SOKA-BAU
SOKA-BAU is the jointly-operated social fund institution of the German construction industry, providing mandated vacation management, branch pension, vocational training funding, and voluntary supplementary retirement products to nearly 80,000 member companies and their commercial workers under collective-agreement-based contributions.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1957
- HeadquartersWiesbaden, Germany
- Headcount1,001–5,000
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingServices
What SOKA-BAU does
SOKA-BAU is the joint social fund institution of the German construction industry, operating as a dual-entity structure comprising Urlaubs- und Lohnausgleichskasse der Bauwirtschaft (ULAK, registered association) and Zusatzversorgungskasse des Baugewerbes AG (ZVK, stock corporation), both headquartered in Wiesbaden and jointly governed by the employer associations HDB and ZDB and the trade union IG BAU. It administers three mandated product pillars for the industry's commercial workforce: portable vacation cash equalization (Urlaub), branch pension provision (Tarifrente Bau, which replaced the legacy Rentenbeihilfe in 2016), and vocational training subsidies (Berufsbildung, in operation since 1974). Participation is mandatory for construction companies covered by the applicable collective agreements, producing a captive membership base of nearly 80,000 companies across Germany.
The underlying technology is a digital platform stack centered on the Kundenportal (employer and employee self-service portals), an electronic monthly-reporting system that integrates with an approved roster of construction payroll software providers (DATEV, NEVARIS, RIB, pds, Sage, SAP, BRZ, among others), and supporting services including the SIKOflex/SIKOplan working-time-account solutions and the bau-stellen.de job portal. The revenue model is contribution-based and regulated by collective agreement: employers pay percentage-of-gross-wages contributions into vacation, pension, vocational training, and winter-employment accounts, while individuals can additionally save through the voluntary BauRente ZukunftPlus and BasisPlus products. Bilateral agreements with Belgium, Denmark, France, Italy, Austria, and Switzerland extend coverage to international worker dispatches. ZVK is supervised by BaFin as a Pensionskasse.
Customer interaction occurs across multiple channels — the Kundenportal, free phone hotlines for employers and employees, webinars, on-site info events (SOKA-BAU vor Ort), social media, and a dedicated international portal — and the institution regularly surveys customers for service quality feedback. Sub-brands include Tarifrente Bau, BauRente, SIKOflex, SIKOplan, and bau-stellen.de, collectively positioning SOKA-BAU as the trusted industry-wide administrator of social security, retirement, and training-funding flows for German construction.
SOKA-BAU firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- SOKA-BAU
- Legal name
- Urlaubs- und Lohnausgleichskasse der Bauwirtschaft, rechtsfähiger Verein gemäß § 22 BGB (ULAK) - Zusatzversorgungskasse des Baugewerbes AG (ZVK)
- Website
- https://soka-bau.de
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 1957
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 1,001–5,000 employees
- Short description
- SOKA-BAU is the jointly-operated social fund institution of the German construction industry, providing mandated vacation management, branch pension, vocational training funding, and voluntary supplementary retirement products to nearly 80,000 member companies and their commercial workers under collective-agreement-based contributions.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
SOKA-BAU industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Construction Industry Social Benefits Administration
- NAICS
- Professional Employer Organizations (561330), Technical and Trade Schools (6115)
- SIC
- Accident & Health Insurance (6321)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Veterans, Military & Employer/Third-Party Billing Benefits (EDALAJAJ)
Keywords
Where SOKA-BAU is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Wiesbaden
- HQ country
- Germany
- HQ region
- Europe
Offices1 record
Markets served
SOKA-BAU business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure, Others
Revenue model
- Social Security Contributions from Employers: Construction companies pay monthly social security contributions based on a percentage of gross wages of commercial workers. These contributions fund vacation compensation, supplementary pensions, and vocational training.
- BauRente Contributions: Voluntary supplementary pension contributions (BauRente ZukunftPlus for employees, BauRente BasisPlus for employers/business owners) that provide additional retirement benefits with state subsidies.
- Winter Employment Levy Collection: SOKA-BAU collects the winter employment levy (1% of gross wages since 01/01/2026) on behalf of the Federal Employment Agency to finance seasonal short-time work benefits.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Usage-based | Monthly | Winter Employment Levy - Total 1% |
| Subscription | Monthly | BauRente ZukunftPlus - Voluntary Supplementary Pension |
| Usage-based | Monthly | Vocational Training Contribution - 2.2% of Gross Wages |
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels6 records
Marketing channels8 records
SOKA-BAU product offering
Product offeringCore offering
SOKA-BAU is the joint social fund institution of the German construction industry that administers tariff-based vacation, pension, and vocational training benefits. It collects social security contributions from construction employers, manages portable vacation entitlements, provides the branch pension (Tarifrente Bau), funds apprenticeship training, and operates Germany's largest construction job portal (bau-stellen.de).
