S&F Group

What S&F Group does

S&F-Consulting Modernes Verpflegungsmanagement GmbH (trading as S&F Group / S&F-Gruppe) is a German professional services and platform company headquartered in Pfaffenhofen an der Ilm with a secondary office in Lippstadt. Founded in 1999 and operating since across the DACH region, the company serves the communal catering (Gemeinschaftsverpflegung) sector — primarily hospitals, senior care facilities, corporate staff restaurants, schools/universities, and hospitality operators — with an integrated portfolio spanning purchasing, consulting, kitchen planning, executive recruitment, and public tendering services. Its core technology is the internet-based S&F-Einkaufsportal, a purchasing cooperative and procurement platform aggregating demand from approximately 300 connected large kitchens against a 500+ supplier pool, with LMIV-compliant allergen and additive data and ERP/integration interfaces to menu ordering, POS, and financial accounting systems (including jb-x, coptec, necta, solufind, KitCat365, and cloudmenü).

Revenue is generated through four streams: (1) volume-based supplier rebates and commissions on cooperative purchasing activity (the membership itself is free), supplemented by EDV system provisioning; (2) fee-based consulting engagements covering analyses, concept development, quality management, HACCP, interim management, and tender management; (3) planning fees from kitchen architecture, interior design, and engineering projects; and (4) 100% success-fee executive recruitment (Führungskräftevermittlung). Go-to-market is sales-led, with business unit leaders managing key accounts, supplemented by inbound inside sales, the annual S&F-Symposium (up to 350 attendees, 40 exhibitors, in its 19th edition), S&F-WEBings online seminars, the S&F-Branchenstimme newsletter, and referrals from a 1,000+ project client base. In September 2024 the company was acquired by US-based Buyers Edge Platform and now operates as a subsidiary within that purchasing platform group while retaining the S&F brand and DACH operating focus.

Name

S&F Group

Legal name

S&F-Consulting Modernes Verpflegungsmanagement GmbH

Website

https://sundf-gruppe.de

Company type

Private

Founded year

1999

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

S&F Group is a German consulting and services firm specializing in communal catering management, offering a purchasing cooperative portal, advisory, kitchen planning, and executive recruitment to hospitals, care facilities, corporate cafeterias, and educational institutions across Germany.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Pfaffenhofen An Der Ilm

HQ country

Germany

HQ region

Europe

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Einkauf (Purchasing Cooperative / Portal Membership): Revenue derived from membership fees and transaction commissions within the S&F purchasing cooperative. The purchasing portal aggregates buying volume across ~300 connected large kitchens to negotiate better supplier conditions. While the membership itself is described as 'kostenfrei' (free to join), the cooperative model generates revenue through volume-based rebates and negotiated margins with suppliers. Additional revenue comes from EDV system provisioning and support.
2. Beratung (Consulting Services): Fee-based consulting engagements covering analyses, concept development, quality management, HACCP implementation, tender management, interim management, and project implementation support for catering operations. Charged on a project or retainer basis.
3. Planung (Planning/Design Services): Revenue from kitchen planning, architectural and interior design services, engineering for refrigeration and kitchen technology, and project management for new builds, renovations, and modernization of large-scale catering facilities.
4. Führungskräftevermittlung (Executive Recruitment): Success-fee-based placement of executives in the catering/hospitality sector. 100% success-oriented billing model, with fees charged upon successful placement.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels9 records

Core offering

S&F Group provides consulting, large-scale kitchen planning, executive recruitment, tendering services, and an internet-based purchasing cooperative for the communal catering and hospitality industries in Germany. Its portfolio covers food and non-food procurement, quality/HACCP consulting, kitchen and restaurant design, public and private tendering, and specialized management recruitment, serving hospitals, corporate cafeterias, educational institutions, and gastronomy operators.

Product overview

S&F Group operates as a comprehensive service group for communal catering management, offering an integrated portfolio of digital platforms and professional services. The core product is the S&F-Einkaufsportal, an internet-based purchasing platform that serves as a purchasing community for Food and Non-Food products, complemented by BuyGastroSystem for smaller gastronomy operators. The group's services are organized into distinct business areas: S&F-Beratung (consulting) providing advisory services, analyses, and quality management; S&F-Planung (planning) offering kitchen and restaurant design and technical planning; Führungskräftevermittlung (executive placement) for recruitment; and S&F-Ausschreibungen (tendering) for procurement support. Event-based offerings include the annual S&F-Symposium (Germany's largest catering industry symposium), S&F-WEBings (online training), and workshops. The group positions itself as a holistic partner since 1999, with over 1,000 completed projects across Care, Business, and Education sectors.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• S&F-Einkaufsportal: Internet-based purchasing portal and procurement network for food and non-food products serving communal catering and hospitality in Germany.
• BuyGastroSystem
• S&F-Symposium
• S&F-Beratung
• S&F-Planung
• S&F-BRANCHENSTIMME

Products and services

• S&F-Einkaufsportal

Quantifiable outcome

• Significant improvement in purchasing conditions through cooperation with S&F Group (specific savings percentage not disclosed publicly)
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers16 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles1 record

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration9 records

Feature4 records

Partnerships

Twelve partnerships are on record, tiered minor and core.

