Universidade do Porto - SASUP

What Universidade do Porto - SASUP does

SASUP — Serviços de Ação Social da Universidade do Porto — is the legally designated social services department of the University of Porto, operating as a public-sector entity under Portuguese higher education law (Decreto Lei 129/93). It delivers a bundled portfolio of student welfare services to the University of Porto community: administration of DGES national study grants and Social Support Fund scholarships, university residence housing, subsidized canteen meals across three campus locations (Polo 1 Baixa da Cidade, Polo 2 Asprela, Polo 3 Campo Alegre), clinical health services spanning multiple medical specialties, and mental health promotion programs (BAMBUP) under a broader Integrated Health and Wellbeing Plan.

SASUP's technology layer consists of a digital service platform that includes the SASUP web portal, the APP SASUP mobile application (launched in 2025 for iOS/Android), an online canteen menu system (sas.up.pt/ementas/) showing daily lunch and dinner options across campus canteens, and web-based systems for scholarship applications, housing applications, and medical appointment booking. The platform is differentiated primarily by ease of use rather than intelligence-layer automation, and the entity does not disclose APIs, SDKs, or AI/ML capabilities. Service delivery is hybrid: digital channels for information access and application processing, combined with physical infrastructure (residences, canteens, on-campus clinics, a Single Desk / Balcão Único contact point).

SASUP operates as a non-commercial public utility within the Portuguese higher education system: it does not pursue revenue maximization, and funding flows from state budget allocations (via DGES for scholarships), University of Porto budget transfers, and modest user fees for housing and meals. Pricing is partially publicly disclosed — accommodation rates for academic year 2025/2026 and per-unit canteen prices are published — while scholarship amounts are regulated by DGES. The entity holds ISO 9001 quality management certification accredited by IPac, is a signatory of the Carta Portuguesa para a Diversidade, and publishes annual Relatório Atividades e Contas reports covering 2021–2025. Customer segments are institutionally fixed: all University of Porto students form the primary user base, supplemented by narrower segments for displaced students (Estudantes Deslocados) requiring additional support and university staff accessing e-learning grants.

Name

Universidade do Porto - SASUP

Legal name

SASUP - Serviços de Ação Social da Universidade do Porto

Website

https://sas.up.pt

Company type

Private

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

SASUP is the public-sector social services department of the University of Porto, providing bundled student welfare services — DGES scholarships, university housing, subsidized canteen meals, clinical health services, and mental health programs — to enrolled students and staff across three Porto campuses under Portuguese higher education law.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Others

Pricing tiers

Distribution channels6 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

SASUP is the social services department of the University of Porto, delivering integrated student support services including DGES-administered scholarships and a Social Support Fund, university residence housing, subsidized canteen meals at three campus canteens, and multi-specialty clinical health services. It also runs mental health and wellbeing programs (BAMBUP, Integrated Health and Wellbeing Plan) and provides digital access via the SASUP web portal and the APP SASUP mobile application.

Product overview

SASUP (Serviços de Ação Social da Universidade do Porto) is the social services department of the University of Porto. It operates as an integrated service platform offering multiple interconnected modules: scholarships and social support (Bolsas), university housing (Alojamento), food services (Alimentação) with canteen menus and catering, and health services (Saúde). Additional offerings include the APP SASUP mobile application for service access, E-learning Café for educational support, and several transversal projects including BAMBUP mental health program, Plano Integrado de Saúde e Bem-Estar, UPTRUST, FEEL@HOME, OCCA, and CAF quality improvement initiatives. The organization is ISO 9001 certified and operates under Portuguese social action regulations.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• APP SASUP: Mobile application for SASUP services providing access to information and functionalities for university students

