Berlin Football Association

What Berlin Football Association does

The Berlin Football Association (Berliner Fussball-Verband e.V., BFV) is a registered non-profit sports federation founded in 1897 and headquartered at Humboldtstraße 8a in Berlin, with a secondary training facility, the Landesleistungszentrum Richard Genthe, in Berlin-Wannsee. It is the official regional member of the German Football Association (DFB) and serves as the exclusive governing body for amateur football in the state of Berlin, overseeing 375 member clubs, over 170,000 members, 3,300 teams, and approximately 1,500 matches per weekend across men's, women's, youth, senior, eFootball, children's, Walking Football, Futsal, and Beach Soccer categories.

The BFV's service portfolio is organized around four pillars: Spielbetrieb (match operations and league/cup administration via the DFBnet platform), Talentförderung (youth selection teams, 9 DFB support bases, and the JLK Junior Performance Squad for elite young referees), Qualifizierung (C-Lizenz, B-Lizenz, DFB-Basis-Coach, and DFB-JUNIOR-COACH certification programs for coaches and referees), and Gesellschaftliche Verantwortung (anti-discrimination, violence prevention, inclusion, integration, child protection, and the Scandic ID League for intellectually disabled players). Supporting functions include club development consulting, event management (Sparki-Cup, degewo-SOCCERlympics, DFB events), the Wannsee Sports School, and the BFV newsletter.

The BFV operates with approximately 50 permanent employees and 200+ volunteers and is funded primarily through a combination of state government support from the State of Berlin and a sponsorship portfolio featuring premium partners Berliner Sparkasse, Lotto Berlin, Nike, COSY WASCH, and degewo, alongside operational partners Berliner Pilsener, defendo, and Polytan. Distribution occurs through direct club engagement, the DFBnet digital platform, the Wannsee training facility, and owned digital channels (Instagram, Facebook, YouTube, LinkedIn, newsletter). It is governed by a President (Bernd Schultz), a Managing Director (Kevin Langner), and Vice Presidents covering Social Responsibility, Communications, Finance & Marketing, Legal Affairs, and Future BFV strategy.

Name

Berlin Football Association

Legal name

Berliner Fußball-Verband e. V.

Website

https://berliner-fussball.de

Company type

Private

Founded year

1897

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

51–100 employees

Short description

The Berlin Football Association is a non-profit regional football federation founded in 1897, governing amateur football in Berlin across 375 member clubs, 170,000+ members, and 3,300 teams. It organizes league and cup competitions, talent development, coach and referee certification, and social responsibility programs, funded by the State of Berlin and a portfolio of premium sponsors.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Amateur Sports Federation Services

NAICS

Spectator Sports (71121), Promoters of Performing Arts, Sports, and Similar Events with Facilities (71131)

SIC

Services-Membership Organizations (8600)

akta.pro primary industry

Amateur Sport Governing Bodies & Federations (National/Regional) (MPAKACAD)

akta.pro secondary industry

Championship & Cup Organizers (MPAKADAB)

Keywords

• Amateur football governance
• League match operations
• Talent development programs
• Sports federation services
• Referee qualification training

Headquarters

HQ city

Berlin

HQ country

Germany

HQ region

Europe

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Government Funding: The State of Berlin provides financial support to the BFV as the primary public funding source.
2. Sponsorship: The BFV generates revenue through sponsorship arrangements with premium partners including Berliner Sparkasse, Lotto Berlin, Nike, COSY WASCH, and operational sponsors including degewo, Berliner Pilsener, defendo, and Polytan.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

The Berlin Football Association (Berliner Fußball-Verband, BFV) is the official regional umbrella sports federation for amateur football in Berlin, founded in 1897. It organizes league and cup match operations for approximately 3,300 teams across men's, women's, youth, seniors, eFootball, children's, Futsal, and Beach Soccer divisions, runs roughly 1,500 matches every weekend, delivers coach and referee qualification programs, operates talent development pathways including 10 Berlin selection teams and 9 DFB support bases, and administers social responsibility initiatives for its 375 member clubs and over 170,000 members.

Product overview

The Berlin Football Association (Berliner Fussball-Verband, BFV) operates as a state sports federation managing amateur football in Berlin through four interconnected core service areas: Spielbetrieb (Match Operations) for league and cup organization across all age and gender categories; Talentförderung (Talent Development) through selection teams, DFB support bases, and the Junior Performance Squad (JLK) for referee development; Qualifizierung (Qualification) for coach and referee education and certification; and Gesellschaftliche Verantwortung (Social Responsibility) encompassing anti-discrimination, inclusion, volunteer promotion, and child protection programs. Supporting services include club development consulting, event management (Sparki-Cup, SOCCERlympics, DFB events), the Wannsee Sports School facility, digital services through DFBnet for match reporting, and the BFV newsletter. The organization manages 375 clubs with over 170,000 members, organizing approximately 1,500 matches every weekend.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Spielbetrieb (Match Operations) Organization of league and cup competitions for approximately 3,300 football teams in Berlin, with around 1,500 matches every weekend, covering men's, women's, youth, seniors, eFootball, children's football, Walking Football, Futsal, and Beach Soccer divisions.
• Talentförderung (Talent Development) Youth talent identification and development delivered through 10 Berlin selection teams, 9 DFB support bases, and specialized training for coaches and referees.
• Qualifizierung (Qualification) Education and certification programs for coaches (C-Lizenz, B-Lizenz, DFB-Basis-Coach, DFB-JUNIOR-COACH) and referees including rules training, aftercare, and licensing.
• Gesellschaftliche Verantwortung (Social Responsibility) Social impact programs including anti-discrimination, violence prevention, inclusion, integration (FUSSBALL GRENZENLOS), child and youth protection, and promotion of girls and women in football.
• Vereinsentwicklung (Club Development) Club consulting, club dialog, and board meeting programs to support Berlin football clubs in their organizational development.
• Landesleistungszentrum Richard Genthe (Wannsee Sports School) State performance center in Berlin-Wannsee used for coach training, talent development, and referee education programs, including an annual international Easter training course.
• DFBnet Match Reporting Online match reporting system for recording match incidents, discrimination cases, and game statistics through the DFBnet platform.
• BFV-Pokal (Landespokal) State Cup Competition Annual state cup competition for Berlin amateur football including men's, women's, and youth categories, culminating in the Finaltag der Amateure amateur final day.
• Walking Football Low-impact football format for older adults and those seeking gentler physical activity, with certification for coaches and specific service offerings for clubs.
• Antidiskriminierung (Anti-Discrimination Service) Discrimination reporting system with confidential handling, documentation, and support for affected persons, including referral to professional counseling centers.

