What Berlin Brandenburg International School does

Berlin Brandenburg International School (BBIS) is a private international school founded in 1990, organized as a German GmbH and located on a 360,000-square-meter campus in Kleinmachnow near Berlin. It delivers the International Baccalaureate continuum — Primary Years, Middle Years, and Diploma — to approximately 900 students across day and boarding programs, with a 1:10 teacher-student ratio supported by 260+ staff drawn from 43+ nationalities. BBIS holds IB World School authorization alongside accreditations from CIS, ECIS, AGIS, and MSA-CESS, and was Germany's first English-language boarding school, a structural differentiator in the domestic market. Its customer base is structurally atomized, consisting of expatriate and internationally-minded families tied to Berlin's multinational employer and diplomatic ecosystem.

BBIS generates revenue primarily through tuition fees, which are not publicly disclosed; ancillary fees and boarding premiums contribute supplementary income. The go-to-market is direct enrollment via the OpenApply admissions platform, supported by HubSpot-based CRM. The school's technology backbone includes Toddle for learning management, OpenApply for admissions, HubSpot for marketing and CRM, and AWS for infrastructure — a modern SaaS stack typical of digitally maturing international schools but without proprietary AI/ML components. The school received Eco-School recognition in 2025 and is led by Beth Dressler, its first female Director/CEO.

The operating model is asset-heavy but capital-light externally: there is no parent company, no venture or private equity sponsor, and no public funding signals, consistent with a tuition-funded, mission-driven educational GmbH. Strategic direction under new leadership emphasizes digital modernization, accreditation stewardship, and the differentiated boarding offering as the primary levers for incremental growth, with substantial unused campus capacity as a structural option for expansion.

Name

Berlin Brandenburg International School

Legal name

BBIS Berlin Brandenburg International School GmbH

Website

https://bbis.de

Company type

Private

Founded year

1990

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

51–100 employees

Short description

Berlin Brandenburg International School is a private German international school offering the full IB continuum to roughly 900 day and boarding students, serving expatriate and internationally-minded families from a large campus near Berlin.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Kleinmachnow

HQ country

Germany

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Day School Tuition: Tuition fees for approximately 830 day students enrolled from Early Education (ages 3-6) through Grade 12, covering the IB Primary Years Programme, IB Middle Years Programme, and IB Diploma Programme.
2. Boarding Fees: Tuition and accommodation fees for approximately 70 boarding students in Grades 9-12 who live on campus in the BBIS Boarding House.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

BBIS operates an English-language international day and boarding school on a 360,000 sqm campus in Kleinmachnow, Germany, delivering the three International Baccalaureate programmes (Primary Years, Middle Years, and Diploma) to roughly 830 day students and 70 boarding students aged 3-19. The school sells tuition-based educational services, supported by co-curricular activities, student support services, and boarding accommodation for Grades 9-12.

Product overview

BBIS Berlin Brandenburg International School is a leading international day and boarding school offering three International Baccalaureate (IB) programmes: the Primary Years Programme (ages 3-11, covering Early Education and Grades 1-5), the Middle Years Programme (Grades 6-10), and the Diploma Programme (Grades 11-12). The school also operates BBIS Boarding, the first English-language boarding school in Germany, accommodating students in Grades 9-12. Supporting these core educational programmes is a comprehensive co-curricular activities programme (student leadership, sports, arts, music) and extensive student support services (learning support, counselling, career guidance, EAL, health services, libraries, home language programme). Together, these offerings provide a holistic educational experience from early childhood through secondary graduation, preparing students for university and global citizenship.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• IB Primary Years Programme (Early Education) Early education programme for children ages 3-6 following the IB Primary Years framework, using play-based inquiry learning to build foundations for lifelong learning.
• IB Primary Years Programme (Grades 1-5) Primary school programme for Grades 1-5 (ages 6-11) offering a trans-disciplinary curriculum in Language, Maths, Science, Social Studies, plus specialist lessons in German, PE, Art, Music, and Library.
• IB Middle Years Programme (Grades 6-10) Secondary school programme for Grades 6-10 (ages 11-16) following the IB Middle Years Programme, developing critical thinking, creativity, and global perspectives through a holistic curriculum.
• IB Diploma Programme (Grades 11-12) Pre-university programme for Grades 11-12 (ages 16-19) comprising six IB subject groups plus the core (Theory of Knowledge, Extended Essay, and CAS), preparing students for university and beyond.
• BBIS Boarding English-language boarding school for approximately 70 students in Grades 9-12, providing on-campus accommodation with 24/7 support as a home-away-from-home environment.
• Co-Curricular Activities Programme Supplementary programme offering student leadership, sports and athletics, arts and design, music and drama, and other extra-curricular activities for personal growth beyond academics.
• Student Support Services Comprehensive student support including learning support, school counselling, career and college counselling, English as an Additional Language (EAL), academic coaching, health and wellbeing services, libraries, and home language programme.

