LJBW

What LJBW does

LJBW (Landesverband Sächsischer Jugendbildungswerke e.V.) is a non-profit registered association (eingetragener Verein) founded on March 13, 1992, headquartered in Dresden, Germany. It operates as the recognized state umbrella and specialist association for STEM (MINT) youth education in Saxony, holding the official status of anerkannter Träger der freien Jugendhilfe (recognized provider of free youth welfare) granted by the Free State of Saxony. The organization unites regional and local clubs, institutions, and individuals focused on science and technology youth education, serving children and adolescents (ages 6-18), schools, and educational institutions across Saxony through a portfolio of extracurricular programs, competitions, and support services.

LJBW's core product set includes SPARK (programmieren mit dem Calliope mini), which delivers block-based programming courses using Calliope mini hardware and the Fraunhofer IAIS Open Roberta Lab platform to 60 elementary schools and 1,500 children; the Sächsischer Informatikwettbewerb (Saxon Computer Science Competition), recently regionalized; the FIRST LEGO League regional competition and DACH final; Hackdays delivered in partnership with Wissenschaft im Dialog's Make Your School program; the biennial Meet the Robots expo at Dresden Airport (5,000+ visitors in 2023); the Kinder- und Jugendhaus INSEL youth center in Dresden; and Schulsozialarbeit (school social work) at 11 partner schools. As Saxon MINT-Hub for the national 'MINT Zukunft schaffen' initiative, LJBW also coordinates the MINT-Botschafter ambassador network and certifies schools under the MINT-freundliche Schule and Digitale Schule programs (37 schools certified in 2025). International programming includes European Solidarity Corps placements and EXPO Sciences exchanges.

The business model is non-commercial: all services are free to participants, with revenue derived from public funding (Saxon State Parliament budget allocations), project-based grants (notably BMBF MINT-Aktionsplan), corporate donations and sponsorship (e.g., pdv-systeme Sachsen GmbH, DUALIS GmbH, Markus Brunner), and proceeds from a dedicated donation platform (supportmint.de). The organization has 11-50 staff plus volunteers, operates two Dresden locations (Cossebauder Strasse 5 headquarters and the INSEL youth center at Meißner Landstraße 16-18), and manages a portfolio of consortium projects including MINOS MINT-Cluster Ostsachsen.

Name

LJBW

Legal name

Landesverband Sächsischer Jugendbildungswerke e.V.

Website

https://ljbw.de

Company type

Private

Founded year

1992

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

LJBW is a Dresden-based non-profit association (est. 1992) serving as Saxony's recognized umbrella body for STEM youth education, delivering programming courses, robotics competitions, and school social work across 60+ schools via public funding and project grants.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Youth STEM Education and Youth Welfare Services

NAICS

All Other Miscellaneous Schools and Instruction (611699), Technical and Trade Schools (6115), Child and Youth Services (62411)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro primary industry

STEM, Digital Literacy & Maker Education Nonprofits (BPAGADAG)

akta.pro secondary industries

Health Science & Medical STEM Programs (Pre-Med, Public Health) (EDAMABAJ), Student Wellness & Prevention Programs (Substance Use, Sexual Health, Bullying) (EDAJAIAG)

Keywords

• STEM youth education
• Robotics competitions
• School social work
• Programming education
• Non-formal learning

Headquarters

HQ city

Dresden

HQ country

Germany

HQ region

Europe

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Public Funding and Grants: LJBW receives government funding from the Free State of Saxony and is co-financed by tax funds based on the Saxon State Parliament budget. Additional project funding comes from BMBF (Federal Ministry of Education and Research) through MINT-Aktionsplan and other initiatives.
2. Donations and Sponsoring: The organization accepts donations and has a dedicated support website (supportmint.de) for supporting digital projects. Corporate sponsors like pdv-systeme Sachsen GmbH and DUALIS GmbH IT Solution have made donations.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

LJBW is a non-profit umbrella and specialist association that delivers free STEM (MINT) youth education programs, robotics and computer science competitions, school social work, and international youth exchanges across Saxony, Germany. Founded in 1992, it operates as a recognized provider of free youth welfare, coordinating MINT education initiatives, certifying schools as MINT-freundliche Schule/Digitale Schule, and running programming courses, maker events, and competition programs for children and youth ages 6-18.

