Fundación Down Zaragoza

What Fundación Down Zaragoza does

Fundación Down Zaragoza is a private non-profit foundation (CIF G50481522), founded in 1986 and headquartered in Zaragoza, Aragón, Spain, that provides a full continuum of services for people with Down syndrome and other intellectual disabilities and their families. Its service portfolio covers early childhood intervention (Centro de Atención Temprana and Atención Postemprana), an adult Occupational Center, vocational training and supported employment (Formación y Empleo), an independent-living program (Llaves para la Autonomía), social work, and leisure activities (Ocio y Tiempo Libre), positioning it as a lifecycle service provider from birth through adulthood.

The core operational methodology is "Empleo con Apoyo" (Supported Employment), regulated by Real Decreto 870/2007 and aligned with EUSE standards, delivered through dedicated labor preparers (preparadores laborales) who provide individualized workplace accompaniment. Annual program offerings include the INAEM-funded PRO-IN program (36 participants, 16 employed, 2,400+ training hours in 2026), PIMEI (40 participants), PEJ "Aprender Haciendo" (20 participants), the ISPEDIS program (FSE+ 2021-2027 funded), and the Taller de Empleo "Cultura Inclusiva" with eight cultural-entity partners. The foundation has placed beneficiaries with 30+ corporate employers including Amazon, El Corte Inglés, Decathlon, Eroski, Carrefour, IKEA, Grupo DIA, Everis, and McDonald's.

The foundation has no commercial revenue model: it is funded by a stack of public grants (INAEM, Government of Aragón, Ministry of Social Rights, SEPE, Fondo Social Europeo Plus 2021-2027), corporate donations (e.g., Schmitz Cargobull, Fundación Sesé gala), and private philanthropy. Its governance is via a renewed Patronato (board of trustees) for the 2026-2030 period, and it is not an investable entity in the traditional PE/VC sense — but is a durable institutional operator with stable public-funder relationships, an established employer network, and a credentialed methodology that creates structural barriers to entry for new social-services providers.

Name

Fundación Down Zaragoza

Legal name

Fundación Down Zaragoza

Website

https://downzaragoza.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1986

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Fundación Down Zaragoza is a non-profit foundation in Aragón, Spain providing early intervention, occupational, training, supported employment, autonomy, and leisure services for people with Down syndrome and intellectual disabilities, funded primarily by public grants and donations.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Disability Social Services

NAICS

Vocational Rehabilitation Services (6243)

SIC

Services-Social Services (8300)

akta.pro primary industry

Disability Services & Independent Living Support (BPAGACAG)

akta.pro secondary industries

Workforce Readiness, Career Pathways & Youth Employment Nonprofits (BPAGADAF), Private Foundations (BPAGAKAA)

Keywords

• Disability services
• Supported employment
• Early intervention
• Vocational training
• Intellectual disability support

Headquarters

HQ city

Zaragoza

HQ country

Spain

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels9 records

Core offering

Fundación Down Zaragoza is a non-profit foundation that delivers a comprehensive lifecycle of social services for people with intellectual disabilities and Down syndrome in Zaragoza, Spain. Its core offerings include early intervention (Atención Temprana and Postemprana), an occupational center (Centro Ocupacional), vocational training and supported employment (Formación y Empleo, Empleo con Apoyo), independent living programs (Llaves para la Autonomía), social work for families, and leisure and free-time activities. The foundation places beneficiaries into ordinary companies through individualized job coaching using the Supported Employment methodology regulated by Real Decreto 870/2007.

