BI Medien

What BI Medien does

BI Medien GmbH is a privately held German media and SaaS company, founded in 1950 and headquartered in Kiel, with a branch office in Rostock. The company operates a vertically integrated B2B platform serving the German public and private procurement ecosystem, specifically focused on the construction industry. Its core business spans three segments: a SaaS web application for electronic public procurement (B_I eVergabe) used by contracting authorities (Auftraggeber) to create, manage, and award tenders; a searchable tender database (B_I ausschreibungsdatenbank) with 10,000+ active tenders covering all 16 German states and all trade categories, used by contractors (Auftragnehmer); and four specialist trade journals (B_I baumagazin, B_I galabau, B_I umweltbau, B_I baufahrzeuge) plus the bau.bi news portal covering construction, landscaping, environmental construction, and construction vehicles.

Revenue is generated through four streams: subscription fees from contractors accessing the tender database (regionally tiered, monthly), negotiated SaaS contracts with contracting authorities (annual, per the AGB), transaction fees on tender document orders distributed via the platform, and advertising in the four trade journals. The GTM motion is hybrid: self-serve PLG with a free trial for contractors and demo-request enterprise sales for public-sector contracting authorities. Distribution is multi-channel, including SaaS, print editions (B_I ausschreibungsblatt Nord-Ost, Ausschreibungsblatt Brandenburg-Berlin), and forwarding to Vergabe24. Supporting tools include the Vergabe-Wissen knowledge portal with email courses, GDPR-compliant data handling, and integrations with PAYONE (payments), Brevo (email), Google Analytics/AdWords (analytics and paid acquisition), and Aumago (B2B audience targeting). The company is led by Managing Director Lasse Lommel, employs 11–50 people, and operates exclusively within Germany.

Name

BI Medien

Website

https://bi-medien.de

Company type

Private

Founded year

1950

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

BI Medien is a German B2B media and SaaS company, founded in 1950, operating a two-sided electronic public procurement platform (B_I eVergabe and B_I ausschreibungsdatenbank) and four construction trade journals serving contracting authorities and contractors across all 16 German states.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Public Procurement Software

NAICS

Software Publishers (513210)

akta.pro primary industry

Contract Lifecycle Management (CLM) & Document Automation (BPAEAPAD)

akta.pro secondary industry

Sourcing Support & RFx Administration (RFI/RFP/RFQ) (BPAAAJAC)

Keywords

• Public procurement software
• Electronic tendering platform
• Tender search database
• Construction trade journals
• Bid management system

Headquarters

HQ city

Kiel

HQ country

Germany

HQ region

Europe

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Software

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. B_I ausschreibungsdatenbank (Subscription for contractors): Contractors (Auftragnehmer) pay subscription fees to access the tender database, search for public and private contracts, and receive tender documents. Pricing is tiered and region-dependent.
2. B_I eVergabe (SaaS platform for contracting authorities): Contracting authorities (Auftraggeber) use the eVergabe web application to create tenders, receive electronic bids, and award contracts. Pricing follows a negotiated contract model per the AGB.
3. Vergabeunterlagen (Tender document sales): Fees charged for ordering tender documents in electronic or printed form, set by the contracting authority and collected by B_I MEDIEN as their distribution partner.
4. Trade journal advertising: B_I MEDIEN publishes four construction trade journals (B_I baumagazin, B_I galabau, B_I umweltbau, B_I baufahrzeuge) with advertising space sold to industry companies.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

B_I MEDIEN operates two SaaS platforms for public construction procurement in Germany: the B_I ausschreibungsdatenbank (tender search database for contractors) and B_I eVergabe (e-procurement SaaS for contracting authorities). The company also publishes four specialist trade journals for the German construction industry and runs the bau.bi news portal.

