apec

What apec does

APEC (Acción Pro Educación y Cultura, Inc.) is a Dominican Republic non-profit association incorporated on May 15, 1964, under Dominican Law 122-05, headquartered in Santo Domingo. The organization operates as an educational and cultural holding group composed of five wholly-owned affiliated institutions: UNAPEC (a private university offering programs in business, technology, and services, founded 1965), FUNDAPEC (an educational financing foundation established 1967), CENAPEC (a distance education institution for adults, created 1972), PROMAPEC (a vocational training institution for Dominican youth, established 1982), and APEC Cultural (a cultural programs division launched 2005). Together these institutions have impacted approximately 500,000 people cumulatively, including 46,856 UNAPEC graduates, 162,260 CENAPEC graduates, and 56,333 PROMAPEC trainees, plus 10,000+ APEC school participants and 48,300 language school graduates.

Revenue is generated through tuition at UNAPEC and CENAPEC, vocational course fees at PROMAPEC, and a managed education-loan portfolio at FUNDAPEC that has channeled DOP 11,534 million to 140,039 students historically. Contributions from affiliated institutions totaled approximately DOP 38.75 million in fiscal year 2023-2024, and total assets stood at DOP 575 million as of fiscal year end June 2024. The organization is member-owned with no external parent or venture backing, governed by a Consejo de Directores (currently constituted for the 2025-2027 term under President Carlos A. Ortega), a Past Presidents Council, and an Ethics Committee.

The go-to-market is institution-based within the Dominican Republic only, reaching customers through direct on-campus enrollment, distance education centers, and cultural events such as the annual Premio APEC al Periodismo Fotográfico (now in its IX edition for 2025 with an announced X edition for 2026). Marketing channels are primarily organic: institutional website, Facebook, Twitter, and Flickr, supplemented by community events and cultural programming. Strategic positioning centers on serving the Dominican educational pipeline from vocational training through graduate education, combined with student financing and cultural enrichment, in a single integrated non-profit group.

Name

apec

Legal name

Acción Pro Educación y Cultura, Inc. (APEC)

Website

https://apec.edu.do

Company type

Private

Founded year

1964

Operating status

Operating

Short description

APEC (Acción Pro Educación y Cultura) is a Dominican Republic non-profit founded in 1964 that operates five affiliated institutions delivering university education, adult distance learning, youth vocational training, educational financing, and cultural programs to Dominican students and the broader community.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Higher Education and Educational Services

NAICS

Colleges, Universities, and Professional Schools (611310), Colleges, Universities, and Professional Schools (61131), Technical and Trade Schools (6115), Educational Services (611), Business Associations (813910)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200), Services-Membership Organizations (8600), Services-Amusement & Recreation Services (7900)

akta.pro primary industry

Education Partnerships for Equity, Inclusion & Gender (EDADALAF)

akta.pro secondary industry

Student/University Credit Unions (FSABAEAJ)

Keywords

• Higher education services
• Distance learning programs
• Educational financing
• Vocational training
• Cultural programs

Headquarters

HQ city

Santo Domingo

HQ country

Dominican Republic

HQ region

Latin America

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Educational Services: Revenue from tuition and educational services through affiliated institutions including UNAPEC (university), CENAPEC (distance learning), and PROMAPEC (workforce training).
2. Educational Financing: FUNDAPEC provides financing for students to pursue education, generating revenue through loan portfolio management.
3. Cultural Programs: Cultural initiatives including exhibitions, concerts, and the photography award generate some revenue and sponsor partnerships.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

APEC is a non-profit educational and cultural group operating in the Dominican Republic through five affiliated institutions: UNAPEC (university higher education in business, technology, and services), FUNDAPEC (educational financing and student loans), CENAPEC (distance education for adults), PROMAPEC (vocational training for youth), and APEC Cultural (cultural programs, exhibitions, and the Premio APEC al Periodismo Fotográfico award). The group delivers integrated education financing, classroom instruction, distance learning, workforce training, and cultural enrichment to individuals across the Dominican Republic.

Product overview

APEC (Acción Pro Educación y Cultura) is a non-profit educational group operating a platform of affiliated institutions focused on education and culture in the Dominican Republic. The portfolio includes UNAPEC (university-level higher education), FUNDAPEC (education financing), CENAPEC (distance education for adults), PROMAPEC (vocational training), and APEC Cultural (cultural promotion programs). Together, these institutions have impacted approximately 500,000 people through education, forming an integrated educational ecosystem covering higher education, financial support, distance learning, professional development, and cultural enrichment.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Premio APEC al Periodismo Fotográfico: Annual photography journalism award program organized by APEC Cultural recognizing Dominican photojournalists. The 2025 edition is the IX edition.

