GBB-Rating
GBB-Rating is an ESMA-registered, Cologne-based European credit rating agency that conducts annual credit assessments of approximately 200 German private banks plus Bausparkassen and leasing firms, serving financial institutions and the Prüfungsverband ecosystem.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1996
- HeadquartersKöln, Germany
- Headcount51–100
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingServices
What GBB-Rating does
GBB-Rating Gesellschaft für Bonitätsbeurteilung mbH is a Cologne-headquartered, ESMA-registered European credit rating agency founded in 1996 as a wholly-owned subsidiary of Prüfungsverband deutscher Banken e.V. The firm specializes exclusively in creditworthiness assessments of financial institutions, delivering annual ratings for approximately 200 private banks in Germany as well as institutions across the broader European market. Its product portfolio spans bank, Bausparkassen (building society), Leasing, SME, bond, Pfandbrief, and deposit ratings, with methodologies that have been continuously refined since inception and most recently updated through the Einlagenrating v2.00 framework in May 2025.
The firm's commercial model is B2B professional services: commissioned (beauftragte) ratings, risk-potential and risk-situation analyses for the Prüfungsverband's risk management function, classification assessments for the Einlagensicherungsfonds des privaten Bankgewerbes (including admission ratings for prospective members), and statutory contribution calculations for the Entschädigungseinrichtung deutscher Banken (EdB) since 2012. GBB-Rating holds ECAI status under CRR and Solvency II, meaning its outputs are eligible inputs for regulatory capital calculations, and operates under EU Regulation 1060/2009 with mandatory ESMA transparency and operational disclosures. Document exchange with rated institutions is handled through the parent's Connect secure data platform.
Revenue mechanics are professional-services based, with multi-year contracts governed by an internal pricing policy (Richtlinie zur Preisfestsetzung); specific fee levels are not publicly disclosed. Two Managing Directors (Bernd Bretschneider and Oliver Mohr) lead a team of 51-100 employees, with a supervisory structure that includes the shareholder and Independent Non-Executive Directors (INEDs). The customer base is structurally narrow and association-governed, which limits churn but caps addressable expansion without changes in regulatory or association mandates.
GBB-Rating firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- GBB-Rating
- Legal name
- GBB-Rating Gesellschaft für Bonitätsbeurteilung mbH
- Website
- https://gbb-rating.eu
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 1996
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 51–100 employees
- Short description
- GBB-Rating is an ESMA-registered, Cologne-based European credit rating agency that conducts annual credit assessments of approximately 200 German private banks plus Bausparkassen and leasing firms, serving financial institutions and the Prüfungsverband ecosystem.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
GBB-Rating industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Credit Rating Services
- NAICS
- Credit Bureaus (561450)
- SIC
- Asset-Backed Securities (6189)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Structured Finance Ratings & Surveillance (FSACACAI)
- akta.pro secondary industry
- Mortgage Secondary Data, Analytics & Pricing/Valuation Services (FSALAFAN)
Keywords
Where GBB-Rating is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Köln
- HQ country
- Germany
- HQ region
- Europe
Offices2 records
Markets served
GBB-Rating business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Others
Revenue model
- Commissioned Credit Ratings (Beauftragte Ratings): GBB-Rating conducts commissioned ratings for banks, Bausparkassen (building societies), and Leasinggesellschaften (leasing companies) in the European space. Fees are charged for these professional credit assessment services.
- Deposit Guarantee Fund Assessments: Ratings and classifications for member institutions of the Einlagensicherungsfonds des privaten Bankgewerbes (Deposit Guarantee Fund of the Private Banking Industry), conducted on behalf of the Prüfungsverband deutscher Banken e.V.
