SOKO Institute

What SOKO Institute does

SOKO Institut GmbH (legal name: SOKO Institut für Sozialforschung & Kommunikation GmbH) is a Bielefeld-headquartered, family-involved German social research institute founded in 1991 by Dr. Henry Puhe. It delivers end-to-end empirical social, opinion, and market research for public-sector and institutional clients, operating across the full project lifecycle — study and questionnaire design, sample design and recruitment (including Gabler-Häder dual-frame and resident registration office samples), multilingual data collection via CATI/CAPI/CAWI/PAPI modes, statistical analysis (regression, factor analysis, structural equation modelling, weighting), and reporting. Core technology is built around an in-house CATI telephone studio running VOXCO, a LimeSurvey-based online (CAWI) platform hosted on the institute's own servers in Germany for DSGVO/BDSG compliance, and SPSS/Stata analytics; the institute curates its own nationwide address directories and maintains a multilingual fixed/freelance interviewer pool.

The business model is professional services: bespoke, quote-based contract research awarded primarily through German public tenders, direct ministerial/agency commissioning, or as a data-collection/implementation subcontractor within university- and institute-led research consortia. Revenue is project-based with multi-year contracting; pricing is not publicly disclosed. Customer segments span federal and state ministries (BMAS, BMFSFJ, BMBF, BMWi), federal agencies (IAB, BIBB, BiB, BAuA, RKI, UBA, BZgA), research institutes and universities (IAW, IAQ, KIT, GESIS, IZA, DJI), foundations (Hans-Böckler, Bertelsmann, DSEE), municipalities (Bielefeld, Münster, Nürnberg, Siegen-Wittgenstein), and corporate clients (rail operators, insurance, IHKs). Over ~30 years the institute has executed approximately 500 empirical social research projects, with long-running engagements such as the rehapro evaluation (2019–2026) and the NordWestBahn customer-satisfaction series (since 2005) anchoring revenue continuity.

Name

SOKO Institute

Legal name

SOKO Institut GmbH

Website

https://soko-institut.de

Company type

Private

Founded year

1991

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

51–100 employees

Short description

SOKO Institut is a Bielefeld-based, family-involved German empirical social research institute (founded 1991) delivering end-to-end CATI/CAPI/CAWI fieldwork, sampling, and analysis for federal ministries, agencies, universities, foundations, municipalities, and corporate clients.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Market and Social Research Services

NAICS

Management, Scientific, and Technical Consulting Services (5416)

SIC

Services-Commercial Physical & Biological Research (8731)

akta.pro primary industry

Survey, Panel & Fieldwork Services (BPAHALAJ)

akta.pro secondary industry

Due Diligence & Investigative Research (BPAHALAI)

Keywords

• Empirical social research
• Market research services
• Survey data collection
• Statistical analysis services
• Public sector research

Headquarters

HQ city

Bielefeld

HQ country

Germany

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Contract research and project-based professional services: Primary revenue stream: fee-for-service empirical social research projects awarded by public and private clients (ministries, federal/state agencies, universities, research institutes, municipalities, foundations, associations, corporations). Each project is a bespoke contract (study design, data collection, analysis, reporting). Recurring long-running engagements (e.g., NordWestBahn customer satisfaction since 2005; rehapro 2019–2026) provide baseline continuity.
2. Subcontracted data collection & fieldwork for lead research institutions: Secondary stream: SOKO is engaged as the data-collection/implementation subcontractor within larger research consortia led by institutions such as IAW, KIT, IAQ, IAB, IAW, University of Bielefeld, etc. Revenue is generated from CATI/CAPI/CAWI fieldwork, sample management, and data preparation.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

SOKO Institut is a full-service empirical social, opinion and market research institute that delivers end-to-end research projects — from study and questionnaire design, sample design and target-group recruitment, through multilingual CATI/CAPI/CAWI/PAPI data collection, to statistical analysis, weighting and final reporting — for public-sector and private clients in Germany. Its in-house telephone studio (VOXCO) and LimeSurvey-based online infrastructure hosted on its own German servers enable DSGVO/BDSG-compliant mixed-mode fieldwork at national scale, with recurring engagements for federal ministries, agencies, research institutes, universities, foundations, municipalities and corporate clients.

