AEP – Penafiel Business Association, founded in 1892, is a non-profit institution, recognised as a Public Utility (1993) and holder of the Municipality's Gold Medal. Its mission is to represent and defend business interests, promoting technical, economic and social progress, as well as preparing citizens for the job market. It has several departments: Project Studies (support for initiatives and business plans), Accounting (taxation and management), Legal Office (personalised advice), Image and Events (promotion, conferences, workshops), Erasmus Projects (European cooperation) and Training & Seminars (innovative methodologies, languages, gender equality). AEP has been certified in 22 training areas since 1998 and currently has 25 employees, 40 trainers and 287 students.