Named customers1 record

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration9 records

Partnerships

13 partnerships are on record, tiered core, major and minor.

• German Football Association (DFB)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerNational governing body for football in Germany; the BFV operates 9 DFB bases and follows DFB qualification standards.
• North-East German Football Association (NOFV)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerRegional football association for North-East Germany; BFV participates in NOFV competitions and talent development events.
• Landes-Sport-Bund Berlin (LSB Berlin)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerBerlin state sports federation; provides framework for sports in Berlin and supports BFV initiatives.
• degewomajorOthersPremium partner and sponsor of the degewo-SOCCERlympics event; housing company supporting Berlin amateur football.
• Berliner SparkassemajorOthersPremium partner providing financial services sponsorship to the BFV.
• Lotto BerlinmajorOthersPremium partner and state lottery operator supporting Berlin sports.
• NikemajorOthersPremium partner providing sports equipment and apparel sponsorship; sponsor of the Nike Youth Cup.
• COSY WASCHmajorOthersSponsor of the COSY-WASCH Landespokal competition.
• Berliner PilsenerminorOthersBeer partner and operational sponsor of the BFV.
• defendominorOthersSponsor of the defendo-Pokal competition.
• PolytanminorOthersTurf and sports surface manufacturer sponsoring the Polytan-Pokal.
• Disabled and Rehabilitation Sports Association BerlinminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner for organizing the Scandic ID League for people with intellectual disabilities and mental illnesses.
• Lesbian and Gay Association Berlin-BrandenburgminorGTM or Marketing PartnerCooperation partner for the 'Red Card for Homophobia' campaign against violence and exclusion.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Regional players

• Football Association of Ireland (FAI): National governing body for association football in Ireland, with analogous structure of regional leagues, cup competitions, talent pathways and referee/coach qualification. Comparable as a federation-level organization, although operating at national rather than regional scope.

Direct peers

• Hessischer Fußball-Verband (HFV): DFB regional football association for Hesse, including the Frankfurt metropolitan area. Comparable peer in amateur football governance, league operation, and club development — similar state-level mandate to BFV but with different urban/rural mix.
• Niedersächsischer Fußballverband (NFV): DFB regional football federation for Lower Saxony, another large state-level football association. Functionally equivalent to BFV (DFB-mandated amateur league organization, talent identification, referee/coach qualification) at multi-region scale.
• Landes-Sport-Bund Berlin (LSB Berlin): Berlin's umbrella state sports confederation coordinating all sport federations in the city, including BFV itself. Directly comparable as a state-level sports umbrella body serving Berlin citizens, providing policy framework and cross-sport coordination relevant to BFV's operations.
• Schleswig-Holsteinischer Fußball-Verband (SHFV): DFB regional football federation for Schleswig-Holstein in northern Germany. Closely comparable in mandate and structure to BFV — amateur football governance, league organization, talent development, referee training — at modestly smaller member-club scale.
• Westdeutscher Fußball- und Leichtathletikverband (WFLV): DFB regional association for North Rhine-Westphalia covering football and athletics in Germany's most populous state. Comparable to BFV in function (league organization, talent pipeline, referee qualification) at meaningfully larger member-club scale.
• North-East German Football Association (NOFV): Regional football federation covering the North-East of Germany (Brandenburg, Mecklenburg-Vorpommern, Sachsen, Sachsen-Anhalt, Thüringen). Directly comparable to BFV in scope (amateur football governance, league/cup organization) and structure (DFB regional member); BFV itself participates in NOFV competitions.
• Bayerischer Fußball-Verband (BFV Bavaria): Largest DFB regional football federation by membership, organizing amateur football throughout Bavaria. Direct peer in mandate (amateur league and cup organization, talent development, referee training) and product portfolio, but operating across a much larger geographic footprint than BFV.

Broad incumbents

• German Football Association (DFB): National governing body for football in Germany and the apex federation of which BFV is a regional member. Operates the national team, Bundesliga coordination, and the DFBnet platform that BFV uses; comparable in mandate (football governance) but vastly larger in scale and resources.
• Deutscher Olympischer Sportbund (DOSB): The national umbrella organization for German Olympic and non-Olympic sports, providing overarching sport policy, funding distribution and athlete development coordination. Broader and more strategic in scope than BFV but a relevant partner/funder relationship for a state-level federation.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/@BerlinerFuballVerbandeV
• Facebookfacebook.com/berlinerfv
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/41343401
• Instagraminstagram.com/berlinerfv
• Xx.com/BerlinerFV

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles13 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 Berlin Football Association