Product overview

SOKO Institute (SOKO Institut für Sozialforschung & Kommunikation GmbH), founded in 1991 in Bielefeld, operates as a single full-service institute for empirical social, opinion, and market research rather than a multi-product software platform. Its core offering integrates all eight research-delivery service modules: Study & Questionnaire Design; Sample Design, Recruitment & Target Group Access; Data Processing & Coding; Statistical Analysis & Weighting; Reports, Workshops & Presentations; Data Protection & Panel Care; Quantitative Research Methods (CATI/CAPI/PAPI/CAWI/Mixed-Mode, run on the institute's VOXCO telephone studio and LimeSurvey online infrastructure hosted on its own servers in Germany); and Qualitative Research Methods (in-depth interviews, focus groups, observation, workshops). These capabilities are deployed across ten named thematic research programs — Arbeit & Beschäftigung, Demografischer Wandel & Kommunalpolitik, Diversität/Gleichstellung/Teilhabe, Soziales & Familie, Bildung & Weiterbildung, Umwelt & Gesundheit, Gewalt & sexueller Missbrauch, Kunden- & Mitarbeitendenbefragungen, Digitalisierung & Transformation, and Migration & Fachkräfteeinwanderung — for clients including federal and state ministries, the IAB, BAMF, DeZIM, BAuA, BMFSFJ, universities, foundations, municipalities, and corporate clients.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Empirical Social Research Projects (End-to-End Study Delivery) Full-service contract research delivering individual empirical social, opinion and market research projects from study and questionnaire design through sample design, multilingual mixed-mode data collection (CATI/CAPI/CAWI/PAPI), statistical analysis and weighting, to final reports, workshops and presentations. Serves German federal/state ministries, agencies, universities, research institutes, foundations, municipalities and corporate clients.
• CATI Telephone Fieldwork (VOXCO Telephone Studio) Computer-assisted telephone interviewing delivered from SOKO's in-house CATI studio using VOXCO survey software, operated by fixed and freelance multilingual interviewers under experienced supervisors. Used for representative national surveys, longitudinal panels and hard-to-reach target-group studies.
• CAWI Online Survey Services (LimeSurvey) Online (CAWI) survey programming, hosting and delivery via the LimeSurvey platform running on the institute's own servers physically located in Germany, supporting DSGVO/BDSG-compliant data handling for web-based questionnaires, school surveys and longitudinal online panels.
• Sample Design and Target-Group Recruitment Specialized sample design and respondent recruitment using Gabler-Häder dual-frame designs, resident registration office samples, and access to nationwide address directories for schools, physicians, care providers, youth welfare offices and other hard-to-reach populations. Includes telephone number research and trained recruiting staff.
• Statistical Analysis and Weighting Advanced statistical analysis using SPSS and Stata, including cluster analysis, exploratory and confirmatory factor analysis, structural equation modelling, linear and logistic regression, simulation-based weighting assessment and imputation methods for missing data.
• Multilingual Survey Delivery Telephone and online surveys delivered in multiple languages by a multilingual team of fixed and freelance interviewers, enabling bilingual instruments such as the German/Turkish "Leben und Alltag in Deutschland" survey and other projects targeting migrant and ethnic-minority populations.
• School and Youth Health Survey Implementation (HBSC Germany) National implementation of the WHO-collaborative Health Behaviour in School-aged Children (HBSC) study in Germany, including school recruitment, CAWI questionnaire programming and operational data collection across approximately 175 schools and 6,250 students in grades 5, 7 and 9 for the 2025/26 wave.
• Migration and Integration Survey Delivery (DeZIM/BAMF-FZ) Commissioned bilingual German/Turkish survey "Leben und Alltag in Deutschland" / "Almanya'da Yaşam ve Günlük Hayat" covering life situation, everyday experiences and attitudes to social coexistence, conducted for the Deutsches Zentrum für Integrations- und Migrationsforschung (DeZIM) in cooperation with the Forschungszentrum des Bundesamtes für Migration und Flüchtlinge (BAMF-FZ).

Quantifiable outcome

• ~500 empirical social research projects completed in 30+ years
• +4 more outcomes

Named customers39 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles5 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration2 records