Products and services

• Bolsas e Outros Apoios Sociais (Scholarships and Social Support) Scholarship and social assistance program for University of Porto students, including DGES study grants, the Social Support Fund, and other social aid applications. Administered on behalf of the Portuguese government's DGES.
• Alojamento (University Housing) Student residence housing service operated by SASUP across its university residence halls in Porto, including application processing, price tables, regulations, and housing protocols.
• Alimentação (Food Services) Canteen and food service providing subsidized meals at three campus canteens across the University of Porto, plus special catering services and a digital menu system at sas.up.pt/ementas/.
• Saúde (Health Services) Clinical health service providing multiple medical specialties, appointment scheduling, and access conditions for students and staff of the University of Porto.
• APP SASUP Mobile application for iOS/Android providing students and staff access to SASUP services including scholarships, housing, food services, and health appointments.
• E-learning Café E-learning platform and café service providing educational resources and support for University of Porto students and staff, including employee scholarship grants.
• BAMBUP - Mental Health Promotion Program Mental health promotion program offering activities and support services for the University of Porto community.
• Plano Integrado de Saúde e Bem-Estar U.Porto Integrated health and wellbeing plan offering coordinated wellness initiatives and activities for the University of Porto community.
• Ementas das Cantinas (Canteen Menus) Online menu system showing daily lunch and dinner options across campus canteens at multiple University of Porto locations.

Segments3 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

Three partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• DGES - Direção-Geral do Ensino SuperiorcoreOthersDGES (Direção-Geral do Ensino Superior) is the national authority for higher education social support in Portugal. SASUP administers DGES study grants and scholarships on behalf of the Portuguese government for University of Porto students. Students apply for DGES scholarships through SASUP's platform for the academic year.
• Carta Portuguesa para a DiversidademinorOthersSASUP is a signatory entity of the Portuguese Charter for Diversity (Carta Portuguesa para a Diversidade), demonstrating commitment to diversity and inclusion principles in its social action and organizational practices.
• IPac - Accredited CertificationcoreOthersSASUP holds ISO 9001 accreditation certified by IPac, demonstrating quality management system certification for its social action services.

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Others

• Universidade do Porto - Reitoria (parent governance): Parent institution governing SASUP. Included as the most relevant ecosystem participant shaping SASUP's mandate, funding, and strategic direction.

Broad incumbents

• Sodexo (education segment): Global facilities and food services provider with a dedicated universities and schools segment. Comparable to SASUP's canteen and broader campus services operations.
• Aramark (Higher Education): Large US-listed food and facilities provider with significant higher education exposure. Comparable to SASUP's outsourced-style dining and campus services model.
• Compass Group (student dining services): Global contract catering provider that operates higher-education dining and hospitality services across multiple geographies. Comparable in the food-services module of SASUP's portfolio at scale.

Direct peers

• Serviços de Ação Social da Universidade de Coimbra (SASUC): Direct peer delivering the same social services portfolio (scholarships, residences, canteens, health) to University of Coimbra students under the same national legal framework.
• Serviços de Ação Social da Universidade de Lisboa (SASULisboa): Direct peer under the same Portuguese social action law (Decreto Lei 129/93), providing scholarships, housing, meals, and health services to University of Lisbon students. Most structurally comparable entity in the country.
• Serviços de Ação Social da Universidade Nova de Lisboa (SASNOVA): Direct peer providing integrated social services to NOVA University Lisbon students, with overlapping offerings in scholarships, housing, and food under the same national policy.

Regional players

• Serviços de Ação Social da Universidade de Trás-os-Montes e Alto Douro (SASUTAD): Regional peer serving UTAD students in Vila Real with the same statutory social services framework. Comparable in scope but smaller scale and more rural setting.
• Serviços de Ação Social da Universidade do Minho (SASUM): Regional peer providing analogous social services to University of Minho students across two campuses (Braga and Guimarães). Comparable scope but smaller scale.
• Serviços de Ação Social da Universidade de Aveiro (SASUA): Regional peer offering university social services in Aveiro under the same national legal framework. Comparable in service mix but single-region focus.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/universidade-do-porto---sasup

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about Universidade do Porto - SASUP