What wertkreis Gütersloh does

wertkreis Gütersloh gGmbH is a German non-profit social services company (gemeinnützige GmbH) headquartered in Gütersloh, North Rhine-Westphalia, operating as an integrated provider of disability, vocational, and elderly care services across the Gütersloh district. Founded as a recognized workshop for people with disabilities (WfbM) in 1970 and incorporated as a gGmbH in 1989, the organization employs approximately 2,516 people across 16+ sites, including five workshops, three inclusive kindergartens, residential facilities, mental health day care, and elderly care, serving 1,515 people with disabilities in workshops and integration groups alongside families and seniors. Ownership rests with Kreis Gütersloh (74%) and Lebenshilfe im Kreis Gütersloh e.V. (26%), aligning governance with public welfare objectives rather than equity returns.

The core service portfolio spans Berufliche Bildung (vocational training), Berufliche Teilhabe (workshops producing goods and services), Berufliche Inklusion (integration with regional employers such as Miele and Simonswerk), Wohnen (residential and assisted living), Kindertageseinrichtungen (inclusive kindergartens), and elderly care via Altenzentrum Wiepeldoorn. Commercial subsidiaries include the Bioland-certified Kiebitzhof farm, Kiebitz Dienstleistungen (cleaning and facility management), Flussbett Hotel (the district's only inclusion hotel), and Röstwert coffee shop. Underlying technology investments include the DIAZ digital assistance system developed with Fraunhofer IOSB-INA, Pepper humanoid robots in vocational training, OK! online course platform, CABiTo internal communication system, 3D-printed assistive devices, and barrier-free emergency call apps, alongside participation in the federally funded KI.ASSIST AI assistance project.

Revenue mechanics rely primarily on regulated public funding under Germany's Social Code (SGB IX for workshop operations, SGB III for vocational training, plus social welfare fees for residential and elderly care), supplemented by commercial subsidiary income, donations through the Glücksbringer sponsorship program, and limited direct consumer retail. Certifications include ISO 9001:2015, AZAV, ISO 22000, OHSAS 18001, and Bioland, and the organization is a member of BAG:WfBM and Deutscher Paritätischer Wohlfahrtsverband. As of 2025-2026, wertkreis Gütersloh is executing a multi-year transformation process to develop sustainable, refinancable service structures, coinciding with the announced closure of the Kiebitzhof-Laden retail outlet by July 2026 and a change of Supervisory Board chairmanship.

Name

wertkreis Gütersloh

Legal name

wertkreis Gütersloh gGmbH

Website

https://wertkreis-gt.de

Company type

Private

Founded year

1989

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

wertkreis Gütersloh gGmbH is a German non-profit social services company operating workshops, vocational training, inclusive kindergartens, residential care, and elderly care across the Gütersloh district, serving approximately 1,500 people with disabilities and employing around 2,500 staff.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Social services for people with disabilities

NAICS

Vocational Rehabilitation Services (6243), Residential Intellectual and Developmental Disability Facilities (62321), Individual and Family Services (6241), Other Residential Care Facilities (623990)

SIC

Services-Social Services (8300), Services-Educational Services (8200), Services-Nursing & Personal Care Facilities (8050)

akta.pro primary industry

Disability Services & Independent Living Support (BPAGACAG)

akta.pro secondary industry

Special Education, Disability Support & Inclusive Education Nonprofits (BPAGADAH)

Keywords

• Disability vocational training
• Sheltered workshop services
• Supported employment integration
• Social welfare services
• Residential disability care

Headquarters

HQ city

Gütersloh

HQ country

Germany

HQ region

Europe

Offices16 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Social Security Funding (SGB IX): Primary funding through Social Code Book IX (Rehabilitation and Participation of Disabled Persons) for workshop operations, vocational training, and employment of people with disabilities in Werkstätten für behinderte Menschen (WfbM).
2. Vocational Training Funding (SGB III): AZAV-certified vocational education and training funded through employment promotion programs under SGB III.
3. Subsidiary Operations: Revenue from commercial subsidiaries including Kiebitzhof farm products (Bioland-certified), Flussbett Hotel, Kiebitz Dienstleistungen, and café operations.
4. Donations and Sponsorship: Charitable donations through 'Glücksbringer' sponsorship program supporting equipment, materials, activities, and projects for people with disabilities.
5. Social Services Fees: Fees for residential care, kindergarten services, day care, short-term care, and consultation services under social welfare provisions.

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels10 records

Marketing channels10 records

Core offering

wertkreis Gütersloh gGmbH is a non-profit social services organization that provides vocational training, sheltered workshop employment, supported employment integration, residential living, inclusive kindergartens, and elderly care for people with disabilities in the Gütersloh district. Services are delivered through five workshop locations, residential facilities, three kindergartens, and subsidiaries including a Bioland-certified farm, an inclusion hotel, an elderly care center, and a coffee roastery, funded primarily through Germany's SGB IX and SGB III social security systems, public social welfare fees, and donations.