Product overview

BI Medien operates a three-segment business model: (1) a SaaS platform for electronic public procurement (B_I eVergabe), (2) a B2B tender search service (B_I ausschreibungsdatenbank), and (3) four construction trade journals (B_I baumagazin, B_I galabau, B_I umweltbau, B_I baufahrzeuge) aggregated through the bau.bi news portal. The B_I ausschreibungsdienste brand encompasses both the search database and eVergabe platform, enabling contractors to find tenders and contracting authorities to publish and manage procurement processes. The platform covers all 16 German states, all performance types (construction, supply, services), and serves both public and private sector clients.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• B_I ausschreibungsdatenbank A searchable B2B database service enabling contractors (Auftragnehmer) to find public and private tenders across all 16 German states and trade categories, with filtering by region and service type, saved search profiles, and automated email alerts.
• B_I eVergabe A SaaS web application for electronic public procurement that enables contracting authorities (Auftraggeber) such as municipalities and government agencies to create tenders, receive electronic bids, manage team collaboration, and award contracts in compliance with German/EU procurement law.
• B_I baumagazin Specialist trade journal covering construction industry news, economics, policy, and building techniques, with advertising space sold to industry companies.
• B_I galabau Specialist trade journal focused on landscape gardening, urban green spaces, and outdoor facility management, with advertising space sold to industry companies.
• B_I umweltbau Specialist trade journal covering underground infrastructure, pipeline construction, and environmental construction engineering, with advertising space sold to industry companies.
• B_I baufahrzeuge Specialist trade journal covering construction vehicles and heavy equipment for the construction industry, with advertising space sold to industry companies.
• bau.bi News portal aggregating content from all four B_I trade journals, providing current industry news and developments for the German construction industry.
• B_I ausschreibungsblatt Print publication of tender notices in regional editions including B_I ausschreibungsblatt Nord-Ost and Ausschreibungsblatt Brandenburg-Berlin, complementing the online database with regional printed tender notices.

Named customers1 record

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration6 records

Feature2 records

Partnerships

Three partnerships are on record, tiered minor.

• Vergabe24minorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorB_I MEDIEN forwards tender notices to Vergabe24 (www.vergabe24.de) for additional online distribution, enabling contracting authorities' notices to reach a wider audience of potential bidders through Vergabe24's platform.
• bitkomminorOthersB_I MEDIEN is a member of bitkom, the German digital association, indicating alignment with the German technology and digitalization ecosystem.
• Schleswig-Holstein. Der echte Norden. (Partnerprogramm)minorOthersB_I MEDIEN is part of the 'Schleswig-Holstein. Der echte Norden.' partner program, a regional branding initiative, reflecting the company's roots in Schleswig-Holstein.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• Vergabe24: Operates a nationwide e-procurement platform for German public contracting authorities; both a distribution partner of BI Medien and a direct competitor for tender publication and contractor reach.
• Deutsches Vergabeportal (DTVP): Central German e-procurement portal serving contracting authorities across federal, state, and municipal levels; competes head-on with B_I eVergabe for Auftraggeber mandates and offers a bidder-facing search experience comparable to B_I ausschreibungsdatenbank.
• evergabe.de (Heuer Dialog): Long-running German e-procurement SaaS and tender-notice portal competing directly with both B_I eVergabe (platform) and B_I ausschreibungsdatenbank (search).
• Subreport Verlag Schaumburg: Publishes a well-known German tender database and print editions; competes directly with B_I ausschreibungsdatenbank for contractor subscriptions and Auftraggeber publication.
• auftragsboerse.de / Ausschreibungen Deutschland: German tender search portal offering nationwide public and private tender access; overlapping target customer base of contractors with B_I ausschreibungsdatenbank.
• Erich Schmidt Verlag (vergabeportal.de): German legal/publishing house operating an e-procurement portal and tender database; directly comparable combination of regulatory expertise and SaaS-style public procurement platform.

Emerging players

• Cosuno: Berlin-based construction procurement SaaS offering tender search, bid management, and subcontractor matching; intersects with BI Medien's contractor use cases but adds workflow SaaS aimed at general contractors.

Broad incumbents

• Bauverlag (Bauhaus Fachverlag): Established German construction trade publisher covering adjacent verticals to the four B_I journals; competes for advertising budgets and industry audience in the same content categories.
• RIB Software / Schneider Electric Construction (iTWO cx): Provides enterprise construction and procurement SaaS to contractors and public clients; broader functionality but overlaps with eVergabe in electronic tendering and contract award workflows.

Others

• service.bund.de / Bund.de Vergabeplattform: Government-operated portal publishing federal tenders; a free comparator that establishes pricing pressure on B_I eVergabe and the B_I ausschreibungsblatt print channels.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/bi_medien

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

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 BI Medien