Madrid, May 4, 2026. COFIDES formalized a €2 million loan to Fundación Valentia. The financing, provided through the Social Impact Fund (FIS), will strengthen the social and labor inclusion of people with intellectual disabilities and autism spectrum disorders in the province of Huesca.
With financial backing from the FIS, Fundación Valentia will carry out two strategic projects: the construction of a day center 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 Center (CEE) in Huesca. This initiative will contribute to job creation for people with disabilities and to diversifying the organization’s revenue streams. It will also strengthen the foundation’s capabilities to meet best-in-class ESG standards.
The operation is expected to directly benefit 50 people, including young people with autism and other developmental disorders who will gain access to new residential and day care services, as well as others who will find employment through Fundación Valentia’s Special Employment Center
The project will also have an indirect impact on their families and the surrounding community. In addition, the operation contributes to improving access to basic services in rural areas of Huesca by creating social infrastructure and providing appropriate care.
The financing agreement was signed at COFIDES headquarters by its Chair, Ángela Pérez, and Fundación Valentia’s Director-General, Sara María Comenge, in the presence of the Secretary General for Inclusion, Elena Rodríguez.
Elena Rodríguez, Secretary General for Inclusion: “Fundación Valentia is a benchmark in providing specialized support to people with intellectual disabilities and autism spectrum disorders. Thanks to the FIS investment, it will be able to strengthen this model by increasing residential capacity and enhancing access to employment for these young people.”
Ángela Pérez, Chair and CEO of COFIDES: “Through this FIS investment, we support an organization with a long track record while advancing the social and labor inclusion of people with autism and other developmental disorders in rural areas, where access to these services is even more essential. In addition, FIS support is also intended to strengthen social organizations by fostering robust management models aligned with best standards and promoting the professionalization of care teams.”
On behalf of Fundación Valentia, its Director-General, Sara Comenge Zarroza, expressed her gratitude for the support from both COFIDES and the Ministry of Inclusion, noting that “it is thanks to this financial support that organizations can develop innovative and strategic projects that generate a significant social impact for people and local communities.”
For more than 62 years, Valentia has continued to innovate while staying true to its core mission: supporting and caring for those who need it most, as well as for the professionals who provide that care. “We aim to transform the sector from within by dignifying caregiving work, improving training and compensation, and ensuring that the profession is truly valued on par with other essential roles.”
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, providing residential services, day care, training, and employment opportunities through its Special Employment Center.
ABOUT SOCIAL IMPACT FUND (SIF)
The SIF is a fund created by the Government through the addendum to the Recovery, Transformation and Resilience Plan (PRTR, by its acronym in Spanish) and has resources from the NextGenerationEU instrument. It is a public financial instrument assigned to the Ministry of Inclusion, Social Security and Migration that aims to strengthen our impact ecosystem by supporting investment projects carried out by companies and other entities in Spain that generate a positive and measurable social and/or environmental impact.
With a budget of €400M, it offers financial support to projects that are financially sustainable, and which contribute to responding to insufficiently addressed social and environmental challenges, also promoting the mobilization of additional private resources.
ABOUT COFIDES
COFIDES is a state-owned trading company that manages financial funds from the Spanish State, as well as its own resources and those of third-party institutions with various objectives: the internationalization of the Spanish economy, the attraction of foreign investment into strategic sectors in Spain, the promotion of the impact economy in Spain, and the contribution to the development of the countries in which it invests. In addition to the State, which holds a majority position, other shareholders include Banco Santander, Banco Bilbao Vizcaya Argentaria (BBVA), Banco Sabadell, and CAF–Development Bank of Latin America.
