What APICCAPS does

APICCAPS (Associação Portuguesa dos Industriais de Calçado, Componentes, Artigos de Pele e seus Sucedâneos) is a non-profit trade association founded in 1975 and headquartered in Porto, Portugal. It represents approximately 700 member companies across the Portuguese footwear, footwear components, leather goods, and equipment manufacturing sectors, providing industry advocacy, technical consulting, professional training, market intelligence, and collective promotional services. The association publishes an extensive portfolio of industry publications — including the World Footwear Yearbook covering 84+ global markets, Conjuntura quarterly bulletins, the Jornal APICCAPS, Portuguese Soul magazine, and statistical monographs — and runs the 'Portuguese Shoes' international promotion campaign with the slogan 'The Sexiest Industry in Europe'.

APICCAPS generates revenue through membership fees from its 700 member companies and through administration of EU co-funded programs (COMPETE 2020/2030, Portugal 2030, AICEP) that subsidize external promotion, internationalization, digital transformation, and ESG initiatives for member SMEs. Its service portfolio spans CE marking certification for Personal Protective Equipment, the Qualified Suppliers Pool, coordinated trade fair participation across 16+ international markets (MOMAD, CIFF, MICAM Milano, Lineapelle, and others), and the 'Valorização da Oferta' subsidy program. The association operates from a single headquarters with 11-50 employees and has no subsidiaries, parent company, or disclosed ownership structure beyond its members and Direção (governing board).

The association's core function is to coordinate the internationalization of Portugal's footwear sector — which exports over 95% of production to 152 countries — through collective action that individual SMEs could not achieve independently. Recent strategic activity includes facilitating a €3.024M Portuguese Army boot tender (July 2026), launching a family business succession guide for the footwear industry (July 2026), positioning Portugal to benefit from the EU prohibition on destroying unsold clothing and footwear, and running multi-market international promotion offensives.

Name

APICCAPS

Legal name

Associação Portuguesa dos Industriais de Calçado, Componentes, Artigos de Pele e seus Sucedâneos

Website

https://apiccaps.pt

Company type

Private

Founded year

1975

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

APICCAPS is a Portuguese non-profit trade association founded in 1975, representing approximately 700 member companies across footwear, components, leather goods, and equipment manufacturing. It delivers internationalization support, market intelligence, CE marking, training, and collective promotion campaigns co-funded by EU programs.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Porto

HQ country

Portugal

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Marketing or Sales, Operations, Others

Revenue model

1. Membership fees and member services: APICCAPS generates revenue through membership fees (annual quotas) from its 700 member companies across the footwear, components, leather goods, and equipment sectors. It also administers collective projects co-funded by public programs (COMPETE 2020/2030, Portugal 2030) that support external promotion and qualification activities for members.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

APICCAPS is a non-profit trade association that represents and serves approximately 700 Portuguese footwear, footwear components, leather goods, and equipment manufacturing companies. It provides industry advocacy, internationalization support (coordinated trade fair participation in 16+ markets), market intelligence publications (World Footwear Yearbook covering 84+ markets), technical support (CE marking for PPE), professional training, public tender facilitation, the Qualified Suppliers Pool, and collective promotional campaigns such as the 'Portuguese Shoes' brand.

Product overview

APICCAPS operates as a trade association managing a comprehensive portfolio of publications and services for the Portuguese footwear, components, and leather goods industry. The core offerings include monthly (APICCAPS' Jornal) and quarterly (Conjuntura, FootGrafia) publications providing industry news and analysis, annual statistical reports (Statistical Report, Facts & Numbers, World Footwear Yearbook), strategic planning documents (FOOTure programs), and specialized magazines (Portuguese Soul, The Shoes Must Go On). Supporting services encompass international trade fair coordination, CE marking certification support, member services with SEPA direct debit, a qualified suppliers pool, and the Valorização da Oferta program providing EU-funded subsidies for digital transformation, marketing, and sustainability initiatives. Digital platforms include Footwear Intelligence for statistics and World Footwear/Portuguese Shoes for international promotion campaigns. The association represents approximately 700 member companies and coordinates internationalization programs funded by Portugal 2030/COMPETE.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Portuguese Shoes: A promotional brand campaign for Portuguese footwear with the slogan 'The Sexiest Industry in Europe'
• World Footwear
• Portuguese Soul
• The Shoes Must Go On

