanilles' SAVA service for people with HIV/AIDS and mental health-related social vulnerability.
• Aldeas Infantiles SOS España: Aldeas Infantiles SOS España provides residential care, foster care, and youth autonomy services for vulnerable children across Spain, directly comparable to Fundació Mercè Fontanilles' CRAE, PAJ, and IPI programs for minors under state protection.
• Fundació Pere Tarrés: Fundació Pere Tarrés is a Catalan non-profit foundation providing social services, leisure education, and family support programs. Both foundations operate in the Catalan social services ecosystem with similar three-pillar models combining direct services with educational and inclusion components.
• Fundació IRES: Fundació IRES is a Catalan foundation focused on labor insertion and social inclusion for vulnerable populations. Both organizations deliver labor intermediation services via SOC and operate employment programs targeting people at risk of social exclusion in Catalonia.
• Fundació Resilis: Fundació Resilis is the foundation's UTE partner for key programs (SEVAP, CREI Andorra). Both organizations focus on youth protection, extutored youth support, and specialized social services in Catalonia, operating as complementary service providers in the same public social services network.

Broad incumbents

• Save the Children España: Save the Children España is a large international NGO operating child protection, migrant child services, and youth advocacy programs in Spain, comparable to Fundació Mercè Fontanilles' SPAAI and SAEJ services for unaccompanied minors and youth.
• Càritas Diocesana de Barcelona: Càritas Diocesana de Barcelona is a much larger regional social services organization operating across Catalonia with overlapping programs in migrant support, labor insertion, and vulnerable population assistance, providing a regional scale benchmark for social services delivery.
• Fundació "la Caixa": Fundació la Caixa is a much larger philanthropic foundation that operates the Incorpora and Reincorpora labor intermediation programs through which Fundació Mercè Fontanilles delivers services. It is the foundation's key strategic partner and operates overlapping social inclusion programs across Spain.

Others

• Associació Coordinadora Sinergia Social: Sinergia Social is the coordinating association of which Fundació Mercè Fontanilles is a founding member. It is an enabling ecosystem organization that aggregates Catalan social services foundations and connects them to broader networks like Barcelona+Sostenible.
• Federació d'Entitats amb Projectes i Pisos Assistits (FEPA): FEPA is the federation coordinating entities working with tutored and formerly tutored youth in Catalonia. Fundació Mercè Fontanilles' director Pepa Arqué serves as FEPA president. FEPA is an ecosystem participant rather than direct competitor, aggregating similar organizations.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/FMFontanilles
• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UCjiMcRVz8rAhoSJym8BYnGg
• Facebookfacebook.com/Fundaci%C3%B3-Merc%C3%A8-Fontanilles-735475776855388
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/fundacio-merce-fontanilles
• Instagraminstagram.com/fmfontanilles_

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 records

Subsidiaries2 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about Fundació Mercè Fontanilles