Feature6 records

Partnerships

31 partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• WifOR InstitutecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCo-research partner on the Hans-Böckler-Stiftung-funded study "Diversity, Inclusion und mentale Gesundheit – Auswirkungen auf Erwerbstätige und Gesellschaft" (April 2024 – March 2028). SOKO contributes study/questionnaire design, sample design (Gabler-Häder), CATI/CAWI programming, interviewer training, fieldwork, monitoring and data preparation of ~3,000 employees in wave 1 of a longitudinal panel.
• Institut für Angewandte Wirtschaftsforschung e.V. (IAW), Universität TübingencoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerLong-standing research consortium partner on multiple projects: MAPA (master programmes in nursing, with BIBB), PRISOZ (social-policy preferences), and minimum-wage research (MLK018) with BAuA. Coordinates joint bids to federal ministries.
• Fachhochschule Münster, Fachbereich GesundheitcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerJoint project partner in the BIBB-funded MAPA project (Nov 2024 – Nov 2027) analysing master-level nursing programmes and career entry of nursing professionals in Germany.
• Prof. Dr. Karin ReiberminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerIndividual expert partner in the MAPA project team alongside IAW, FH Münster and SOKO Institut.
• Karlsruher Institut für Technologie (KIT)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerLead partner of the COMO consortium (5 universities: KIT, UKE, PH Karlsruhe, Universität Konstanz, Ruhr-Universität Bochum) on the nationwide health survey on COVID-19 impact on children/adolescents (2023–2026); SOKO implements data collection.
• Institut Arbeit und Qualität (IAQ), Universität Duisburg-EssencoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerLead partner of the rehapro research consortium evaluating the BMAS "Innovative Wege zur Teilhabe am Arbeitsleben" programme (2019–2026). SOKO is part of the consortium with ISG, IfeS, IGES, IAW, conducting organisation and participant surveys.
• Forschungsinstitut Betriebliche Bildung (f-bb) gGmbHcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCoordinator of the BMFSFJ evaluation "Integrationskurs mit Kind Plus" (Nov 2024 – Dec 2026). SOKO Institut is consortium partner responsible for the quantitative surveys and multilingual interview resources.
• Technische Universität DortmundcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerConsortium partner in the BMFSFJ evaluation "Integrationskurs mit Kind Plus" (2024–2026), providing scientific input and feedback to the current research discourse.
• Hochschule Kempten, Institut für Gesundheit und Generationen (IGG)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCommissioner of the BeStärken+ project (GKV-Spitzenverband-funded model programme under § 8 Abs. 3 SGB XI), for which SOKO conducts repeated quantitative telephone interviews with family caregivers and "Alltagsbegleitende" (Sept 2024 – June 2026).
• Universitätsklinikum Ulm (Zentrum für Forschung zu sexueller Gewalt an Kindern und Jugendlichen, ZEFSG)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerLead partner (with Deutsches Jugendinstitut e.V. München) of the "Safe! – Bundesweite Jugendstudie zu Gewalterfahrungen und deren Folgen" study (April 2027 – August 2027), commissioned by UBSKM; SOKO handles school recruitment.
• Deutsches Jugendinstitut e.V. (DJI) MünchencoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCo-lead (with UK Ulm/ZEFSG) of the Safe! youth study; long-term partner in multiple research projects including ERiK, "SchuLae" protective concepts, youth study on disability, and BGG evaluation.
• RPTU Rheinland-Pfälzische Technische Universität Kaiserslautern-LandaucoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerJoint BMBF/BMWE-funded agEnS research project on acceptance of geothermal energy in the Upper Rhine Graben (2024–2029); SOKO conducts the multi-wave survey with bilingual instruments.
• HBSC-Studienverbund Deutschland (Universität Potsdam, MLU Halle-Wittenberg, BTU Cottbus-Senftenberg, Hochschule Heidelberg, Hochschule Fulda, UKE Hamburg, TU München)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCommissioning consortium for the German HBSC 2025/26 wave (Nov 2025 – Aug 2026); SOKO handles school recruitment, CAWI programming, and operational data collection across ~175 schools and ~6,250 students.
• Universität BielefeldcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerLong-term research partner on multiple projects including SFB 882, "Die Wahl zwischen Zeit oder Geld", "Religious Development over the Lifespan" (with John Templeton Foundation and DFG), and environment/risk-perception studies during COVID-19.
• GESIS – Leibniz-Institut für SozialwissenschaftencoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerResearch partner on multiple projects: GESIS portfolio survey, BEKC (parents and children during COVID-19 with Universität Vechta), and GESIS-Richtlinien for empirical social research.
• ISG Institut für Sozialforschung und Gesellschaftspolitik GmbHcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerConsortium partner in the rehapro evaluation and lead partner in the ESF-Hessen evaluation (PuSch/QuB) and the BGG evaluation (with Universität Kassel, HSI, SOKO).
• IfeS Institut für empirische Soziologie, Friedrich-Alexander-Universität Erlangen-NürnbergcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerConsortium partner in the rehapro research consortium with IAQ, ISG, IGES, IAW and SOKO.
• IGES Institut GmbH (Berlin)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerConsortium partner in the rehapro research consortium with IAQ, ISG, IfeS, IAW and SOKO.
• Universität Kassel (Hugo Sinzheimer Institut, Fachgebiet Verkehrsplanung)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner in the BGG evaluation; commissioner of the mobility study in Hannover-Region (Empelde and Wiesenau).
• Universität Sussex (Fraunhofer ISI)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerConsortium partner in the EMPOCI research project; SOKO conducted the company survey (March–September 2025).
• Universität Trier (Prof. Dr. Andrea Maurer)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCommissioned (DFG-funded, project 462904472) the survey "Einstellungen zur Nutzung von Künstlicher Intelligenz in Zeitungen" (Nov 2024 – June 2025).
• Universität Potsdam – Sektion Hydrologie / Deutsches GeoForschungsZentrum GFZminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCommissioner of the survey on damages from Sturzfluten/Hochwasser in July 2021 (2022–2023).
• Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München (LMU) / ifo InstitutcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner in the BMBF-funded KARE project on climate-adaptation and heavy-rain risks in the Bavarian Oberland. SOKO conducted the large household and firm survey.
• Forschungsinstitut zur Zukunft der Arbeit GmbH (IZA)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCooperation partner in the IZA-coordinated EU-project IRSDACE (Industrial Relations and Social Dialogue at the Age of Collaborative Economy); SOKO surveyed platform-economy employees and experts (2018).
• Europäische Kommission (EACEA, Daphne III)minorGTM or Marketing PartnerFunder/commissioner of EU-projects in which SOKO participated: STAMINA (Daphne III, 2009–2011) and "GET Green" vocational education project (EACEA, 2013–2015).
• DataGAP GmbH (Markus Altenburg)coreImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerExternal data protection officer of SOKO Institut pursuant to §4f BDSG; supports DSGVO compliance. Contact: Bessemerstr. 51, 12103 Berlin.
• domainfactory GmbHcoreTechnology or IntegrationHosting partner for soko-institut.de; servers located in Germany. Based at Oskar-Messter-Str. 33, 85737 Ismaning.
• DeGEval – Gesellschaft für Evaluation e.V.minorOthersProfessional association membership; SOKO adheres to DeGEval standards for evaluation.
• Berufsverband Deutscher Markt- und Sozialforscher e.V. (BVM)minorOthersProfessional association membership.
• Fachverband Bürgerbeteiligung (fvbb)minorOthersProfessional association membership.
• Sozialwissenschaftliche Arbeitsmarktforschung (SAMF)minorOthersProfessional association membership in the field of socio-economic labour-market research.

