Arbeitskreis deutscher Bildungsstätten

What Arbeitskreis deutscher Bildungsstätten does

Arbeitskreis deutscher Bildungsstätten e.V. (AdB) is a registered non-profit professional association (Fachverband) for political youth and adult education, headquartered at Mühlendamm 3, Berlin. Founded in 1959, it coordinates a nationwide network of legally independent member institutions engaged in political Bildung, and operates internationally through the DARE Network and multi-country European projects such as DIYW-ROAD (Digital Youth Work) and SPREAD.

The association's core offerings are programmatic and editorial rather than commercial: it publishes the Fachzeitschrift 'Außerschulische Bildung', the digital platform politischbilden.de, the 'Kompetenzprofil kompetent.politisch.bilden' competence framework, handbooks, and annual reports; and it runs the structured 'Programm Politische Jugendbildung' alongside annual themed initiatives (e.g., 2025/2026 focus on political education in the context of right-wing extremist threats). Governance is led by two co-chairs — Anne Dwertmann (LidiceHaus Bremen) and Karin Pritzel (Herbert-Wehner-Bildungswerk) — with Ina Bielenberg as Managing Director.

AdB's revenue model is non-commercial. It is funded through membership dues from member institutions and through public grants from the Kinder- und Jugendplan des Bundes (KJP), administered by the Federal Ministry for Family Affairs, Senior Citizens, Women and Youth (BMFSFJ). The organization does not operate pricing models or commercial distribution channels; rather, it acts as a coordinating Fachverband, advocacy body, and standards-setter for the German civic education sector, with additional project-based co-funding from partners such as Stiftung Deutsche Jugendmarke.

Name

Arbeitskreis deutscher Bildungsstätten

Legal name

Arbeitskreis deutscher Bildungsstätten e. V.

Website

https://adb.de

Company type

Private

Founded year

1959

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Arbeitskreis deutscher Bildungsstätten is a Berlin-based Fachverband and registered association coordinating legally independent institutions of political youth and adult education across Germany. It funds itself through member dues and federal KJP grants, publishing the journal 'Außerschulische Bildung' and running European projects.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Political and Civic Education Services

NAICS

Educational Support Services (611710), Business Associations (813910), Religious, Grantmaking, Civic, Professional, and Similar Organizations (813)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200), Services-Membership Organizations (8600)

akta.pro primary industry

Education Systems Strengthening (Policy, Planning, EMIS, Governance) (BPADAKAK)

akta.pro secondary industries

Intergovernmental Education Cooperation & Bilateral/Multilateral Programs (EDADALAA), International & Comparative Education Policy Organizations (EDADADAL)

Keywords

• Political education association
• Youth civic education
• Adult education advocacy
• Democratic education network
• Competence profile framework

Headquarters

HQ city

Berlin

HQ country

Germany

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Membership dues: AdB operates as a registered association (e.V.) funded through membership fees from its member institutions, which are legally independent facilities and organizations of political youth and adult education.
2. Government funding: The organization receives public funding from the Kinder- und Jugendplan des Bundes (Children and Youth Plan of the Federal Government) administered by the Federal Ministry for Family Affairs, Senior Citizens, Youth and Women (BMFSFJ).

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

Arbeitskreis deutscher Bildungsstätten e.V. is the German professional association (Fachverband) for non-school-based political youth and adult education. Its core offering is the coordination, representation, and professional development of its legally independent member institutions, supported by publications such as the 'Außerschulische Bildung' Fachzeitschrift, the politischbilden.de digital platform, the Kompetenzprofil framework for educators, structured youth education programs, and pan-European projects such as DIYW-ROAD and SPREAD.

Product overview

Arbeitskreis deutscher Bildungsstätten (AdB) is a professional association for political education operating across Germany and internationally. Its portfolio consists primarily of publications and programs rather than commercial products: the core offering is the 'Außerschulische Bildung' professional journal, complemented by the digital platform politischbilden.de, the Kompetenzprofil competence framework, and the 'Programm Politische Jugendbildung' youth education program. Additional offerings include the DIYW-ROAD and SPREAD projects, along with various handbooks and annual reports. The organization functions as a coordinating body for member institutions rather than a product company.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• kompetent.politisch.bilden: Competence profile for professionals in non-school-based political education, providing an orientation framework for qualification and quality assurance.
• DIYW-ROAD
• SPREAD
• politischbilden.de
• Außerschulische Bildung

Products and services

• Außerschulische Bildung (Fachzeitschrift) Professional journal covering political youth and adult education, publishing peer-reviewed and practitioner articles on youth policy, educational policy, and political Bildung for educators and member institutions.
• politischbilden.de Digital platform for political education providing resources, programs, and networking opportunities for civic education professionals and member institutions.
• Kompetenzprofil kompetent.politisch.bilden Competence profile serving as an orientation framework for qualification, professional development, and quality assurance in non-school-based political education.
• Programm Politische Jugendbildung Structured program for political youth education providing seminars, workshops, and youth encounters organized under AdB coordination and delivered through member institutions across Germany.
• DIYW-ROAD (Digital Youth Work Road) European project on rights-sensitive, open, accessible, and democratic digital youth work, coordinated by AdB with partners in Austria, Bulgaria, Spain and Portugal.
• SPREAD Projekt Project focused on sensitization, political education, reflection, empowerment, and ableism deconstruction to advance inclusive political education.
• Mehr als mit dem Strom schwimmen (Handbook) Handbook offering impulses for more political digital education, covering digital transformation, identity, democratic governance and environmental aspects.
• AdB Jahresbericht (Annual Report) Annual report documenting AdB's activities, projects, strategic directions, and thematic priorities for democratic political education.

