The Fundació per a la Universitat Oberta de Catalunya (Foundation for the Open University of Catalonia) was created through an initiative of the Generalitat de Catalunya (Autonomous Government of Catalonia) on 6 October 1994, to encourage the creation of its own offer of distance-learning university education.
Its chief aim is to promote the creation and recognition of the UOC, which gives preferential treatment to research into methodologies and techniques applied to distance-learning university education.
The Foundation is governed by a Board of Trustees representing entities with a strong presence throughout Catalonia and with a good reputation in society. It is made up of the Generalitat de Catalunya, the Federació Catalana de Caixes d'Estalvis (Catalan Federation of Savings Banks), the Cambra de Comerç, Indústria i Navegació de Barcelona (Barcelona Chamber of Commerce), and the Institut d'Estudis Catalans.
The FUOC watches over the correct and efficient governing and management of the University and carries out inspection, evaluation and control work necessary to guarantee the best possible quality of the educational process.
After the process of constitution, the UOC was unanimously recognized by the Act 3/1995 dated 6th April, which recognised the UOC, published in the Diari Oficial de la Generalitat de Catalunya (Official Journal of the Generalitat de Catalunya) No. 2040 dated 21 April 1995.