Institute for Social Work and Social Pedagogy

What Institute for Social Work and Social Pedagogy does

The Institute for Social Work and Social Pedagogy (Institut für Sozialarbeit und Sozialpädagogik e.V., 'ISS') is an independent, non-profit applied-research and consulting institute headquartered in Frankfurt am Main with a second office in Berlin. Founded in 1974 by the Federal Association of Workers' Welfare (AWO) and operating as an autonomous registered association (e.V.) since 1991, the organization conducts practice-oriented research, evaluations, expert reports, and consulting across ten thematic areas: Age, Poverty, Democracy, Loneliness, Europe, Equality, Children/Youth/Family, Migration, Social Practice, and Welfare.

ISS delivers its services primarily through commissioned research projects and policy advisory engagements for German federal and state government ministries (notably BMFSFJ and BMAS), welfare associations, municipalities, and health insurance funds. Its service portfolio spans research and consulting, scientific project support and evaluation, transfer and knowledge-brokerage activities, organizational development for welfare organizations, continuing education and training, and publications — including the long-standing journal 'Migration und Soziale Arbeit' (since 1979) and recurring flagship projects such as the Kompetenznetz Einsamkeit (Loneliness Competence Network) and the Beobachtungsstelle für gesellschaftspolitische Entwicklungen in Europa.

The institute employs 51-100 staff and operates on a non-profit, project-based funding model financed through public grants and institutional clients rather than commercial fees. Revenue mechanics are driven by competitive procurement and direct commission from ministries, welfare associations, and EU-funded partnerships. Recent strategic activity indicates expansion into national coordination roles (e.g., the 'Allianz gegen Einsamkeit', 2026), disability inclusion research, gender care economics (jointly with Fraunhofer FIT), and digital qualification products (e.g., an online course for TU Kaiserslautern), while maintaining its core position as a go-to independent advisor for German social policy.

Name

Institute for Social Work and Social Pedagogy

Legal name

Institut für Sozialarbeit und Sozialpädagogik e.V.

Website

https://iss-ffm.de

Company type

Private

Founded year

1974

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

51–100 employees

Short description

ISS is an independent German non-profit applied-research and consulting institute, founded in 1974 and headquartered in Frankfurt am Main, that conducts evaluations, expert reports, and policy advisory work on social policy topics for federal and state ministries, welfare associations, and municipalities.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Social Policy Research and Consulting

NAICS

Research and Development in the Social Sciences and Humanities (541720), Research and Development in the Social Sciences and Humanities (54172)

SIC

Services-Engineering, Accounting, Research, Management (8700), Services-Social Services (8300)

akta.pro primary industry

Survey, Panel & Fieldwork Services (BPAHALAJ)

akta.pro secondary industry

Research Administration & Grants Management Support (Pre/Post-Award, Compliance) (EDAEALAO)

Keywords

• Social policy research
• Practice research consulting
• Social work consulting
• Policy evaluation services
• Welfare research institute

Headquarters

HQ city

Frankfurt

HQ country

Germany

HQ region

Europe

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Others

Revenue model

1. Research and Consulting Services: The institute operates as a non-profit research and consulting organization that conducts commissioned research projects and provides expert consulting services to government ministries, welfare organizations, and municipalities. Revenue is generated through project-based funding from public institutions and government agencies.

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels3 records

Core offering

The Institute for Social Work and Social Pedagogy (ISS) is an independent, non-profit practice research and consulting institute that conducts scientific research, evaluations, expert studies, project support, knowledge transfer, and advisory services for social and socio-political fields. It works primarily for government ministries, welfare associations, and municipalities on themes including age, poverty, democracy, loneliness, equality, children/youth/family, migration, and social practice.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Research and Consulting Services Scientific research and consulting services for social and socio-political fields, including evaluation, expertise, project support, knowledge transfer, and advisory services for government ministries, welfare organizations, and municipalities.
• Publications and Studies Regular publication of research reports, expert opinions, and studies accessible to the professional and general public, including the journal 'Migration und Soziale Arbeit' (Migration and Social Work), the oldest specialized journal in Germany in the field of migration and integration.
• Continuing Education and Training Occupational continuing education and in-house training programs for social work professionals, including qualification series and workshops focused on professional development in social work.
• Online Course 'Gender und Gleichstellung an Hochschulen' An online course developed for the Technical University of Kaiserslautern to provide foundational understanding of gender equality concepts for students, staff, and faculty.
• Kompetenznetz Einsamkeit (Loneliness Competence Network) A network that analyzes causes and consequences of loneliness in Germany and promotes exchange about prevention and intervention measures, including conducting the Einsamkeitsbarometer for the Federal Ministry.
• Beobachtungsstelle für gesellschaftspolitische Entwicklungen in Europa (Observatory for Socio-Political Developments in Europe) A project analyzing socio-political developments in Europe and their potential impact on Germany.
• INSPIRE YOUth Model Project A model project studying loneliness in elementary school children, in which 428 children in grades 2-4 were surveyed, conducted together with AWO and the University of Witten/Herdecke.
• Fachbeirat 'Digitalisierung und Bildung für ältere Menschen' (Expert Advisory Board on Digitalization and Education for Older People) An advisory board promoting participation, self-determination, and digital literacy of older people.