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Seven partnerships are on record, tiered major and core.

• Sozialprofil (AT)majorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2026Austrian partner (Verein zur Förderung individueller, institutioneller und gesellschaftlicher Entwicklung) involved in the DIYW-ROAD project and co-publisher of the handbook 'Mehr als mit dem Strom schwimmen'.
• Partners Bulgaria FoundationmajorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2026Bulgarian partner in the DIYW-ROAD project focusing on digital youth work and democratic participation in digital spaces.
• Fundación CIVES (ES)majorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2026Spanish partner in the DIYW-ROAD project on digital youth work and democratic participation.
• Dínamo - Associação de Dinamização Sócio-cultural (PT)majorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2026Portuguese partner in the DIYW-ROAD project on digital youth work and democratic participation in digital spaces.
• DARE Network (Democracy and Human Rights Education in Europe)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerDARE is a European network for democracy and human rights education. AdB is actively involved in DARE, participating in General Assemblies, Trends Labs, and joint projects like DIYW-ROAD. The network coordinates European policy frameworks and collaborative initiatives in political education.
• Stiftung Deutsche Jugendmarke e.V.coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerStiftung Deutsche Jugendmarke funded the development of the 'Kompetenzprofil für Fachkräfte' (Competence Profile for Professionals) project, supporting the professionalization of political youth education.
• Bundesministerium für Bildung, Familie, Senioren, Frauen und Jugend (BMFSFJ)coreOthersThe Federal Ministry provides funding through the Kinder- und Jugendplan des Bundes (Children and Youth Plan of the Federal Government), which supports AdB's programs and operations.

Scale indicators1 record

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• European Association for the Education of Adults (EAEA): European-level umbrella association for adult learning and education. Comparable to AdB's adult-education facet in scope and Fachverband role, but operating at EU level and across all adult-education disciplines rather than political education specifically.
• Bundeszentrale für politische Bildung (BpB): The federal German agency for political education. BpB operates at national scale, producing publications, events, and digital resources on civic and political education — directly comparable mission to AdB, but with substantially broader scope and direct federal government mandate rather than Fachverband status.

Regional players

• Stiftung Demokratie Saarland: Regional foundation supporting democratic and political education in the Saarland. Operates in the same political-Bildung field as AdB but at a single-Land level rather than nationwide, illustrating how political education in Germany is structured across regional Land-level actors.
• DARE Network (Democracy and Human Rights Education in Europe): European network coordinating democracy and human rights education in which AdB is a core member. DARE is comparable as a sector-coordinating body with similar Fachverband-style convening role but at the pan-European level rather than German national level.

Emerging players

• Aktion Zivilcourage e.V. Non-profit focused on civil courage, democracy education, and anti-discrimination training. Smaller and more activist-oriented than AdB, but directly comparable in mission area and target beneficiaries (educators and youth engaged in civic-political learning).

Direct peers

• Deutscher Volkshochschul-Verband (DVV): National association of adult education centers (Volkshochschulen) in Germany. DVV is the parallel Fachverband for general adult continuing education, structurally and operationally similar to AdB, with member institutions, government funding, and a national coordination role — overlapping significantly in adult political and civic education.
• Evangelische Trägergruppe für gesellschaftspolitische Jugendbildung: Confessional association of Protestant institutions for socio-political youth education. Directly comparable Fachverband structure, member institutions, and political youth-education mission; one of the confessional counterparts that coordinates with AdB in the German political education landscape.
• Deutsche Gesellschaft für Demokratiepädagogik (DeGeDe): German society for democracy education. DeGeDe focuses on democratic pedagogy in schools and non-school settings — directly comparable mission and target audience (educators and institutions engaged in civic and political Bildung), with overlapping member network dynamics.
• Bundesausschuss Politische Bildung (bap): German federal-level umbrella body coordinating Land associations and central agencies for political education. bap is structurally a peer Fachverband at the federal level, working on policy coordination and quality in political education alongside AdB.
• Agentur für Bildung – Geschichte, Politik und Medien e.V. German non-profit agency providing professional development, materials, and networking for educators in political and historical education. Operates in the same non-formal political education space as AdB, with overlapping target audience of educators and member institutions.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/adb-ev
• Instagraminstagram.com/adb_vernetzt

Compliance5 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles5 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about Arbeitskreis deutscher Bildungsstätten