Products and services

• UNAPEC (Universidad APEC) Higher education institution offering undergraduate and graduate academic programs with emphasis on business, technology, and services, integrating teaching, research, and extension to contribute to Dominican society.
• FUNDAPEC Private non-profit foundation providing timely financial resources (educational loans) to foster education and generate growth opportunities for students, contributing to the Dominican Republic's economic, social, and cultural development.
• CENAPEC (Centros APEC de Educación a Distancia) Non-profit educational institution offering high-quality distance education programs for adults to facilitate their incorporation into the country's national development process.
• PROMAPEC (Promoción APEC) Private non-profit institution focused on promoting the integral development of Dominican youth through short vocational courses, making them productive contributors to the country's economic and social progress.
• APEC Cultural (CULTAPEC) Cultural center that promotes Dominican and universal culture through initiatives enhancing cultural heritage, offering an open space for artistic, scientific, and literary expression, including exhibitions, concerts, and the Premio APEC al Periodismo Fotográfico.
• Premio APEC al Periodismo Fotográfico Annual photography journalism award organized by APEC Cultural, recognizing outstanding Dominican photojournalists for works documenting national news and reality with rigor, sensitivity, and social commitment, co-sponsored with Banco Popular Dominicano and the Ministry of Culture.

Quantifiable outcome

• Nearly 500,000 people impacted by APEC's educational institutions
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers4 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles5 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Three partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Banco Popular DominicanocoreGTM or Marketing PartnerBanco Popular Dominicano is a co-sponsor of APEC Cultural's photography award program (Premio APEC al Periodismo Fotográfico) and serves as a repository for the award's collection of photographs.
• Ministerio de CulturacoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe Dominican Ministry of Culture collaborates with APEC Cultural on exhibitions and cultural initiatives, including the annual photography award and traveling exhibitions.
• Fundación M. por la MúsicaminorGTM or Marketing PartnerCultural foundation that organizes musical events with APEC Cultural's sponsorship, including the 'Cuerdas de Esperanza' recital.

Scale indicators9 records

Recent moves12 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• Pontificia Universidad Cat\u00f3lica Madre y Maestra (PUCMM): Dominican Republic private university offering undergraduate and graduate programs with an integrated campus model. Directly comparable to UNAPEC in target market, modality, and geographic footprint in the DR.
• Universidad Nacional Pedro Henr\u00edquez Ure\u00f1a (UNPHU): DR-based private university founded in 1966 offering comprehensive undergraduate and graduate programs. Comparable to UNAPEC in scale, mission, and Dominican higher-education positioning.
• Instituto Tecnol\u00f3gico de Santo Domingo (INTEC): Dominican private university with strong STEM and technology focus. Competes for the same student segments as UNAPEC and serves as a direct peer in DR private higher education.
• Universidad Iberoamericana (UNIBE): DR private university with broad undergraduate and graduate offerings, health-sciences emphasis. Direct peer to UNAPEC in Santo Domingo private higher-education market.

Emerging players

• Fundaci\u00f3n Universitaria Iberoamericana (FUNIBER): Ibero-American educational foundation operating distance-learning programs across Latin America and Europe. Comparable to CENAPEC's adult distance-education model with broader geographic reach.

Regional players

• Universidad Cat\u00f3lica Nordestana (UCNE): Dominican Republic private university with a regional/multi-campus footprint. Comparable to UNAPEC in private non-profit higher-education positioning within the DR.
• Fundaci\u00f3n APEC \u2014 comparable educational-financing peers (e.g., Icetex): Icetex is a Colombian state educational-financing entity; comparable in mission to FUNDAPEC's student-loan financing role. No single private Dominican peer matches FUNDAPEC's scale, so a regional public counterpart is the most relevant comparison.

Broad incumbents

• Coursera: Global online learning platform partnering with universities and companies. Directly competes with CENAPEC's adult distance-learning offering for working-adult learners at lower price points.
• edX: Global online education platform offering university-level courses and credentials. Comparable to CENAPEC as a distance-learning channel competing for adult Dominican learners.
• Infotep (Instituto Nacional de Formaci\u00f3n T\u00e9cnico Profesional): Dominican state technical training institute providing vocational and workforce training. Comparable to PROMAPEC's vocational-training mission and Dominican youth-skilling focus.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks2 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/grupoapec
• Facebookfacebook.com/Grupo-APEC-1555167318035765/?fref=nf
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/grupoapec

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles15 records

Subsidiaries5 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 apec