Product overview
SOKA-BAU is the social fund organization (Sozialkasse) for the German construction industry, operating as a dual-entity structure under the Urlaubs- und Lohnausgleichskasse der Bauwirtschaft (ULAK) and Zusatzversorgungskasse des Baugewerbes AG (ZVK). The company provides a portfolio of tariff-based services organized around three core pillars: Urlaub (vacation management with portable vacation accounts), Rente (branch pension covering Rentenbeihilfe and Tarifrente Bau), and Berufsbildung (vocational training subsidies). Additional offerings include the voluntary BauRente supplementary pension (ZukunftPlus for employees, BasisPlus for business owners), SIKOflex and SIKOplan working time account solutions, and the bau-stellen.de job exchange portal. Customers interact with SOKA-BAU through the Kundenportal employer and employee platforms, while data exchange with approved Baulohn-Programm (payroll) software partners enables automated monthly reporting.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- Tarifrente Bau: The branch pension scheme for the construction industry that replaced the previous Rentenbeihilfe in 2016.
- BauRente
- SIKOflex
- SIKOplan
- Bau-Stellen.de
Products and services
- Urlaub (Vacation Management) Manages portable vacation accounts for commercial construction workers, enabling vacation rights to transfer between employers and allowing payout of unused vacation upon employment termination.
- Rente (Branch Pension - Tarifrente Bau) Provides automatic branch pension for all construction workers, with contributions collected via monthly employer reports and benefits portable across employers. Administered under the ZVK (Zusatzversorgungskasse des Baugewerbes AG) entity.
- Berufsbildung (Vocational Training) Supports vocational training in the construction industry by subsidizing apprenticeship compensation and covering costs of inter-company training centers, including course fees, travel, and accommodation. Reimbursement amounts can reach up to €51,208 per apprentice over a 3-year apprenticeship.
- BauRente (Voluntary Supplementary Pension)
Quantifiable outcome
- Up to €51,208 in total funding per apprentice over a 3-year apprenticeship (€25,123 reimbursement of apprenticeship remuneration plus €26,085 for over-the-company training)
- +2 more outcomes
Companies that use SOKA-BAU
Customer profileNamed customers4 records
Segments4 records
Ideal customer profiles2 records
SOKA-BAU technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Integration31 records
Feature4 records
SOKA-BAU partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Nine partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.
- Austria - BUAK (Bauarbeiter-Urlaubs- und Abfertigungskasse)coreFramework agreement for mutual exemption from vacation contribution requirements for construction worker dispatches between Germany and Austria.
- Denmark - Ministry of EmploymentcoreGovernment agreement on mutual inclusion in vacation systems for companies dispatching workers between Germany and Denmark.
- Belgium - ONSS (Office National de Sécurité Sociale) and OPOCcoreBilateral agreement for mutual exemption from vacation contribution requirements when German companies dispatch workers to Belgium and vice versa. Prevents double payments for construction companies working across borders.
- France - Congés Intempéries BTP Union des Caisses de FrancecoreFramework agreement for mutual exemption from vacation procedures when German and French construction companies dispatch workers to each other's countries.
- Italy - CNCE (Commissione Nazionale Paritetica per le Casse Edili)coreFramework agreement for mutual exemption from vacation contribution requirements for construction worker dispatches between Germany and Italy.
- HDB (Hauptverband der Deutschen Bauindustrie)coreOne of two employer associations that jointly operate SOKA-BAU as the social fund institution of the German construction industry.
- ZDB (Zentralverband des Deutschen Baugewerbes)coreOne of two employer associations that jointly operate SOKA-BAU as the social fund institution of the German construction industry.
- IG BAU (Industriegewerkschaft Bauen-Agrar-Umwelt)coreTrade union representing construction workers, jointly operates SOKA-BAU as a joint institution of the German construction industry's social partners.
- Switzerland - Parifonds BauminorSwiss fund for training and enforcement in construction; German companies dispatching to Switzerland may have contribution obligations to Parifonds Bau.
Scale indicators6 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights5 records
SOKA-BAU competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Sozialkasse des Berliner Baugewerbes (SKB): Berlin-based German construction industry social fund that handles vacation and training procedures for Berlin employers outside of SOKA-BAU's direct administration. Functions as a regional carve-out with identical mandate and product portfolio.