Segments1 record

Ideal customer profiles1 record

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Ten partnerships are on record, tiered core.

• International Baccalaureate (IB) World SchoolcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerBBIS is an authorized IB World School offering the Primary Years Programme, Middle Years Programme, and Diploma Programme. The IB organization provides curriculum frameworks, assessment standards, and authorization for BBIS to deliver IB programmes.
• Council of International Schools (CIS)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerBBIS is a member of CIS, which provides accreditation, professional development, and a global network for international schools. BBIS adheres to CIS Code of Ethics.
• European Council of International Schools (ECIS)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerBBIS is a member of ECIS, providing access to professional development, networking, and collaborative initiatives for international schools in Europe.
• Association of German International Schools (AGIS)coreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorBBIS is a member of AGIS, the association representing international schools in Germany, providing advocacy and professional networking.
• Middle States Association (MSA)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerBBIS is accredited by MSA-CESS (Middle States Association - Commission on Elementary and Secondary Schools), providing external validation of educational quality.
• Global Safeguarding CollaborativecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerBBIS participates in the Global Safeguarding Collaborative, demonstrating commitment to child protection policies and best practices.
• Next Frontier Inclusion (NFI)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerBBIS is a member of Next Frontier Inclusion, supporting the school's inclusive education approach and diversity initiatives.
• ChildSafecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerBBIS participates in the ChildSafe programme, demonstrating commitment to child protection and safeguarding standards.
• OpenApplycoreTechnology or IntegrationBBIS uses OpenApply for online admissions applications, providing a streamlined digital application process for prospective families.
• ToddlecoreTechnology or IntegrationBBIS uses Toddle as an information platform for communication, notifications, messages, and document sharing between school, students, and parents.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Broad incumbents

• Swiss International School (various Germany campuses): Multi-campus international school group operating IB programmes across several German cities. Overlaps with BBIS on curriculum, target families, and language of instruction, though it competes as part of a wider portfolio.

Direct peers

• International School of Hamburg: IB World School in Hamburg serving an international and German-internationally-minded family base. Comparable curriculum and customer profile, though operating in a different German metropolitan market.
• Strothoff International School: IB-authorized international school in the Frankfurt/Rhine-Main area offering primary and secondary IB programmes to an internationally diverse student body. Comparable in curriculum and target families.
• International School of Düsseldorf: Long-established IB World School in Germany's Rhine-Ruhr region offering the full IB continuum plus boarding. Comparable operating model and target families, though in a different metropolitan market.
• Berlin British School: Another English-language international school in the Berlin metropolitan area offering IB programmes to expatriate and internationally-minded families. Directly competes with BBIS for the same family pool in southwest Berlin.
• Berlin International School (BIS): Berlin-based IB World School offering the full PYP/MYP/DP continuum to an internationally diverse student body. Closest direct competitor to BBIS in terms of curriculum, target families, and boarding-adjacent offerings.
• Frankfurt International School: Large IB World School in Frankfurt offering PYP, MYP, DP and boarding for international students. Comparable scale, curriculum, and expatriate-family focus; competes for some of the same globally-mobile families.
• Munich International School: English-language IB school in the greater Munich area with a long-running boarding programme. Closely comparable to BBIS in curriculum breadth, international student body, and boarding-led model.
• Berlin Metropolitan School: English-language international school in Berlin offering IB programmes from primary through diploma. Competes for the same expatriate and German internationally-minded families considering BBIS.

Others

• Council of International Schools (CIS): Not a school but the accreditation body of which BBIS is a member. Relevant as the gatekeeper organization whose standards shape competitive positioning among accredited international schools.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/BBISofficial
• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UCJQxGRWSuVtLbK6cU_LAs4Q
• Facebookfacebook.com/BBISofficial
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/bbis-berlin-brandenburg-international-school
• Instagraminstagram.com/bbis_official

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles11 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 Brandenburg International School