Hilfswerft
Hilfswerft is a German non-profit (gGmbH) founded in 2014 that runs social entrepreneurship camps, DigiCamps, and inclusion programs at 15+ German universities, plus a sustainability poster line and the Inklupreneur project for inclusive workplaces.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2014
- HeadquartersOldenburg, Germany
- Headcount1–10
- GTM typeB2B and B2C
- OfferingServices
What Hilfswerft does
Hilfswerft gGmbH is a German non-profit limited liability company (gemeinnützige GmbH) founded in November 2014 and headquartered in Oldenburg, with an operational office in Bremen. The company is recognized as tax-exempt by the Finanzamt Oldenburg for educational purposes and civic engagement. It operates a multi-format educational portfolio centered on social entrepreneurship and the UN Sustainable Development Goals, delivered primarily to German universities and Hochschulen. Its four core offerings are: (1) Social Entrepreneurship Camps — 2–3 day in-person workshops at universities where students develop social business concepts around SDG-aligned or partner-chosen themes (e.g., inclusion, climate); (2) DigiCamp — the digital adaptation launched during COVID-19, built on Moodle LMS and Nextcloud, offering synchronous teaching and interactive group work with public seminars priced at €99 for three days; (3) Die Nachhaltigen 222 (Nachhaltigkeitsposter #222DE) — Germany's first poster for sustainable consumption, listing 222+ sustainable German brands and available in corporate-rebranded and regionalized versions; and (4) Inklupreneur — a project supporting companies on inclusive workplace culture and creating jobs for people with disabilities.
The business model combines negotiated university lecturing/service contracts (multi-year, per partnership), one-time public seminar fees (€99 for three-day DigiCamp), and transaction/resale revenue from sustainability posters including corporate rebranding for CSR communications. Distribution is direct-to-institution (campus programs, digital workshops) with a small poster retail overlay. The customer base spans 15+ German higher education institutions (including Uni Bremen, HS Bremerhaven, Goethe Frankfurt, JLU Gießen, Uni Bayreuth, DHBW Lörrach, HU Berlin, FH Münster, Uni Augsburg, HS Emden/Leer, and others), supported by corporate and foundation co-funding from Boehringer Ingelheim (Making More Health), Adalbert-Raps-Stiftung, Schöfplin Stiftung, and Barthel-Stiftung. Hilfswerft holds no external equity funding, has no parent company, and operates with a small core team of fewer than ten employees plus project coordinators and part-time staff. The organization has received formal recognition from the UNESCO Weltaktionsprogramm Bildung für nachhaltige Entwicklung and the BMBF (2017), and from the Rat für Nachhaltige Entwicklung (2019), and is a member of the Social Entrepreneurship Netzwerk Deutschland (SEND).
Hilfswerft firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Hilfswerft
- Legal name
- Hilfswerft gGmbH
- Website
- https://hilfswerft.de
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2014
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 1–10 employees
- Short description
- Hilfswerft is a German non-profit (gGmbH) founded in 2014 that runs social entrepreneurship camps, DigiCamps, and inclusion programs at 15+ German universities, plus a sustainability poster line and the Inklupreneur project for inclusive workplaces.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Hilfswerft industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Social Entrepreneurship Education
- NAICS
- Professional and Management Development Training (611430)
- SIC
- Services-Educational Services (8200)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Entrepreneurship Foundations & Startup Basics (EDAMAHAA)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Entrepreneurship, Business & Innovation Camps (EDAMALAL), Leadership, Management & Teamwork for Business (EDAMAHAI)
Keywords
Where Hilfswerft is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Oldenburg
- HQ country
- Germany
- HQ region
- Europe
Offices2 records
Markets served
Hilfswerft business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B and B2C
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D
Revenue model
- University/College Seminar Services: Hilfswerft acts as implementing service provider for universities. They create the event framework, select speakers with partner institutions, conduct the webinar, and are compensated for their lecturing activities. Universities support with participant recruitment.
- Public Workshop/Seminar Fees: Online seminars for general public are offered at 99 Euro for three days, with certificates provided upon completion.
