GfB

What GfB does

GfB (Gemeinnützige Gesellschaft für Beschäftigungsförderung mbH) is a Duisburg, Germany-based non-profit employment promotion organization founded in 1998 by the City of Duisburg. It operates as a wholly-owned subsidiary of Wirtschaftsbetriebe Duisburg-AöR, a municipal enterprise, and delivers vocational training, career coaching, language and integration courses, and direct job placement services to job seekers, youth, working professionals, and migrants in the Duisburg region. Services are organized around four segments: youth programs (KAoA, Jugendwerkstatt, TEP, AHfJ, BvB), adult retraining and qualification (Umschulung Koch/Systemgastro/VfA, Qualifizierung), newcomer integration (Sprach- und Integrationskurse, WIRKT, BfM, EHAP, BIWAQ), and job-seeker coaching (Einzelcoaching, Bewerbungstraining, Digitalisierungscoaching). A wholly-owned commercial subsidiary, WerkStadt Duisburg GmbH (founded 2004), operates the placement agency and social enterprise activities such as the Sozialer Möbelservice (SMS).

The revenue model is professional-services based but entirely government-funded, with no commercial customer billing. GfB's funding flows from the Bundesagentur für Arbeit and Jobcenter Duisburg (via AVGS activation and placement vouchers), BAMF (language and integration courses), BMAS, the European Social Fund / ESF Plus, and the City of Duisburg. Services are accessed through institutional referrals and government vouchers rather than commercial sales channels, with participants typically paying nothing out of pocket. Employer-facing services are delivered through WerkStadt Duisburg GmbH as direct placement (Direktvermittlung) with fees covered by public funding.

GfB is AZAV-certified (Certqua) for its quality management system, a regulatory requirement for accessing government employment funding in Germany. The organization operates six physical locations across Duisburg (headquarters on Usedomstraße plus Bildungsstätten in Hochfeld and Mitte, an SMS facility, a vocational training kitchen at Gesamtschule Emschertal, and a gardener support point at Landschaftspark), and supports a multilingual website in German, English, Turkish, Arabic, Romanian, Bulgarian, and Ukrainian. There is no proprietary technology platform disclosed; the offering is a service-delivery model rather than a technology product.

Name

GfB

Legal name

Gemeinnützige Gesellschaft für Beschäftigungsförderung mbH

Website

https://gfb-duisburg.de

Company type

Private

Founded year

1998

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

GfB (Gemeinnützige Gesellschaft für Beschäftigungsförderung mbH) is a Duisburg, Germany-based non-profit providing vocational training, career coaching, job placement, and integration services for youth, job seekers, and migrants, funded primarily by German government agencies.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Vocational Training and Employment Services

NAICS

Employment Placement Agencies (561311), Employment Services (5613), Educational Support Services (61171), Educational Support Services (611710)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200), Services-Employment Agencies (7361)

akta.pro primary industry

Apprenticeships, Pre-Apprenticeships & Work-Based Learning (EDAAAOAC)

akta.pro secondary industries

Career Coaching, Mentoring & Placement Support Services (EDAAAKAO), Workforce & Career Transition Noncredit Programs (EDAAAEAC), General Permanent Placement (Multi-Industry) (BPACAFAA)

Keywords

• Vocational training
• Employment services
• Job placement
• Career counseling
• Integration courses

Headquarters

HQ city

Duisburg

HQ country

Germany

HQ region

Europe

Offices6 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Government-Funded Employment Services: GfB's primary revenue comes from public funding agreements with German government bodies, including the Federal Employment Agency (Bundesagentur für Arbeit), Jobcenter Duisburg, the Federal Office for Migration and Refugees (BAMF), and the European Social Fund (ESF/ESF Plus). Services provided under these funding arrangements include vocational training, language and integration courses, career coaching, and placement support. Many services are delivered at no cost to participants, funded entirely by government vouchers or grants.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

GfB is a non-profit employment promotion organization delivering vocational training, career orientation, language and integration courses, and job placement services primarily to job seekers, youth, and migrants in the Duisburg region. Services are delivered in person at multiple training sites and via online coaching, funded largely through public agencies (Federal Employment Agency, Jobcenter, BAMF, ESF). Employer-facing recruitment is provided through its commercial subsidiary WerkStadt Duisburg GmbH.