Product overview

Fundación Down Zaragoza is a non-profit foundation providing a comprehensive range of services for people with intellectual disabilities and their families. The organization operates as a multi-service platform centered around early intervention (Centro de Atención Temprana and Centro de Atención Postemprana), occupational development (Centro Ocupacional), vocational training and employment support (Formación y Empleo, Programa Aprender Haciendo, Programa PRO-IN, Programa de Empleo con Apoyo), autonomy-building (Llaves para la Autonomía), social work, and leisure activities (Ocio y Tiempo Libre). The core service model is the supported employment methodology, which helps individuals with disabilities access and maintain jobs in the ordinary labor market through individualized support from job coaches.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Centro de Atención Temprana Early childhood intervention service that works collaboratively with families to support the autonomous, integral development of children from birth to approximately 6 years old with intellectual disabilities, Down syndrome, or developmental disorders.
• Centro de Atención Postemprana Ongoing support service for children and adolescents with intellectual disabilities or developmental disorders who have passed the early intervention stage but still require continued support for learning and development.
• Centro Ocupacional Occupational center providing dynamic and participatory personal development activities for adults with intellectual disabilities, placing the person at the center of all programming to foster social inclusion and daily life skills.
• Formación y Empleo Vocational training and employment preparation service for people with intellectual disabilities, leveraging motivation, drive for improvement, and responsibility to prepare them for positions in the ordinary labor market.
• Llaves para la Autonomía Program focused on perseverance, trust, dedication, and emotional support to help individuals with intellectual disabilities achieve independence and their place in society through supervised autonomous living experiences.
• Trabajo Social Social work service providing a space for listening and joint reflection about disability and its impact on the family, offering accompaniment and support at different stages of the person's life cycle.
• Ocio y Tiempo Libre Leisure and free time program offering valuable alternatives for personal development through fun, creative, social, values-based, and freely chosen activities for people with intellectual disabilities.
• Servicio de Empleo con Apoyo Supported employment service implementing the Supported Employment methodology regulated by Real Decreto 870/2007 and aligned with European Union Supported Employment (EUSE) standards, with dedicated labor preparers (Preparadores Laborales) providing individualized workplace accompaniment to help people with intellectual disabilities obtain and maintain employment in the open labor market.
• Taller de Empleo Cultura Inclusiva Employment workshop providing training for people with intellectual disabilities aged 25 or older to work as auxiliary personnel in cultural entities such as the Natural Sciences Museum of the Universidad de Zaragoza, Harinera ZGZ, Fundación Ibercaja, and Pablo Serrano Museum. 12-month duration co-financed by SEPE and INAEM.
• Programa Aprender Haciendo (PEJ) Experimental program for young people under 30 with intellectual disabilities, part of Garantía Juvenil active employment policies co-financed by INAEM and the European Social Fund, providing hands-on learning experiences in the province of Zaragoza.

Quantifiable outcome

• 36 participants in PRO-IN program; 16 people achieved employment (15 in ordinary companies, 1 in Special Employment Center)
• +6 more outcomes

