The Association Guidance Service (COAC SOC)has supported a total of 325 Association members since its creation in July 2020, a significant number that demonstrates the value and necessity of the service. The COAC SOC came about during the COVID-19 pandemic crisis, to support all those architects who, whether due to the pandemic or other situations, needed financial help or advice.

Most of the professionals have requested help for economic reasons, well ahead of other cases such as situations of dependency, disability, long-term illness or mental health. The COAC SOC has awarded a total of 491 forms of financial support, of which 38% were direct loans, 49% were rebates on Association fees, and 13% were either in the form of debt forgiveness (6%) or extraordinary aid (7%).

Men accounted for 56% of the total number of requests for financial support, with woman accounting for the remaining 44%. By age group, 43% of the architecture professionals seeking the COAC SOC’s services were between 40 and 60, followed by those under 40, who account for 29%and, finally, those over 60, with 28%.

A service with a long history
The COAC SOC offers financial support, advice, personal counsel and professional guidance to Association members. It also wants to expand its objectives to include the promotion of entrepreneurship, innovation and other initiatives that will help ground the service and enhance its professional activity.

We want to continue supporting the architects who need it most. For this reason, we encourage you to support the COAC SOC with a voluntary annual fee of 12 euros or any other one-off contribution you would like to make.  We count on your support and stand by the usefulness of this service, which also reinforces our institution’s raison d’être and what it means to be a part of it.