- Entschädigungseinrichtung deutscher Banken (EdB) Rating Services: Since 2012, GBB-Rating results are used for calculating the contribution regulations of the Compensation Institution of German Banks (EdB), Berlin, representing a regulatory-mandated revenue stream.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Other | Multi-year contract | Professional rating services for financial institutions |
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels1 record
Marketing channels4 records
GBB-Rating product offering
Product offeringCore offering
GBB-Rating is an ESMA-recognized European credit rating agency that conducts commissioned credit ratings for private banks, Bausparkassen (building societies), and Leasinggesellschaften (leasing companies) across Europe. The agency issues ECAI-eligible ratings used for regulatory capital calculations under CRR and Solvency II, classifies member institutions for the Einlagensicherungsfonds (deposit guarantee fund), and provides rating results used by the Entschädigungseinrichtung deutscher Banken (EdB) for contribution calculations.
Product overview
GBB-Rating offers a unified portfolio of credit rating products for the European financial services sector. The core offering consists of credit ratings for banks, building societies (Bausparkassen), and leasing companies, complemented by SME ratings and bond/Pfandbrief ratings. All ratings are conducted under ESMA supervision and EU Regulation 1060/2009. The portfolio is supported by a secure data exchange platform called Connect, enabling regulated document submission and communication.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Bankenratings (Bank Credit Ratings)
- Bausparkassenratings (Building Society Ratings)
- Leasingratings (Leasing Company Ratings)
- Ratings für mittelständische Unternehmen (SME Credit Ratings)
- Anleihe- und Pfandbriefratings (Bond and Pfandbrief Ratings)
- Einlagenrating (Deposit Ratings)
Quantifiable outcome
- Annual assessment of approximately 200 banks of the private banking industry
Companies that use GBB-Rating
Customer profileNamed customers5 records
Segments5 records
Ideal customer profiles4 records
GBB-Rating technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature4 records
GBB-Rating partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Six partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.
- Entschädigungseinrichtung deutscher Banken (EdB)coreSince 2012, GBB-Rating results have been used for calculating the contributions under the EdB's contribution regulations. GBB-Rating is authorized under the EdB's contribution regulation dated 12.12.2011 for contribution calculations.
- European Securities and Markets Authority (ESMA)coreESMA is the European Union's securities regulator. GBB-Rating is officially recognized by ESMA as a European credit rating agency, registered on 27.08.2011 under EU Regulation 1060/2009. GBB-Rating has obtained ECAI (External Credit Assessment Institution) status for both commissioned and unsolicited ratings for calculating capital requirements under CRR and Solvency II Directive.
- Prüfungsverband deutscher Banken e.V. (PV)coreGBB-Rating was founded in 1996 by Prüfungsverband deutscher Banken e.V. and remains a wholly-owned subsidiary (Beteiligung) of the association. GBB-Rating supports the Prüfungsverband's risk management through risk potential analyses and assessments of the risk situation of individual institutions, as well as the care of selected institutes. The parent organization provides the Connect exchange platform for secure data exchange.
- Einlagensicherungsfonds des privaten BankgewerbescoreGBB-Rating annually assesses the creditworthiness of member institutions of the Deposit Guarantee Fund of the Private Banking Industry. It conducts the classification procedure (Klassifizierungsverfahren) for member institutions and prepares admission ratings for banks applying for membership.
- TATIN Institute GmbHminorTATIN Institute GmbH (Isarwinkel 6, 81379 München) was responsible for the concept and design of GBB-Rating's website, as indicated in the impressum/website credits.
- WEISSER DESIGNminorWEISSER DESIGN (Bernauer Straße 5, 83209 Prien am Chiemsee) implemented and realized GBB-Rating's website, as indicated in the impressum/website credits.
Scale indicators4 records
Recent moves11 records
Expansion highlights5 records
GBB-Rating competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Scope Group (Scope Ratings AG): Berlin-based European credit rating agency with ESMA-recognized ECAI status, focused primarily on European corporates and financial institutions. Directly comparable to GBB-Rating as a fellow EU-native ECAI competing for the same bank and structured-finance assessment mandates.