- Urlaubskasse des Bayerischen Baugewerbes: Bavaria's parallel social fund for the construction industry, handling vacation procedures for Bavarian employers. Closest direct peer to SOKA-BAU given identical scope and product structure, just geographically carved out.
- Malerkasse (ZVK des Maler- und Lackiererhandwerks): Social fund for the German painter and decorator trade, structurally analogous to SOKA-BAU but serving a different industry sector. Demonstrates how the German sectoral social fund model is replicated across multiple trades, providing a directly comparable operating template.
Regional players
- BUAK (Bauarbeiter-Urlaubs- und Abfertigungskasse): Austrian construction industry social fund with bilateral framework agreement with SOKA-BAU. Provides vacation pay, severance, and winter benefit administration for Austrian construction workers — directly comparable model and the most operationally aligned cross-border counterpart.
- CNCE (Commissione Nazionale Paritetica per le Casse Edili): Italian national body coordinating construction social funds (Casse Edili) across Italy. Has a framework agreement with SOKA-BAU for cross-border dispatches. Operates the same sectoral social fund model for the Italian construction industry.
- Congés Intempéries BTP: French construction industry social fund managing paid vacation, apprenticeship funding, and weather-related benefits for French construction workers. Direct bilateral partner of SOKA-BAU with comparable scope and product offering.
- Parifonds Bau: Swiss construction industry fund for training and enforcement, a bilateral partner of SOKA-BAU. Manages vocational training levies and labor compliance for the Swiss construction sector — smaller scale but same sectoral social fund archetype.
- ONSS (Office National de Sécurité Sociale): Belgian national social security office with bilateral agreement with SOKA-BAU for cross-border construction worker dispatches. While broader in scope than SOKA-BAU (covers all sectors), it is the operational counterpart for Belgian-German construction worker coordination.
Emerging players
- MetallRente Pensionskasse: German supplementary pension fund for the metalworking industry, jointly operated by employers and IG Metall. Comparable as a sectoral Pensionskasse with voluntary supplementary pension products (Riester, employer contributions), competing with SOKA-BAU's BauRente in the broader German market for occupational retirement provision.
Others
- Zentralwohlfahrtsstelle der Juden in Deutschland: Not a direct peer but illustrative of Germany's broader social fund ecosystem; included to highlight the structural pattern of jointly-governed German social institutions. SOKA-BAU's closest functional analogs are actually within the construction industry's parallel funds.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat5 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
SOKA-BAU social profiles
Digital presenceSOKA-BAU financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
SOKA-BAU leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles4 records
SOKA-BAU funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
SOKA-BAU M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about SOKA-BAU
What does SOKA-BAU do?
SOKA-BAU is the joint social fund institution of the German construction industry that administers tariff-based vacation, pension, and vocational training benefits. It collects social security contributions from construction employers, manages portable vacation entitlements, provides the branch pension (Tarifrente Bau), funds apprenticeship training, and operates Germany's largest construction job portal (bau-stellen.de).
Is SOKA-BAU a public or private company?
SOKA-BAU is a private company. It is classified as nonprofit foundation owned and is currently operating.
When was SOKA-BAU founded?
SOKA-BAU was founded in 1957. It employs 1,001 to 5,000 people.
Where is SOKA-BAU based?
SOKA-BAU is headquartered in Wiesbaden, Germany, in the Europe region.
How does SOKA-BAU make money?
Three revenue lines are on record. Social Security Contributions from Employers are the primary driver. The others are bauRente Contributions and winter Employment Levy Collection.
Who are SOKA-BAU's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Sozialkasse des Berliner Baugewerbes (SKB), Urlaubskasse des Bayerischen Baugewerbes and Malerkasse (ZVK des Maler- und Lackiererhandwerks). Regional players are BUAK (Bauarbeiter-Urlaubs- und Abfertigungskasse), CNCE (Commissione Nazionale Paritetica per le Casse Edili), Congés Intempéries BTP, Parifonds Bau and ONSS (Office National de Sécurité Sociale). MetallRente Pensionskasse is listed as an emerging player. Zentralwohlfahrtsstelle der Juden in Deutschland is listed as an others.
Does SOKA-BAU have an API?
No public API is recorded for SOKA-BAU.
What industry is SOKA-BAU in?
SOKA-BAU's product category is Construction Industry Social Benefits Administration. Its primary akta.pro industry code is EDALAJAJ, Veterans, Military & Employer/Third-Party Billing Benefits. Its NAICS code is 561330 and its SIC code is 6321.