- Poster Sales and Corporate Rebranding: Sale of sustainability posters (Die Nachhaltigen 222) through partners, with options for corporate rebranding and regional extensions.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| One time/ perpetual license | Pay-as-you-go | Digicamp Online Seminar - Public |
| Other | Multi-year contract | University/Hochschule Partnership |
Go-to-market motion2 records
Distribution channels4 records
Marketing channels6 records
Hilfswerft product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Hilfswerft gGmbH delivers practice-oriented social entrepreneurship education through multi-day in-person Social Entrepreneurship Camps at German universities and Hochschulen, an online seminar format called DigiCamp delivered via Moodle LMS and Nextcloud, customizable workshops and seminars on social entrepreneurship topics, the Die Nachhaltigen 222 sustainability poster (with corporate rebranding and regional extensions), and the Inklupreneur project supporting companies in building inclusive workplace cultures and creating jobs for people with disabilities.
Product overview
Hilfswerft is a non-profit educational provider (gGmbH) founded in 2014 with the mission to promote social entrepreneurship in Germany. The company operates a multi-format educational portfolio centered on four core offerings: (1) Social Entrepreneurship Camps — in-person multi-day intensive workshops at German universities where students develop social business ideas aligned with the SDGs; (2) DigiCamp — a virtual/online adaptation of the camp format using Moodle and Nextcloud infrastructure; (3) the Nachhaltigkeitsposter #222DE (Die Nachhaltigen 222) — Germany's first sustainability poster listing 222+ sustainable German brands, available in standard, rebranded corporate, and regionalized versions; and (4) Inklupreneur — a dedicated project supporting companies in building inclusive workplace cultures and creating jobs for people with disabilities. Supporting offerings include customizable workshops, an SDG information platform, and a newsletter with regional and national tracks. The organization partners with numerous German universities and Hochschulen and is recognized as a non-profit educational institution.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- Inklupreneur: A project of Hilfswerft that supports companies on their path to an inclusive work culture and creates jobs for people with disabilities.
- Social Entrepreneurship Camps
- DigiCamp
- Die Nachhaltigen 222
Products and services
- Social Entrepreneurship Camps
Quantifiable outcome
- Participants develop complete social business concepts including elevator pitches within 2-3 day camps
Companies that use Hilfswerft
Customer profileNamed customers6 records
Segments3 records
Ideal customer profiles3 records
Hilfswerft technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature1 record
Hilfswerft partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Ten partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.
- Making More Health (Boehringer Ingelheim)coreSocial Entrepreneurship Initiative partnership with Boehringer Ingelheim. Joint SE Camps focused on healthcare/social entrepreneurship topics. Making More Health is a Social Entrepreneurship project of Boehringer Ingelheim. Joint camps held at universities including Uni Gießen and others.
- Universität BremencoreLong-standing partnership for Social Entrepreneurship Camps. Worked together on inclusion-focused camps and regional sustainability poster projects.
- Hochschule BremerhavencorePilot location for first DigiCamp; ongoing partnership for SE Camps. Co-hosted Tiny Living DigiCamp with MeerCommunity.
- Goethe Universität FrankfurtcoreMaking More Health SE Camp partnership. Joint initiative for healthcare-focused social entrepreneurship education.
- MeerCommunity (HS Emden/Leer)corePartnership with Hochschule Emden/Leer entrepreneurship initiative for Tiny Living DigiCamp and other programs.
- AshokaminorRainer Höll from Ashoka served as speaker/referent at SE Camps. Ashoka builds bridges between foundations, politics, welfare, and social entrepreneurs.
- Social Impact Lab MünchenminorKerstin Reimers from Social Impact Lab served as speaker at SE Camps. Part of Social Impact gGmbH network supporting social startups.
- Social Entrepreneurship Netzwerk Deutschland (SEND)minorHilfswerft is a SEND member, participating in social entrepreneurship network activities.
- World Citizen SchoolminorCollaboration on SE Talk events; World Citizen School at Uni Tübingen published Social Innovation Education book featuring Hilfswerft programs.
- Boehringer Ingelheim (Global)coreParent company of Making More Health initiative. Long-term partnership for SE education programs.
Scale indicators3 records
Recent moves7 records
Expansion highlights5 records
Hilfswerft competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Enactus Germany: Student-led social entrepreneurship network active at German universities, organizing competitions and programs that develop social business ideas among students — directly comparable to Hilfswerft's university-based SE Camp format and target audience.
