What Marktgemeinde Hard does

Marktgemeinde Hard is a municipal government entity (Gemeinde) under Austrian public law, located in Hard, Vorarlberg, on the northern shore of Lake Bodensee, serving approximately 15,000 residents. It operates as a public-sector administration delivering statutory municipal services including citizen registration, waste management, infrastructure maintenance, public safety, and taxation, supported by 101-250 employees. The municipality operates a portfolio of community facilities: five kindergartens (including a Kneipp-certified kindergarten and a nature-focused kindergarten), three early childhood care facilities serving children aged 1-3 years, schools, the Bücherei am Dorfbach library, the Textildruckmuseum Mittelweiherburg (a textile printing heritage museum in a 1570s building), the Eislaufplatz ice skating rink, Strandbad Hard beach, and 300,000 m² of sports and leisure facilities serving 150,000-200,000 annual users. It also manages 1,450 boat berths, 8,500 m of district heating network (88.45% renewable energy share), and a 23,000 l/sec flood pump capacity.

The municipality's digital platform is hard.at, a municipal website with Google Maps integration for interactive facility location and Fathom Analytics for cookie-free, GDPR-compliant traffic monitoring. The communications footprint includes Facebook, Instagram, email newsletters, and direct in-person service at the Rathaus (Marktstraße 18, 6971 Hard). The revenue model is tax-funded public services with minor fee-based revenue from select facilities (e.g., Textildruckmuseum entry fees: adults €5.00, families €7.00, students €2.50, guided tours €25.00). Recent strategic moves include a €16 million Dornbirner Ach river renaturation project (2026-2029), a new playground near the Wasserturm, partnership-based housing surveys in the Südtirolersiedlung, and adoption of WCAG 2.1 AA accessibility compliance.

Key partnerships include VOGEWOSI (housing), Land Vorarlberg (state government), ifs Kompetenzstelle Siedlungsarbeit (community research), Natur­schutz­verein Rheindelta (nature reserve management), and BMLUK (federal environmental ministry). The entity is overseen by the elected mayor (Bürgermeister Dr. Martin H. Staudinger) and municipal council, with operational leadership across departments including Kindergartens, Kleinkindbetreuung, the municipal archive, and Textildruckmuseum. There is no venture capital, private equity, or public trading ownership structure; the entity operates solely on public funding, municipal taxes, and service fees.

Name

Marktgemeinde Hard

Legal name

Marktgemeinde Hard

Website

https://hard.at

Company type

Private

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

101–250 employees

Short description

Marktgemeinde Hard is an Austrian municipal government in Vorarlberg serving ~15,000 residents with public services including childcare, education, infrastructure, sports facilities, and cultural venues on Lake Bodensee.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Municipal Government and Public Administration

NAICS

Facilities Support Services (56121), Administrative and Support and Waste Management and Remediation Services (56), Facilities Support Services (5612)

SIC

Services-Social Services (8300), Sanitary Services (4950), Services-Facilities Support Management Services (8744)

akta.pro primary industry

Local Public Health & Human Services Administration (BPAIACAK)

akta.pro secondary industries

Solid Waste & Recycling Services Administration (BPAIACAH), Public Works / In-House Municipal Collection Operations (EUAIAAAF), Affordable Housing & Community Development (Housing, Community Land Trusts) (BPAGALAC)

Keywords

• Municipal government services
• Public administration
• Childcare and education
• Waste and infrastructure
• Cultural and sports facilities

Headquarters

HQ city

Hard

HQ country

Austria

HQ region

Europe

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Pricing tiers

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Marktgemeinde Hard is a municipal government (Marktgemeinde) in Vorarlberg, Austria, delivering public administration and community services to approximately 15,000 residents of Hard am Bodensee. Its offerings include administrative services (registration, permits, civil registry), childcare and education (5 kindergartens, 3 early childhood centers, schools, music school), sports and leisure facilities (300,000 m² serving 150,000–200,000 users annually), cultural heritage (Textildruckmuseum Mittelweiherburg, library, Kulturwerkstatt Kammgarn), waste management, district heating (88.45% renewable), flood protection, harbor management, and social services. Operations are funded primarily by municipal taxes with select facility user fees.