Product overview

GfB (Gemeinnützige Gesellschaft für Beschäftigungsförderung mbH Duisburg) is a non-profit education and employment services provider founded in 1998 as a subsidiary of Wirtschaftsbetriebe Duisburg-AöR. The organization offers an integrated portfolio of employment-related services organized into four main categories: (1) offers for young people including Berufsorientierung, Jugendwerkstatt, TEP, AHfJ, BvB, and KAoA programs; (2) services for working professionals and career changers including Weiterbildung and Umschulung programs in fields like cooking, system gastronomy, and municipal administration; (3) services for newcomers to Germany including Sprach- und Integrationskurse, WIRKT, BfM, and EHAP programs; and (4) services for job seekers including Arbeitsvermittlung, Digitalisierungscoaching, and Beratungsstelle Arbeit. The organization also operates a Social Furniture Service (SMS) as a social enterprise activity.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• WIRKT: Projekt zur Verbesserung der Arbeitsmarktchancen für Flüchtlinge und nachhaltige Integration in den Arbeitsmarkt, finanziert durch BMAS und ESF Plus
• Sozialer Möbelservice (SMS)
• Duisbürger

Products and services

• Career Orientation and Vocational Training Support (Berufsorientierung und Ausbildungsbegleitung) Career orientation, potential analysis (KAoA/KAoA Kompakt), and vocational training support services for young people still in school or already in vocational training in the Duisburg region.
• Continuing Education and Retraining (Weiterbildung und Umschulung) Retraining (Umschulung) and qualification programs covering cook retraining, system gastronomy specialist, VfA (Vorbereitung für die Arbeitswelt) and general retraining/qualification for working professionals and career changers.
• Job Placement Service (Arbeitsvermittlung) Direct placement agency (Direktvermittlung) operated via subsidiary WerkStadt Duisburg GmbH, matching vetted candidates directly with regional companies in Duisburg under direct employment contracts.
• Digital Coaching (Digitalisierungscoaching) Digital coaching for job seekers covering social media usage, online/hybrid applications, digital profile creation, and digital workplace readiness.
• Youth Workshop (Jugendwerkstatt) Youth workshop offering practical experience in painting, construction, woodwork, and domestic services for young people aged 16-25.
• Language and Integration Courses (Sprach- und Integrationskurse) BAMF-funded language and integration courses totaling 600 teaching units plus a 100-unit orientation course for migrants and refugees.
• WIRKT Refugee Integration Project Project to improve labor market opportunities for refugees aged 15 and older with residence permits, funded through BMAS and ESF Plus under the WIR program.
• Career Start for Migrants (Berufsstart für Migrantinnen, BfM) Career start program for migrants providing practical vocational training to improve language proficiency and labor market competitiveness.
• EHAP European Aid Program European Aid Fund for the Most Disadvantaged Persons program targeting newly immigrated EU citizens, their minor children, and homeless persons.
• Work Counseling Center (Beratungsstelle Arbeit) Free counseling center for citizens of Duisburg providing guidance on social law, economic difficulties, family challenges, and labor exploitation issues.
• Social Furniture Service (Sozialer Möbelservice, SMS) Social enterprise service that collects donated furniture, refurbishes it in a carpentry workshop, and redistributes it to people with limited income.
• Employer Staff Recruitment (Mitarbeiter finden) Recruitment and continuing education service for companies in the Duisburg region, matching them with qualified candidates and providing further training for existing employees via WerkStadt Duisburg GmbH.

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Eight partnerships are on record, tiered core and major.