- Social Entrepreneurship Netzwerk Deutschland (SEND): Germany's national network for social entrepreneurship, of which Hilfswerft is a member. SEND connects social entrepreneurs, organizes events and educational programming, and serves a similar mission in promoting SE education and ecosystem building.
- Social Impact Lab (Social Impact gGmbH): German social impact organization that runs entrepreneurship programs, startup support, and educational events for social entrepreneurs. Highly comparable to Hilfswerft given overlapping SE education formats, network of social entrepreneurs, and German non-profit positioning.
- Social Entrepreneurship Akademie (SEA): Munich-based initiative providing training and certificate programs in social entrepreneurship for students and professionals — directly comparable educational offerings to Hilfswerft's SE Camps and DigiCamps in the German market.
- World Citizen School: Social innovation education initiative at Universität Tübingen that runs camps and programs on social entrepreneurship — featured alongside Hilfswerft in the Social Innovation Education book and a documented collaboration partner.
Broad incumbents
- Yunus Social Business / Social Business gGmbH: Promotes the social business concept (Muhammad Yunus model) with educational programs in Germany and globally; overlaps with Hilfswerft in social entrepreneurship curriculum and university outreach.
- Ashoka Germany: Global leader in social entrepreneurship with a strong German presence; identified as a Hilfswerft partner through speaker/referent Rainer Höll. Operates broader 'Changemaker' educational programs across many institutions, overlapping in target audience and SE curriculum.
- PHINEO gGmbH: German non-profit analytics and advisory firm for social investment that also runs educational and capacity-building programs for social sector organizations — comparable mission space and non-profit structure.
Regional players
- Hochschule für nachhaltige Entwicklung Eberswalde (HNEE): Specialized German university focused on sustainable development and social entrepreneurship education; comparable in mission to integrate SE into higher education but operates as an institution rather than external provider.
Others
- Startnext: Germany's largest crowdfunding platform for creative, social, and sustainable projects — adjacent ecosystem participant that channels fundraising to social enterprises, many of whom are Hilfswerft's target alumni audience.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat4 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights6 records
Customer concentration
Hilfswerft social profiles
Digital presenceHilfswerft financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Hilfswerft leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles5 records
Hilfswerft funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Hilfswerft 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 Hilfswerft
What does Hilfswerft do?
Hilfswerft gGmbH delivers practice-oriented social entrepreneurship education through multi-day in-person Social Entrepreneurship Camps at German universities and Hochschulen, an online seminar format called DigiCamp delivered via Moodle LMS and Nextcloud, customizable workshops and seminars on social entrepreneurship topics, the Die Nachhaltigen 222 sustainability poster (with corporate rebranding and regional extensions), and the Inklupreneur project supporting companies in building inclusive workplace cultures and creating jobs for people with disabilities.
Is Hilfswerft a public or private company?
Hilfswerft is a private company. It is classified as nonprofit foundation owned and is currently operating.
When was Hilfswerft founded?
Hilfswerft was founded in 2014. It employs 1 to 10 people.
Where is Hilfswerft based?
Hilfswerft is headquartered in Oldenburg, Germany, in the Europe region.
How does Hilfswerft make money?
Three revenue lines are on record. University/College Seminar Services are the primary driver. The others are public Workshop/Seminar Fees and poster Sales and Corporate Rebranding.
Who are Hilfswerft's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Enactus Germany, Social Entrepreneurship Netzwerk Deutschland (SEND), Social Impact Lab (Social Impact gGmbH), Social Entrepreneurship Akademie (SEA) and World Citizen School. Broad incumbents are Yunus Social Business / Social Business gGmbH, Ashoka Germany and PHINEO gGmbH. Hochschule für nachhaltige Entwicklung Eberswalde (HNEE) is listed as a regional player. Startnext is listed as an others.
Does Hilfswerft have an API?
No public API is recorded for Hilfswerft.
What industry is Hilfswerft in?
Hilfswerft's product category is Social Entrepreneurship Education. Its primary akta.pro industry code is EDAMAHAA, Entrepreneurship Foundations & Startup Basics, with a secondary code of EDAMALAL, Entrepreneurship, Business & Innovation Camps. Its NAICS code is 611430 and its SIC code is 8200.