Product overview

LJBW (Landesverband Sächsischer Jugendbildungswerke e.V.) is a Saxon state association for youth education, operating as an umbrella and specialized association for organizations in STEM (MINT) youth education since 1992. The organization offers a diverse portfolio centered around MINT (STEM) education, robotics competitions (FIRST LEGO League), computer science competitions, and international youth exchange. Key programs include SPARK - Programmieren mit dem Calliope mini (programming education using Calliope mini hardware), Hackdays with Make Your School (maker events at schools), the regionalized Sächsischer Informatikwettbewerb (Saxon computer science competition), and Meet the Robots robot technology expo. Supporting services include the Kinder- und Jugendhaus INSEL youth center, school social work at 11 schools, MINT school certification advisory (as Saxon MINT-Hub), and international programs via European Solidarity Corps and EXPO Sciences exchanges. The organization coordinates the MINOS MINT cluster for eastern Saxony and manages the MINT-Botschafter:innen ambassador network.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• SPARK - Programmieren mit dem Calliope mini Extra-curricular programming courses (GTA) for Saxon elementary schools (grade 3+) using Calliope mini hardware and the Open Roberta Lab block-based programming platform. Trains volunteer coaches from IT companies to deliver programming education to children.
• FIRST LEGO League Challenge (Regionalwettbewerb Dresden) Robotics competition for students (typically ages 9-16) involving LEGO robot building, programming, and research projects. LJBW hosts the Dresden regional competition and has organized the DACH final.
• Meet the Robots - Robotertage Dresden Biennial robot technology expo held at Dresden Airport showcasing robotics industry, research institutions, and startups. Features exhibitions, hands-on activities, and hosts the FIRST LEGO League finals.
• Sächsischer Informatikwettbewerb Annual computer science competition for Saxon students across all school types. Includes regional rounds, state-level competitions, and an annual award ceremony.
• Hackdays mit und für Make Your School Two-to-three-day maker events at Saxon schools where students identify real-world problems in their school environment and develop prototype solutions using digital tools, electronics, and mentorship. LJBW is one of 19 regional partners in Germany.
• MINT-Koordinierung Sachsen Coordination initiative to develop a Saxon MINT coordination office for extracurricular youth education. Working group includes LJBW, LSJ Sachsen, IHK Chemnitz, TU Dresden, and Saxon Ministry of Culture representatives.
• Kinder- und Jugendhaus INSEL Youth center in Dresden providing leisure activities, after-school programs (AGs), and holiday programs. Operates a makerspace and hosts school social work services.
• Schulsozialarbeit (School Social Work) School social work services provided at 11 schools in Dresden and surrounding area as part of LJBW's youth welfare offerings.
• EXPO Sciences (International Youth Science Exchange) International youth science exchange program (MILSET Expo-Sciences) where Saxon youth present MINT projects abroad. Participation in Sarajevo (2024), Mexico (2025), and Mantua/Italy (2026).
• Europäischer Solidaritätskorps (ESK) - European Solidarity Corps European Solidarity Corps voluntary service program enabling Saxon youth to volunteer abroad (Italy, France, Latvia) and hosting international volunteers in Saxony.
• MINOS - MINTmachRegion Ostsachsen BMBF-funded MINT cluster network in eastern Saxony. Provides open workshops, MINT camps, Zuse camp, open labs, and research weeks for children and youth.
• MINT-freundliche Schule & Digitale Schule (School Certification) School certification program under national 'MINT Zukunft schaffen' initiative. LJBW serves as Saxon MINT-Hub advising schools on achieving 'MINT-freundliche Schule' or 'Digitale Schule' certification.
• WTH Wettbewerb (Economics-Technology-Household Competition) Saxon competition in Economics-Technology-Household-Social Studies (WTH) for grades 7-8 at Oberschulen. Annual state competition testing practical skills.
• MINT-Botschafter:innen Netzwerk Network of volunteer MINT ambassadors who support schools, mentor students, facilitate company visits, and promote MINT careers. LJBW coordinates the Saxon network as MINT-Hub.
• Informatikseminar (Computer Science Seminar) Annual three-day seminar for Saxon computer science competition winners, held in Görlitz, featuring advanced informatics topics and facility tours.