• WerkStadt Duisburg GmbH (WDG)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2004WerkStadt Duisburg GmbH was founded in 2004 as a commercial subsidiary of GfB with the goal of creating additional perspectives for unemployed people for integration into the labor market. It complements GfB's program offerings with commercial handcraft and service activities. WDG operates a placement agency providing direct recruitment services for regional employers and offers vocational preparation and employment projects.
• Wirtschaftsbetriebe Duisburg-AöR (WBD-AöR)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerWirtschaftsbetriebe Duisburg-AöR is the parent municipal enterprise of GfB. GfB is a wholly owned subsidiary of WBD-AöR. The parent organization's board spokesperson is a permanent member of GfB's supervisory board.
• City of Duisburg (Stadt Duisburg)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerGfB was founded by the City of Duisburg in 1998 and remains a municipal entity. The city's Social Affairs Director (Sozialdezernent) is a permanent member of GfB's supervisory board, and six additional board members are delegated by the Duisburg City Council.
• Bundesagentur für Arbeit (Federal Employment Agency)coreOthersThe Federal Employment Agency funds GfB programs through AVGS vouchers (activation and placement vouchers) and other public employment programs. Job seekers receiving unemployment benefits (Arbeitslosengeld I) are eligible for free services through these vouchers after six weeks of unemployment.
• Jobcenter DuisburgcoreOthersJobcenter Duisburg funds and refers unemployed individuals receiving unemployment benefits (Arbeitslosengeld II / Bürgergeld) to GfB's job placement, coaching, and qualification programs.
• Bundesamt für Migration und Flüchtlinge (BAMF)majorOthersThe Federal Office for Migration and Refugees funds and oversees GfB's language and integration courses (Sprach- und Integrationskurse) and recognition counseling services for migrants and refugees.
• Local Schools and Vocational Schools (Duisburg)majorStrategic or Co-development PartnerGfB partners with Duisburg-area schools for KAoA career orientation programs and uses school facilities (e.g., Gesamtschule Emschertal) for vocational training kitchens and workshops.
• Duisburg Employers and Regional CompaniesmajorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorRegional Duisburg companies serve as training hosts for apprenticeships, internships, and work placements facilitated by GfB. The placement agency matches these companies with qualified candidates from GfB's pool.

Scale indicators2 records

Recent moves8 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Kolping Bildungswerk: Catholic-affiliated non-profit vocational training and employment-promotion organization with AZAV-certified programs across Germany, including youth programs, language/integration courses, and coaching for job seekers — closely matching GfB's mission and target segments.
• Deutsche Angestellten-Akademie (DAA): One of Germany's largest non-profit vocational training and employment-promotion organizations, AZAV-certified, offering similar workforce qualification, coaching, and integration services across multiple federal states — comparable in mission, funding model, and service portfolio to GfB.
• Fortbildungsakademie der Wirtschaft (FAW): Non-profit vocational academy of the German employers' associations providing qualification, retraining, and activation services funded by Jobcenter and the Federal Employment Agency — a near-identical model to GfB's employment-promotion offering.
• IN VIA: Catholic non-profit association delivering vocational orientation, qualification, and migration-related employment services across Germany, frequently co-funded by ESF and federal programs — a peer with overlapping youth-, migrant-, and job-seeker-focused services.
• AWO (Arbeiterwohlfahrt) Bildung & Qualifizierung: Large German welfare association operating non-profit education and qualification programs for job seekers, migrants, and disadvantaged groups, with regional subsidiaries comparable in scope to GfB's non-profit service delivery.
• Bildungswerk der Bayerischen Wirtschaft (bbw): Non-profit education and employment services provider affiliated with Bavarian employers' associations, delivering vocational qualification, coaching, and youth programs funded by German public sources — directly comparable in mission and funding structure to GfB.
• BQG Berufliche Bildung gGmbH: Non-profit vocational training and employment-promotion provider operating across multiple German states with AZAV-certified programs for youth, adults, and migrants — analogous to GfB in service scope and funding model.

Broad incumbents

• Caritas Bildung: Major national non-profit social-services umbrella operating broader vocational, integration, and qualification programs across Germany — overlapping with GfB in target segments but operating at substantially larger scale.

Regional players

• Bildungswerk der Nordrhein-Westfälischen Wirtschaft (BNW): Education and training non-profit of the NRW employers' associations, headquartered in the same federal state as GfB, offering AZAV-certified youth, qualification, and integration programs — the closest direct regional peer.

Others

• Bundesagentur für Arbeit (BA) – regional directorates: The federal agency that funds GfB's AVGS-related programs and is the principal counterpart in the German employment-services ecosystem — not a competitor but a key partner and governance reference for GfB's operations.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Subsidiaries1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about GfB