Scale indicators10 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• IfeS Institut für empirische Soziologie: Erlangen-based university-affiliated empirical sociology institute; rehapro consortium partner with SOKO and competes in the same federal social-research and labour-market evaluation market.
• WifOR Institute: Darmstadt-based economic and social research institute; co-research partner with SOKO on the Hans-Böckler-Stiftung-funded "Diversity, Inclusion und mentale Gesundheit" study — directly comparable in workforce and labour-market research.
• forsa Gesellschaft für Sozialforschung und statistische Analysen mbH: German private-sector opinion and social research firm headquartered in Berlin; runs large-scale CATI-based political, social and market surveys for federal ministries and media clients — directly comparable to SOKO in B2G polling, mixed-mode fieldwork, and policy research.
• infas Institut für angewandte Sozialwissenschaft GmbH: Bonn-based applied social research institute with a strong public-sector and health-research practice; runs large national mixed-mode surveys (including federal health and transport studies) and is a close substitute for SOKO in B2G commissioned research.
• ISG Institut für Sozialforschung und Gesellschaftspolitik GmbH: Cologne-based social and labour-market research institute; frequently partners with SOKO (e.g., rehapro consortium, ESF-Hessen evaluation, BGG evaluation) and competes for the same federal ministry tenders in labour and social policy.

Regional players

• IAQ – Institut Arbeit und Qualität, Universität Duisburg-Essen: University-affiliated labour-market and qualification research institute at the University of Duisburg-Essen; rehapro lead partner and a recurring consortium partner or competitor with SOKO in North Rhine-Westphalian social-policy evaluation.

Broad incumbents

• IGES Institut GmbH: Berlin-based research and consulting institute focused on health, labour and social policy; rehapro consortium partner with SOKO and a broader competitor in federal evaluation tenders.
• Ipsos Public Affairs Germany: Global market and social research group with German operations covering public affairs, social research and customer/employee measurement — overlapping with SOKO in B2G programme evaluation and customer-satisfaction work.
• Kantar Germany (Kantar Public): Global research group with a dedicated German public-sector practice (formerly TNS Infratest). Competes with SOKO for federal and EU tenders in social, health and policy research, and operates at materially greater scale.
• GESIS – Leibniz-Institut für Sozialwissenschaften: Germany's largest publicly-funded social research infrastructure institute; competes for the same federal ministry tenders and is a frequent SOKO consortium partner (GESIS portfolio survey, BEKC, Richtlinien). Overlap in social-survey methodology, panel management, and federal commissioning.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/sokoinstitut
• Facebookfacebook.com/SOKOInstitut
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/soko-institut-gmbh

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles6 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about SOKO Institute