Product overview

Marktgemeinde Hard operates hard.at as its central digital platform and service portal, aggregating all municipal services, community facilities, administrative information, events, and civic engagement tools. The municipality maintains a network of five kindergartens (Kindergarten am Dorfbach, Kindergarten Falkenweg, Kindergarten Hofsteig, Kindergarten Wallstraße, and Kindergarten Hölzele Naturhaus) serving different neighborhoods, three early childhood care centers (Kleinkindbetreuung am Dorfbach, Kleinkindbetreuung In der Wirke, and Kleinkindbetreuung Hofsteixsteig) for children aged 1–3, the Textildruckmuseum Mittelweiherburg (a textile printing museum opened in 1997 featuring pattern cutting and textile hand printing heritage), and recreational facilities including the Eislaufplatz Hard ice skating rink.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• hard.at Municipal Website and Portal Central digital platform of Marktgemeinde Hard providing access to all municipal services, community facilities, administrative information, events, and civic engagement tools for residents and visitors.
• Kindergarten am Dorfbach Five-group kindergarten offering inclusive care for children with elevated support needs, staffed by experienced and specially trained employees. Located in the Dorfbach neighborhood of Hard.
• Kindergarten Falkenweg Kindergarten emphasizing holistic child development through regular children's conferences, project weeks, excursions, and free gym activities. Located on Falkenweg in Hard.
• Kindergarten Hofsteig Kindergarten operating as a 'House of Little World Explorers' with one regular group and two small groups, offering daily healthy snack buffets, weekly gym days, and regular cooking sessions. Located in the Hofsteig area.
• Kindergarten Wallstraße (Kneipp-certified) Certified Kneipp kindergarten with a pedagogical focus on health and movement, incorporating daily garden access, weekly forest and cooking days. Located on Wallstraße in Hard.
• Kindergarten Hölzele Naturhaus Standard kindergarten with a nature focus, offering daily outdoor activities and weekly forest visits for children. Located in the Hölzele neighborhood.
• Kleinkindbetreuung am Dorfbach (Seesternchen & Fröschle) Early childhood care facility with two groups (Seesternchen and Fröschle) caring for children aged 12 months to 3 years, with a maximum of 12 children per group.
• Kleinkindbetreuung In der Wirke (Bambini) Early childhood care facility with one group for children between one and three years, including support for children with elevated care needs.
• Kleinkindbetreuung Hofsteig Early childhood care facility with two groups for children aged one to three years, incorporating animal-assisted learning with chickens in the garden.
• Textildruckmuseum Mittelweiherburg Textile printing museum located in a historic water castle built around 1570, showcasing pattern cutting, textile hand printing, and the social history of industrialization through the 1930s. Entry fees: adults €5.00, family €7.00, students/youth €2.50, seniors €4.00, group rates €2.00–€4.00, guided tours €25.00. Free entry with Kulturpass or for school groups with guided tour.
• Eislaufplatz Hard (Ice Skating Rink) Public ice skating facility operated by the municipality, located at Seestraße 60 in Hard.
• Strandbad Hard (Public Beach) Public beach and swimming facility operated by the municipality on Lake Bodensee.
• See & Hafen Hard (Harbor Operations) Public harbor operations offering 1,450 boat berths and supporting approximately 1,200 annual overnight stays at the harbor.
• Harder Sport- und Freizeitanlagen BetriebsgesmbH (Sports and Leisure Facilities) Municipal operating company managing 300,000 m² of sports and leisure facilities including beach, ice skating rink, sports halls, tennis, riding, and minigolf, serving 150,000–200,000 users annually across 75+ clubs.
• Bücherei am Dorfbach (Municipal Library) Municipal library serving the residents of Hard.
• Waste Management Services Municipal waste collection services handling 16,000 kg/week of bio-waste, 5,000/week of light packaging, 1,590 t/year of residual waste, and 9,500 t/year of bulky waste across 4,000 sewage covers and 50 bridges in the municipality.
• District Heating Network 8,500 m district heating network delivering 10,926,000 kWh annually with an 88.45% eco-energy share, supported by 450,000 kWh annual electricity from municipal photovoltaic systems.
• Civil Registry and Administrative Services Registration, deregistration, and change-of-address services (2,000 annually), marriages (60/year), citizenship applications (180/year), births (130/year), supported by municipal information staff handling 48,500 annual calls.