Named customers31 records

Segments7 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

28 partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• INAEM (Instituto Aragonés de Empleo) — Gobierno de AragóncoreOthers · 1 January 2026INAEM provides co-funding for multiple employment programs including the Supported Employment program (Empleo con Apoyo) 2026, PRO-IN program, PIMEI, PEJ 'Aprender Haciendo', and Taller de Empleo 'Cultura Inclusiva'. These programs facilitate labor insertion of people with intellectual disabilities in the ordinary labor market. INAEM's 2026 supported employment program enabled 8 employment contracts (2 at El Corte Inglés, 6 at Amazon) and prospección empresarial with over 20 companies.
• Fundación VivofácilcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2026Fundación Vivofácil provides online training through its Virtual Classroom (Aula Virtual) to users in the labor follow-up group within the 'Programa Objetivo Empleo'. Training includes workshops on emotional well-being, conflict resolution, social skills, and digital technology/office skills. Trainer Sara Culebras delivered the sessions. Collaboration expected to continue into the next academic year.
• Gobierno de AragóncoreOthersThe Government of Aragón co-finances the PRO-IN program through INAEM, which has 36 participants and has resulted in 16 people achieving employment (15 in ordinary companies, 1 in a Special Employment Center). The government also co-finances other employment programs including PIMEI, PEJ, and Taller de Empleo Cultura Inclusiva.
• Ministerio de Derechos Sociales, Consumo y Agenda 2030coreOthersThe Ministry co-funds the Supported Employment Service (Servicio de Empleo con Apoyo) through subsidies from the 0.7% allocation to activities of social interest, with the Asociación Española de Empleo con Apoyo (AESE) as the organizing entity.
• Fondo Social Europeo Plus (FSE+) 2021-2027coreOthersThe ISPEDIS program (Red de Integración Social de Personas con Discapacidad) is executed within the FSE+ 2021-2027 framework with a subsidized amount of €41,958.28 for the period January-December 2025.
• Fundación SeséminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerFundación Sesé collaborates on multiple projects including the 'Imprescindibles' administrative training program (280 hours, up to 10 participants), and previously organized the #EnmarchaXmúsica gala that raised over €30,000 for Down syndrome and disability projects. Marta Molina has been employed at Grupo Sesé since 2013.
• Fundación Aura (Barcelona)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerConvivencia (shared leisure) weekend between young people from Fundación Aura (Barcelona) and Fundación Down Zaragoza in Zaragoza, strengthening inclusion and friendship between the two organizations.
• CaixaBankminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCaixaBank collaborates through the 'Proyecto Mentoring Inclusivo' providing two financial education workshops for people with intellectual disability. Volunteers Javier Muñoz and Javier Mediel delivered the sessions covering income/expense management, payment methods (transfers, Bizum, mobile payments), and fraud prevention.
• Museo de Ciencias Naturales — Universidad de ZaragozaminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCultural partner for the Taller de Empleo 'Cultura Inclusiva' program where 8 people with intellectual disability receive on-the-job training as auxiliary staff in cultural entities.
• Harinera ZGZminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCultural entity partner for the Taller de Empleo 'Cultura Inclusiva' providing on-the-job training placement for participants.
• Fundación Ibercaja — Área de Acción SocialminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner for the Taller de Empleo 'Cultura Inclusiva' providing on-the-job training placement for participants with intellectual disability.
• Museo Pablo Serrano (IAACC)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCultural entity partner for the Taller de Empleo 'Cultura Inclusiva' providing on-the-job training placement.
• Servicios de Archivos, Museos y Bibliotecas — Gobierno de AragónminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerGovernment cultural services partner for the Taller de Empleo 'Cultura Inclusiva' providing on-the-job training placements.
• Unidad Técnica de Museos — Servicio de Cultura del Ayuntamiento de ZaragozaminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerMunicipal cultural entity partner for the Taller de Empleo 'Cultura Inclusiva' providing on-the-job training placements.
• AESA (Análisis y Evaluación de la Seguridad Alimentaria)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerResearch group leading the 'Campeones de la Alimentación' inclusive science communication project, promoting critical thinking about food and nutrition for people with intellectual disability. Project supported by IA2 and FECYT with a pilot program at Fundación Down Zaragoza.
• Universidad de Zaragoza (OUAD)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerUniversidad de Zaragoza through OUAD (Unidad de Atención al Diversidad) runs the 'Empoderamiento, Activación y Prácticas Formativas para personas con discapacidad intelectual' program in collaboration with Fundación la Caixa. 10 students from Fundación Down and Plena Inclusión participate in 11-month program combining theory and 3 months of workplace practices at the university.
• AdidasminorGTM or Marketing PartnerAdidas organized a solidarity breakfast on World Down Syndrome Day (March 21), with participation of 340 Adidas workers. Participants from Fundación Down's labor training and occupational workshop projects prepared the event. Adidas and its workers donated to the 'Llaves para la Autonomía' project. HR team explored potential labor insertion and training opportunities.
• Asperger AragónminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCoordination with Asperger Aragón for the PRO-IN program, strengthening the collaboration network and improving recruitment of new beneficiaries.
• Inserta AragónminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCoordination entity for the PRO-IN program, collaborating in the network of organizations working on labor inclusion of people with disabilities.
• ADUT UtebominorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCoordination with ADUT Utebo for the PRO-IN program, strengthening the collaboration network and improving recruitment of new beneficiaries.
• Plena Inclusión AragónminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaboration with Plena Inclusión Aragón for the ISPEDIS program and for the 'Empoderamiento, Activación y Prácticas Formativas' university program.
• CERMI AragónminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCERMI Aragón selected the 10 students for the Universidad de Zaragoza's 'Empoderamiento, Activación y Prácticas Formativas' program.
• IA2 (Instituto Aragonés de Investigación)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerIA2 organizes and supports the 'Campeones de la Alimentación' project together with AESA and in collaboration with FECYT.
• ATADESminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaborating association for sharing educational tools from the 'Campeones de la Alimentación' project based on their interests and needs.
• CADIS HuescaminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaborating association for sharing educational tools from the 'Campeones de la Alimentación' project based on their interests and needs.
• ASAEMEminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaborating association for sharing educational tools from the 'Campeones de la Alimentación' project based on their interests and needs.
• Special Olympics AragónminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerSpecial Olympics Aragón and Fundación Down Zaragoza jointly received funds from the Gala Sesé to support independent living apartments and projects.
• Calvera HydrogenminorGTM or Marketing PartnerCalvera Hydrogen joined the mission of Fundación Down Zaragoza. On December 7, Ricardo Calvera (CTO of Calvera Hydrogen) visited the foundation, marking an alliance for an inclusive and sustainable future.