- Creditreform Rating AG: Neuss-headquartered German rating agency with ECAI status, rating SMEs, banks, and corporates across German-speaking markets. Closest direct competitor to GBB-Rating in terms of geographic focus and ECAI positioning within the German institutional market.
- ASSEKURATA Assekuranz Rating-Agentur GmbH: Cologne-based German rating agency focused on insurance companies and financial service providers, ESMA-registered. Operates the same niche ECAI business model as GBB-Rating in an adjacent segment of the German financial-services rating market.
- Euler Hermes Rating GmbH (Allianz Trade): Hamburg-based, Allianz-owned rating agency that historically issued country and bank ratings in Germany and Europe. Operates the same ECAI framework as GBB-Rating and is a relevant benchmark for German-bank credit assessment methodologies.
Broad incumbents
- Moody's Ratings: Global credit rating agency with a long-standing EU presence (Moody's Deutschland GmbH) and ECAI recognition. Competes with GBB-Rating for German bank and Pfandbrief/bond mandates while offering a much broader global product suite.
- S&P Global Ratings: Global rating agency with ESMA-recognized EU operations (S&P Global Ratings Europe Limited). A broad-spectrum incumbent competing for the same CRR/Solvency II-driven German-bank and structured-finance rating work as GBB-Rating.
- Fitch Ratings: Global credit rating agency with EU-registered entities and ECAI status. Competes head-on with GBB-Rating for German private bank credit assessments while also serving as a benchmark for methodology transparency and ESG integration.
- DBRS Morningstar (now part of Morningstar): Global rating agency with ESMA-registered EU affiliates (DBRS Ratings GmbH) and ECAI mapping. Competes for the same European bank and structured-finance rating mandates as GBB-Rating, with comparable EU-native positioning.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat5 records
Key risks5 records
Key highlights6 records
Customer concentration
GBB-Rating social profiles
Digital presenceGBB-Rating compliance and trust
Trust signalCompliance4 records
GBB-Rating financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
GBB-Rating leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles2 records
GBB-Rating funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
GBB-Rating 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 GBB-Rating
What does GBB-Rating do?
GBB-Rating is an ESMA-recognized European credit rating agency that conducts commissioned credit ratings for private banks, Bausparkassen (building societies), and Leasinggesellschaften (leasing companies) across Europe. The agency issues ECAI-eligible ratings used for regulatory capital calculations under CRR and Solvency II, classifies member institutions for the Einlagensicherungsfonds (deposit guarantee fund), and provides rating results used by the Entschädigungseinrichtung deutscher Banken (EdB) for contribution calculations.
Is GBB-Rating a public or private company?
GBB-Rating is a private company. It is classified as corporate owned and is currently operating.
When was GBB-Rating founded?
GBB-Rating was founded in 1996. It employs 51 to 100 people.
Where is GBB-Rating based?
GBB-Rating is headquartered in Köln, Germany, in the Europe region.
How does GBB-Rating make money?
Three revenue lines are on record. Commissioned Credit Ratings (Beauftragte Ratings) is the primary driver. The others are deposit Guarantee Fund Assessments and entschädigungseinrichtung deutscher Banken (EdB) Rating Services.
Who are GBB-Rating's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Scope Group (Scope Ratings AG), Creditreform Rating AG, ASSEKURATA Assekuranz Rating-Agentur GmbH and Euler Hermes Rating GmbH (Allianz Trade). Broad incumbents are Moody's Ratings, S&P Global Ratings, Fitch Ratings and DBRS Morningstar (now part of Morningstar).
Does GBB-Rating have an API?
No public API is recorded for GBB-Rating.
What industry is GBB-Rating in?
GBB-Rating's product category is Credit Rating Services. Its primary akta.pro industry code is FSACACAI, Structured Finance Ratings & Surveillance, with a secondary code of FSALAFAN, Mortgage Secondary Data, Analytics & Pricing/Valuation Services. Its NAICS code is 561450 and its SIC code is 6189.