Quantifiable outcome

• 88.45% renewable energy in district heating
• +2 more outcomes

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration1 record

Feature1 record

Partnerships

Four partnerships are on record, tiered core.

• VOGEWOSI (Vorarlberger Gemeinnützige Wohnungsbau- und Siedlungsgesellschaft)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 27 May 2026VOGEWOSI partnered with Marktgemeinde Hard and Land Vorarlberg to conduct a resident survey of the Südtirolersiedlung housing development. The collaboration aims to understand housing satisfaction and plan for the future of the oldest South Tyrolean settlement in the state.
• ifs Kompetenzstelle SiedlungsarbeitcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 February 2026Conducted comprehensive resident interviews (76% of households) for the Südtirolersiedlung survey between February and April 2026, providing neutral third-party analysis of housing conditions and community dynamics.
• Land VorarlbergcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerState government partnered with VOGEWOSI and Marktgemeinde Hard for housing survey and is implementing ecological restoration of the Dornbirner Ach river (€16M project 2026-2029).
• Natur­schutz­verein Rhein­deltacoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerNature conservation association founded in 1997 that manages the Rheindelta nature reserve (Ramsar site since 1982, Natura 2000 since 1995). Operates the Rheindeltahaus visitor center in Hard. Manages projects including LIFE AMooRe moor restoration, species protection, and environmental education.

Scale indicators27 records

Recent moves10 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Marktgemeinde Götzis: Mid-sized Vorarlberg municipality with comparable administrative scope, childcare network, sports facilities and waste services; useful benchmark for per-capita service levels and digital portal maturity.
• Marktgemeinde Lauterach: Direct neighbor of Hard offering the same catalogue of municipal services and located in the same Bregenz district; highly comparable in scale, tax base, and infrastructure responsibilities.
• Marktgemeinde Rankweil: Vorarlberg Marktgemeinde of similar size providing the same bundle of municipal services (administration, schools, kindergartens, sports, waste). Comparable revenue model and oversight by Land Vorarlberg.
• Marktgemeinde Lustenau: Neighboring Marktgemeinde in Vorarlberg with a similar population scale (~23k), tax-funded operating model and comparable portfolio of childcare, schools, sports and cultural services. Most direct structural peer in the same Rheintal/Bodensee context.
• Marktgemeinde Schwarzach (Vorarlberg): Small Vorarlberg Marktgemeinde with a comparable child-care, school and Freizeitanlagen footprint; relevant smaller-scale peer for benchmarking unit-economics of municipal services.
• Stadt Feldkirch: Mid-sized Vorarlberg city delivering comparable municipal services including Kindergärten, Schulen, Sportanlagen and waste management; analogous operating model and Land-Vorarlberg oversight.
• Stadt Dornbirn: Largest municipality in Vorarlberg with the same public-service portfolio; useful as a scaled-up reference for facility throughput, district-heating economics, and cultural programming.
• Marktgemeinde Wolfurt: Adjacent Rheintal municipality with similar demographic profile and full municipal service offering including Kleinkindbetreuung, schools and Freizeitanlagen. Closely comparable on facility mix.
• Stadt Bregenz: District capital of Bregenz; larger population but identical municipal mandate (Kindergärten, Schulen, Sport, Kultur, Abfall) under Austrian Gemeinde law, making it a strong functional peer at greater scale.

Regional players

• Stadtwerke Lindau (Bodensee): Cross-Bodensee municipal utility/operator; not a Gemeinde but a comparable publicly-owned operator of energy, harbor and tourism-adjacent infrastructure across the lake from Hard, useful for peer benchmarking of district heating and harbor operations.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/marktgemeinde.hard
• Instagraminstagram.com/hard_am_bodensee
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/marktgemeinde-hard

Compliance4 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles12 records

Subsidiaries13 records

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 Marktgemeinde Hard