Scale indicators29 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Broad incumbents

• Inclusion Europe: European-level federation of intellectual disability organizations, aligned with the EU policy and funding environment (including FSE+ programs) in which Fundación Down Zaragoza operates. Broad incumbent providing strategic context and policy advocacy.
• Down España: National federation representing people with Down syndrome across Spain. Comparable mission focus on Down syndrome support, employment, and family services, but operating at national scope rather than regional.
• Fundación ONCE: Spain's largest disability foundation (founded by ONCE), operating employment, training, and accessibility programs nationwide. A broad incumbent with overlapping supported employment and vocational training services for people with disabilities.

Direct peers

• AESE (Asociación Española de Empleo con Apoyo): National Spanish association dedicated specifically to Supported Employment methodology (Empleo con Apoyo), the same regulated methodology used by Fundación Down Zaragoza under RD 870/2007. Direct peer in the supported employment ecosystem.
• Fundación Ademo: Spanish foundation providing supported employment and training services for people with intellectual disabilities. Operates a similar supported employment methodology in a different Spanish region, making it a structurally comparable regional peer.
• CERMI Aragón: Aragón committee of CERMI (Spanish Committee of Representatives of People with Disabilities). Direct regional peer coordinating with Fundación Down Zaragoza on programs such as the Universidad de Zaragoza 'Empoderamiento' student selection.
• Fundación Prodis: Madrid-based foundation serving people with intellectual disabilities through training, employment, and independent living programs. Operates a comparable service model with Centro Ocupacional, training, and supported employment components.
• Plena Inclusión Aragón: Regional federation of organizations serving people with intellectual disabilities in Aragón, the same geography as Fundación Down Zaragoza. Direct peer collaborating on the ISPEDIS program and 'Empoderamiento, Activación y Prácticas Formativas' university program.
• Special Olympics España: Spanish arm of Special Olympics International, serving people with intellectual disabilities through sports. Direct peer that actively collaborates with Fundación Down Zaragoza (joint funding from Gala Sesé) and serves an overlapping beneficiary population.

Regional players

• ASPACE Confederación: National confederation for cerebral palsy organizations in Spain. Operates a comparable multi-service foundation model (early intervention, occupational centers, employment support) but focused on cerebral palsy rather than intellectual disability.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xtwitter.com/DownZaragoza
• Facebookfacebook.com/DownZaragoza
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/downzaragoza
• Instagraminstagram.com/downzaragoza

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles10 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 Fundación Down Zaragoza