Quantifiable outcome

• 1,500 children at 60 elementary schools learning programming through Calliope mini
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers6 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration3 records

Feature2 records

Partnerships

Ten partnerships are on record, tiered core and supporting.

• Hands on Technology e.V.coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 24 March 2023Co-organizer of 'meet the robots' event and FIRST LEGO League regional competition. Long-standing partner in extracurricular STEM education.
• Robot Valley Saxony UGsupportingStrategic or Co-development Partner · 24 March 2023Supporting partner for 'meet the robots' event showcasing Saxony's robotics industry and network.
• Silicon Saxony e.V.coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2023Industry partner for SPARK Calliope mini programming project. Provides corporate network for recruiting volunteer coaches from member companies.
• TGZ Bautzen (Technologie- und Gründerzentrum Bautzen)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2021Partner in MINOS MINT-Cluster consortium - MINTmachRegion Ostsachsen project funded by BMBF MINT-Aktionsplan.
• TFV Bautzen e.V. (Turn- und Förderverein)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2021Partner in MINOS MINT-Cluster consortium for MINT activities in Ostsachsen region.
• Hochschule Zittau/GörlitzcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2021Academic partner in MINOS MINT-Cluster consortium, contributing to MINT education research and outreach.
• Wissenschaft im DialogcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2021Parent organization of Make Your School program. LJBW is one of 19 regional partners in Germany for Hackdays.
• MINT Zukunft schaffen (Nationale Initiative)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerLJBW serves as MINT-Hub for the initiative, responsible for networking regional MINT actors and coordinating MINT-Botschafter activities in Saxony.
• TU Dresden (Technische Universität Dresden)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerHost venue for FIRST LEGO League regional competitions and partner for various STEM events.
• IW Sachsen (Initiative Wirtschaft und Schule Sachsen)supportingStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner in regionalization of Sächsischer Informatikwettbewerb, hosting Regio-Challenge events.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves9 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Regional players

• Technische Sammlungen Dresden (DLR School Lab): Dresden museum of science and technology with an embedded DLR School Lab. Comparable regional STEM education partner; LJBW board member (Dr. Janina Hahn) leads the DLR_School_Lab.
• INSPIRATA - Zentrum für mathematisch-naturwissenschaftliche Bildung e.V. Dresden-based science center and LJBW member organization, undergoing 4.5 million Euro renovation into a Science Center in 2026. Direct regional peer in hands-on STEM education delivery for children and youth.

Direct peers

• Siemens Stiftung: Foundation focused on STEM education, social entrepreneurship, and international development. Comparable through its school-based STEM programs and international youth exchange work, similar to LJBW's EXPO Sciences activities.
• MINT Zukunft schaffen (Nationale Initiative): National initiative that LJBW serves as Saxon MINT-Hub for. Direct peer/parent program with MINT-freundliche Schule and Digitale Schule certifications active across all 16 German states.
• Joachim Herz Stiftung: Major German foundation funding STEM education, economic literacy, and research. Highly comparable nonprofit model with large-scale STEM school programs and project grants flowing to intermediaries like LJBW.
• Wissensfabrik - Unternehmen für Deutschland: Corporate-driven nonprofit providing STEM and entrepreneurship education programs to schools across Germany. Comparable in mission (STEM in schools), nonprofit funding model, and partnership with regional actors.
• Stiftung Kinder forschen (formerly Haus der kleinen Forscher): Germany's leading nonprofit foundation for early STEM education in kindergartens and elementary schools. Highly comparable to LJBW's SPARK/Calliope programming courses and MINT-freundliche Schule certification work, though national in scope rather than regional.
• Hands on Technology e.V. German organizer of FIRST LEGO League competitions and co-organizer of LJBW's Meet the Robots. Direct peer in FLL competition management and extracurricular STEM programming, with national scope.

Emerging players

• Fraunhofer IAIS (Open Roberta): Research institute that built the Open Roberta Lab programming platform used by LJBW's SPARK Calliope mini program. Comparable as an enabling technology provider in AI/digital education for children.

Others

• TU Dresden (Technische Universität Dresden): Long-standing LJBW partner hosting FLL regional competitions and participating in MINOS MINT cluster. Comparable as academic STEM outreach partner though much larger institution with broader mandate.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat6 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/LJBW
• Facebookfacebook.com/LJBWeV
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/ljbw

Compliance1 record

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 LJBW