CADIAI

La entidad en datos

Principal actividad:Health and social care services, education and inclusion

Año de creación: 1974
Personalidad jurídica: Social Cooperative (Type A, according to Italian law)

Número de personas trabajadoras: 1869
Región/País en el que opera:Bologna–Emilia-Romagna, Italy

Categoría: Care

CADIAI is a Type A social cooperative founded in Bologna, Italy, in 1974. It was born out of a grassroots movement led by a group of women committed to providing care services where the public sector fell short. Their goal was not only to deliver essential services but to promote social inclusion, employment opportunities, and participatory governance.

Over the years, CADIAI has expanded significantly in both scale and scope. Today, it provides services across health and social care, early childhood education, and inclusion for disadvantaged individuals. It operates with over 1.800 employees and a strong gender balance, particularly in management roles. The cooperative has also made strategic decisions to invest in quality systems, staff training, and partnerships with institutions and research centres.

The choice of a social cooperative legal form was driven by a desire to combine entrepreneurial capacity with a social mission, democratic governance, and stakeholder engagement. This structure has supported long-term sustainability and impact, though it has required navigating regulatory complexities and balancing economic viability with social goals.

CLAVES DEL ÉXITO E IMPACTO EN LA SOCIEDAD

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DESAFÍOS ENFRENTADOS

Among the main challenges are navigating complex regulatory frameworks, ensuring financial sustainability in the face of increasing service demands, and adapting to demographic and social changes. Recruiting and retaining skilled personnel in

care and educational services is also a constant priority, as is maintaining cooperative identity amid growth and diversification.

ESCALABILIDAD Y REPLICABILIDAD

CADIAI’s model is highly replicable in contexts with a strong tradition of community-based welfare and institutional collaboration

The keys are solid governance, continuous investment in human capital, and alignment between social mission and business strategy

Its experience can serve as a model for developing care cooperatives or inclusive service enterprises in other European regions.

CONCLUSIONES Y MORALEJA

From CADIAI’s experience, the most important lesson is that it is possible to build a successful enterprise by putting people and social goals at the centre. Combining democratic governance with professional management and long-term partnerships creates resilience and trust. For new social entrepreneurs, our story shows that social impact and economic sustainability can go hand in hand, especially when rooted in community needs and shared responsibility.

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