Products and services

• World Footwear Yearbook Annual publication analyzing global footwear industry production, exports, imports, consumption, and country profiles covering 79-84 markets worldwide. Intended for footwear industry professionals, analysts, and member companies.
• Portuguese Soul Magazine Magazine publication showcasing Portuguese footwear brands, design excellence, and the creative side of the Portuguese footwear industry. Distributed internationally.
• APICCAPS' Jornal Monthly newsletter publication covering news, trends, and updates from the Portuguese footwear, components, and leather goods industry for member companies and subscribers.
• Statistical Report (Monografia Estatística / O Calçado no Mundo) Annual statistical report providing comprehensive analysis of the footwear sector, including production, exports, imports, and consumption data for Portugal and global markets.
• Conjuntura Quarterly economic bulletin providing conjunctural analysis and economic outlook for the footwear sector in Portugal.
• FootGrafia Quarterly publication analyzing the dynamics of the footwear sector with statistical and market insights.
• FOOTure Strategic Plans Strategic planning publications (FOOTure 4.0, FOOTure 2020, FOOTure 2015) outlining action programs for the footwear sector.
• The Shoes Must Go On Biannual publication focused on market promotion, value enhancement initiatives, and internationalization efforts for Portuguese footwear.
• Facts & Numbers Annual statistical compilation providing key figures and numerical data about the Portuguese footwear industry.
• International Fairs Coordination Service Service providing a comprehensive international trade fair calendar and coordination of member participation at major footwear exhibitions worldwide, including MOMAD, CIFF, MICAM Milano, Lineapelle, Expo Riva Schuh, and ChauCASE.
• CE Marking Support Service Technical support and guidance service for obtaining CE marking certification required for Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) to access the European market, in accordance with EU Regulation 2016/245.
• Qualified Suppliers Pool (Bolsa de Fornecedores Qualificados) Supplier qualification system under the Valorização da Oferta initiative listing approved service suppliers for industry use, enabling supply chain matching for member companies.
• Valorização da Oferta Program Support program co-financed by COMPETE 2030 providing subsidies for digital marketing, communication, brand strategy, e-commerce, cybersecurity, ESG sustainability, and product certification for footwear companies.
• Internationalization Programs (SIAC PT2030) EU-funded internationalization initiatives including SIAC PT2030 qualification and internationalization programs for the Portuguese footwear sector.
• Footwear Intelligence Statistical Platform Online statistical intelligence platform providing real-time data and analytics on the Portuguese footwear industry.
• Member Services Membership services for the association's 700 members, including SEPA direct debit authorization, electronic invoice adherence, member dossier access (MyAPICCAPS), and subscription fee management.
• Studies (Estudos) Research publications including practical guides for family business succession in the footwear industry.

Quantifiable outcome

• 700 member companies represented across footwear, components, leather goods, and equipment sectors
• +1 more outcomes

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Assocalzaturifici - Italian Footwear Manufacturers Association: National trade association representing Italian footwear manufacturers. Directly comparable as the largest European footwear industry association with similar internationalization, trade fair coordination, and statistical publication functions, serving Italy's footwear sector.
• Fédération Française de la Chaussure: French national footwear industry association. Directly comparable in structure and services — promoting French footwear internationally, organizing trade fair participation, and providing market intelligence for footwear manufacturers.
• FDRA - Footwear Distributors and Retailers of America: US footwear industry trade association. Comparable as a footwear sector trade body providing market intelligence, advocacy, trade fair support, and international trade services to footwear companies, though serving the US market.
• BDLI - Bundesverband der Deutschen Schuh- und Lederwarenindustrie: German footwear and leather goods industry association. Comparable national footwear industry trade body providing similar member services, industry statistics, and international promotion for German footwear manufacturers.
• MODAVİM - Turkish Footwear Industry Association: Turkish footwear manufacturers association. Comparable as a national footwear industry trade body supporting internationalization, though Turkey is a larger-volume producer with different cost positioning relative to Portugal.
• FICE - Federación de Industrias del Calzado Español: Spanish national footwear industry association. Closest geographic peer to APICCAPS, providing analogous services including trade fair coordination (MOMAD in Madrid), internationalization support, and market intelligence for Spanish footwear manufacturers.
• CEC - Confédération Européenne de l'Industrie de la Chaussure: European-level confederation of footwear industry associations. Directly comparable as the umbrella organization that APICCAPS likely participates in; focuses on EU-level advocacy, regulatory affairs, and industry statistics for footwear.
• British Footwear Association: UK footwear industry trade association. Analogous in function — membership-based organization representing footwear manufacturers and brands, providing internationalization support and industry advocacy for British footwear companies.

Others

• AICEP Portugal Global: Portuguese government's trade and investment agency. Closely aligned with APICCAPS as a partner providing market intelligence and internationalization support for Portuguese exporters across multiple industries, including footwear.
• CTCP - Centro Tecnológico do Calçado de Portugal: Portuguese Technological Footwear Center, linked from APICCAPS' website. Comparable ecosystem player providing R&D, testing, and technical services to Portuguese footwear manufacturers — complementary rather than competitive to APICCAPS.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UChZD_QGEREIQL7TeLnUb3iQ
• Facebookfacebook.com/APICCAPS
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/apiccaps

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

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 APICCAPS