• Buyers Edge PlatformminorOthers · 5 September 2024S&F Group announced it became part of the Buyers Edge Platform family in September 2024. This represents a corporate acquisition/integration into a larger purchasing platform group. Details on the nature of the ongoing relationship post-acquisition are not publicly specified.
• ErfaFoodServicecoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 26 July 2021ErfaFoodService is a unique network promoting experience exchange among gastronomy and industry professionals at eye level. In collaboration with S&F Group, it co-developed the BuyGastroSystem — an internet-based marketplace and supply management system specifically for individual, system, leisure gastronomy and hotel operations. The partnership also grants ErfaFoodService participants access to S&F Group's pre-negotiated supplier pool and regular market price reports.
• IB Beck IngenieurbürominorImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerEngineering partner listed in the S&F planning division, providing specialized technical planning services in collaboration with S&F's kitchen planning team.
• Kolb PlanungsbürominorImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerPlanning partner collaborating with S&F's design and engineering team on large-scale catering facility projects.
• Planungsbüro LeicherPartnerminorImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerPlanning partner referenced as part of the S&F planning division's specialist partner network.
• FCSI (Foodservice Consultants Society International)minorOthersProfessional association membership providing S&F Group with access to international consultancy network and industry credibility. FCSI logo is displayed on the planning division page.
• DHA (Deutsche Hotel und Gaststättenverband)minorOthersGerman Hotel and Restaurant Association membership. S&F Group displays DHA membership logo among industry association affiliations.
• DVKC (Deutscher Verband der Koche)minorOthersGerman Cooks Association membership displayed on company website as part of industry network affiliation.
• VKK (Verband der Köche Deutschlands e.V.)minorOthersAssociation of German Chefs membership displayed as part of S&F Group's professional network.
• DNSV (Deutsche Nichtraucherverband / DG Gould)minorOthersGerman Non-Smokers' Association membership displayed as industry affiliation.
• FEMAK (Fachvereinigung für Marketing)minorOthersFEMAK marketing association membership displayed as part of S&F's industry network.
• DIE FAMILIENUNTERNEHMERminorOthersAssociation representing German family businesses. S&F Group is a member as a family-owned company.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• CHEFS CULINAR: German foodservice procurement specialist and distributor serving large kitchens with bundled Food and Non-Food assortments — the closest operational analog to S&F's procurement-cooperative model on a national scale.
• Transgourmet Deutschland: Own-brand foodservice procurement and cash & carry operator for large kitchens and gastronomy in Germany, directly comparable to S&F's core food and non-food procurement mission.
• EGV Lebensmittel für Großverbraucher: Germany-focused foodservice procurement specialist serving large-scale kitchens and communal caterers with shared assortment and supplier terms — mirrors S&F's volume-aggregation logic.

Broad incumbents

• METRO AG (Foodservice Distribution): International foodservice distributor with a large German footprint serving HoReCa and communal catering, with substantially broader assortment and own-brand depth than S&F's cooperative.
• Apetito AG: German meal-service provider for institutional customers (Care, Education, Business), overlapping with S&F's core end markets from the operator/integrator side rather than the procurement-platform side.
• Dussmann Group: German facility-services and catering-services group operating across Care and Business dining; comparable to S&F at the customer/segment level though delivered via direct operating contracts.
• Compass Group (Germany): Global contract caterer with German operations across Business, Healthcare and Education — overlaps with S&F's primary client verticals but executes catering directly rather than providing procurement/consulting services to operators.
• Aramark (Germany): Global contract food and facilities services firm with a German presence in Business, Healthcare and Education catering — comparable customer base though delivered through direct operating contracts.
• Sodexo (Germany): International food and facilities management provider active in German institutional catering; comparable to S&F in end-market coverage though operating as a direct contract caterer rather than a service platform to operators.

Regional players

• Klüh Catering: Mid-sized German catering service provider and contract caterer for Business, Healthcare and Care segments — overlaps with S&F's primary verticals without the consulting/procurement-platform angle.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/@sundf-gruppe/featured

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles4 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about S&F Group