Named customers3 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

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

• AWO Bundesverband (Workers' Welfare Federal Association)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe AWO Bundesverband founded the institute in 1974. The institute has maintained a close working relationship with AWO, conducting commissioned research projects including studies on gender equality reports and social media usage among youth.
• Fraunhofer Institute for Applied Information Technology (FIT)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaborated on the Gender Care Gap project to research the causes of the gender care gap in Germany and identify connections with the gender pay gap and gender pension gap.
• DOSB - German Olympic Sports ConfederationmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaboration on prevention of sexualized violence in sports, including evaluation of inclusion management projects in sports organizations.
• DSJ - German Sports YouthmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner in European project on prevention of sexualized violence in sports, coordinating expert group activities.
• Stiftung Wohlfahrtspflege NRWmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCo-funded the Young Refugees NRW project providing support for refugee children and youth.
• AWO Westliches Westfalen e.V.majorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner in the Young Refugees NRW project focusing on improving the integration of young refugees.
• Federal Ministry of Labor and Social Affairs (BMAS)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerFunded the project on inclusion managers for non-profit sports organizations implementing UN Disability Rights Convention.
• Stadt GelsenkirchenminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCommissioned organizational development process for the Department of Education and Social Affairs.
• IJAB - Fachstelle für Internationale JugendarbeitminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerProject partner in scientific monitoring of 'Kommune goes International' initiative for international youth work.

Scale indicators1 record

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Wissenschaftszentrum Berlin für Sozialforschung (WZB): Berlin-based social science research institute focused on inequality, migration, democracy, and education policy. Overlaps directly with ISS on thematic areas and on federal ministry commissioning for policy-relevant evaluations and expert reports.
• Deutsches Jugendinstitut (DJI): Germany's leading extra-university social research institute for children, youth, families, and social policy. Directly comparable to ISS as a federally commissioned practice research institute delivering evaluations, expert reports, and policy consulting for the same federal ministry client base.
• ISOE – Institut für Sozial-Ökologische Forschung: Frankfurt-based practice research institute delivering transdisciplinary sustainability and social research. Comparable to ISS as a fellow Frankfurt non-profit practice-research institute with project-based public funding.
• GESIS – Leibniz-Institut für Sozialwissenschaften: Leibniz Association social science research institute offering survey, methodology, and data services for the academic and policy research community. Comparable to ISS as a major German social-science research provider with government and EU funding.

Broad incumbents

• ifo Institut – Leibniz-Institut für Wirtschaftsforschung: Munich-based economic research institute offering policy evaluations and surveys. Comparable to ISS as a German extra-university research institute serving federal and state policy clients, though with a stronger economic rather than social-pedagogical focus.
• Bertelsmann Stiftung: Major private foundation running large-scale studies on education, social cohesion, and demographic change. Comparable to ISS in publishing high-profile German social-policy research with similar ministry and public-sector commissioning patterns.
• Deutsches Institut für Wirtschaftsforschung (DIW Berlin): Leibniz economic and social research institute with broader scope covering labor markets, education, and family policy. Comparable to ISS as a federally funded Berlin-based policy research body competing for similar ministry tenders.
• Hans-Böckler-Stiftung: Confederation-affiliated foundation conducting labor-market, social-policy, and inequality research. Comparable to ISS through its welfare-affiliation heritage and its role as a commissioned social-policy research provider.

Regional players

• Deutsches Institut für Internationale Politik und Sicherheit (SWP): German foreign-policy think tank advising the federal government on Europe and international affairs. Comparable to ISS through its EU-policy observatory work and federal-government advisory positioning.

Others

• Fraunhofer-Institut für Angewandte Informationstechnik (FIT): Fraunhofer applied IT research institute and ISS's documented partner on the Gender Care Gap project. Comparable as a collaborator and ecosystem participant, illustrating the type of applied-research partnerships ISS uses to extend its delivery capability.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/institut-f%C3%BCr-sozialarbeit-und-sozialp%C3%A4dagogik

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles10 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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