COFIDES has formalised a €2 million loan to Fundación Valentia. The financing, provided through the Social Impact Fund (Fondo de Impacto Social, FIS), will strengthen social and labour inclusion for people with intellectual disabilities and autism spectrum disorders in the province of Huesca.
With the financial backing of the FIS, Fundación Valentia will carry out two strategic projects: the construction of a day centre and a residential facility in Monzón for young people with intellectual disabilities and autism spectrum disorders, and the launch of a new business line linked to the Foundation’s Special Employment Centre (Centro Especial de Empleo, CEE) in Huesca. This initiative will contribute to job creation for people with disabilities and diversify the organisation’s revenue streams. It will also strengthen the Foundation’s capacity to comply with the highest ESG standards.
The operation will directly benefit 50 people, including young individuals with autism and other developmental disorders who will gain access to new residential and day-care services, as well as people who will obtain employment through Fundación Valentia’s Special Employment Centre. It will also have an indirect impact on their families and the wider community. In addition, the project will improve access to essential services in rural areas of Huesca by creating social infrastructure and ensuring adequate care provision.
The financing agreement was signed at COFIDES’ headquarters by its Chair, Ángela Pérez, and the Director General of Fundación Valentia, Sara María Comenge, in the presence of the Secretary General for Inclusion, Elena Rodríguez.
Elena Rodríguez highlighted that “Fundación Valentia is a benchmark in specialised support for people with intellectual disabilities and autism spectrum disorders. With the FIS investment, it will be able to strengthen this model, expanding residential capacity and enhancing access to employment for these young people.”
COFIDES Chair Ángela Pérez stated that “through this FIS investment, we are supporting an organisation with a long-standing track record and reinforcing the social and labour inclusion of people with autism and other developmental disorders in rural areas, where access to such services is even more necessary. In addition, FIS support also aims to strengthen social organisations by promoting robust management models aligned with the highest standards and advancing the professionalisation of care teams.”
From Fundación Valentia, its General Director Sara Comenge Zarroca expressed gratitude for the support from both COFIDES and the Ministry of Inclusion, noting that “it is thanks to this financial support that organisations can develop innovative and strategic projects that generate significant social impact for people and the territory.”
Valentia has been innovating for more than 62 years without losing sight of its core mission: supporting and caring for those who need it most, as well as the professionals who provide that care. “We want to transform the sector from within, dignifying the caregiving profession, improving training and remuneration, so that caring is truly recognised as equally essential and indispensable as other professions,” the organisation stated.
ABOUT FUNDACIÓN VALENTIA
Fundación Valentia has more than 60 years of experience and currently supports over 660 people with intellectual disabilities in the province of Huesca, combining residential services, day care, training, and employment through its Special Employment Centre.
ABOUT THE SOCIAL IMPACT FUND (FIS)
The FIS is a fund created by the Government through the Recovery, Transformation and Resilience Plan (PRTR) addendum and is financed by the NextGenerationEU instrument. Managed by the Ministry of Inclusion, Social Security and Migration, it is a public financial tool aimed at strengthening the impact ecosystem by supporting investment projects carried out by companies and other entities in Spain that generate positive and measurable social and/or environmental impact. The fund is endowed with €400 million and supports financially sustainable projects that address insufficiently covered social and environmental challenges, while also mobilising additional private resources.
ABOUT COFIDES
COFIDES is a state-owned commercial company that manages public financial funds as well as its own and third-party resources with different objectives: the internationalisation of the Spanish economy, the attraction of foreign investment into strategic sectors in Spain, the promotion of impact investment in Spain, and contributions to the development of the countries in which it invests. Its shareholders include the Spanish State (majority shareholder), Banco Santander, Banco Bilbao Vizcaya Argentaria (BBVA), Banco Sabadell, and CAF–Development Bank of Latin America.
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