Product overview

wertkreis Gütersloh is a non-profit social services company (gGmbH) with approximately 2,500 employees serving people with disabilities in the Gütersloh district. The organization operates as a multi-service provider with a portfolio of interconnected core services and subsidiaries. The main service areas include Berufliche Bildung (vocational training), Berufliche Teilhabe/Werkstätten (workshops with multiple locations providing manufacturing, laundry, kitchen, and agricultural services), Berufliche Inklusion (job placement services), Wohnen (residential care), and Kindertageseinrichtungen (inclusive daycare). The organization also operates several subsidiaries: Kiebitzhof (Bioland-certified organic farm with bakery), Kiebitz Dienstleistungen (cleaning/facility management), Flussbett Hotel (inclusive hotel/restaurant), and Altenzentrum Wiepeldoorn (elderly care). Digital innovation products include OK! Online-Kurssystem for training, DIAZ digital assistance system developed with Fraunhofer IOSB-INA, CABiTo internal communication system, and various assistance systems and 3D printing for assistive devices. The organization also runs social enterprises including Röstwert coffee shop, KunstWerk Atelier art studio, and publishes the quarterly freiZEITung magazine.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Kiebitzhof: Bioland-certified organic farm operation including vegetable production, bakery, preservation, and riding hall
• Kiebitz Dienstleistungen
• Flussbett Hotel
• Röstwert
• Altenzentrum Wiepeldoorn
• echtZeit
• KunstWerk Atelier
• Kiebitz Dienstleistungen

Products and services

• Berufliche Bildung (Vocational Training)
• Berufliche Teilhabe (Werkstätten / Sheltered Workshops)
• Berufliche Inklusion (Supported Employment)
• Wohnen (Residential Living Services)
• Kindertageseinrichtungen (Inclusive Kindergartens)
• Kiebitzhof (Bioland Organic Farm)
• Kiebitz Dienstleistungen
• Flussbett Hotel
• Altenzentrum Wiepeldoorn
• Röstwert Kaffeeladen (Inclusive Coffee Shop)
• Wäscherei Wiedenbrück (Commercial Laundry)
• echtZeit Tagesstätte (Mental Health Day Care)
• AMiA (Ambulant Mit Assistenz)
• KICK START (Vocational Inclusion Program)

Quantifiable outcome

• Over-average placement rate in general labor market (noted by Raphael Tigges MdL visit February 2026)
• +4 more outcomes

Named customers5 records

Segments7 records

Ideal customer profiles6 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration8 records

AI capability7 records

Feature8 records

Partnerships

Ten partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• SIMONSWERK GmbHcoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ Distributor · 1 January 2021Integration group (IG SIMONSWERK) at their facility providing supported employment for people with disabilities.
• Miele & Cie. KGcoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ Distributor · 1 January 2021Integration group workplace at Miele facility with support staff from wertkreis Gütersloh.
• Fraunhofer IOSB-INAcoreTechnology or Integration · 1 January 2020Collaborative partnership for developing Industry 4.0 workplace solutions and assistive systems for people with disabilities. Joint development of digital assistance systems and smart workplace technologies.
• Rethink Robotics GmbHcoreTechnology or Integration · 1 January 2020Partnership for deploying collaborative robot technology (Sawyer robots) to enable people with disabilities to participate in modern manufacturing environments.
• Universität Duisburg-EssencoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2020Academic partnership for robotics-as-inclusion-accelerator research project, investigating how robot technology can enable greater participation for people with disabilities in work environments.
• Bundesarbeitsgemeinschaft Berufsbildungswerke (KI.ASSIST)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2020Participation in KI.ASSIST project funded by Bundesministerium für Arbeit und Soziales. wertkreis Gütersloh is one of three workshops functioning as experimental spaces for AI-assisted assistive technologies.
• Landschaftsverband Westfalen Lippe (LWL)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2019LWL featured wertkreis projects at A+A trade fair, highlighting inclusion initiatives in Westphalia.
• caritas GüterslohminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2019Annual cooperation for inclusive prevention course on addiction at FiLB facility.
• Indian Government RepresentativesminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2019Visit by Indian government and embassy representatives to learn about inclusion practices at Kiebitzhof, workshops, and vocational training.
• DSC Arminia BielefeldminorGTM or Marketing Partner · 1 January 2019Trikotspende (jersey donation) for football team, demonstrating community partnership.

Scale indicators15 records

Recent moves8 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Lebenshilfe Deutschland: National federation for people with intellectual disabilities, operating local chapters with workshops, housing, and educational services. Comparable mission to wertkreis; the local Lebenshilfe Gütersloh is in fact wertkreis's 26% shareholder.
• von Bodelschwinghsche Stiftungen Bethel: One of Germany's largest social services providers, operating WfbM workshops, vocational training, residential care, and hospitals for people with disabilities and mental illness. Highly comparable integrated service portfolio across NRW and Germany.
• Hephata Diakonie: Integrated social services provider in Mönchengladbach region (NRW) running workshops, vocational training, residential care, schools, and clinics for people with disabilities. Closely comparable operating model and geographic region.
• Franz Sales Haus: Catholic social services provider in Essen (NRW) operating workshops, vocational training, residential care, and elderly care for people with disabilities. Closely comparable integrated service model within NRW.
• CJD (Christliches Jugenddorfwerk Deutschlands): National Christian youth development organization operating vocational training, special education schools, and integration programs for disadvantaged youth. Comparable in vocational training and educational services.
• Stiftung ICP München: Munich-based integrated services provider for people with cerebral palsy and other disabilities, operating schools, vocational training, workshops, and residential care. Comparable in integrated lifecycle service model.

Broad incumbents

• Diakonie Deutschland: National Protestant welfare federation with regional member organizations operating workshops, vocational training, and care services for people with disabilities. Broader scope but directly comparable in WfbM operations.
• AWO (Arbeiterwohlfahrt): Major German welfare organization with affiliated regional providers operating workshops, residential care, and youth/welfare services. Overlaps broadly with wertkreis's social services portfolio.
• Caritas-Verband für die Diözese Paderborn: Regional Caritas welfare association covering East Westphalia including Gütersloh; operates workshops, residential and elderly care across the same geography. Broader welfare organization but overlapping service lines in workshops and social services.

Regional players

• Werkstätten Haus industrie / GFI Rheinland: Vocational training and integration services provider in the Rhineland region, focused on workforce integration for disadvantaged groups. Comparable in vocational training and employer integration services, though operating in a different NRW region.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/wertkreis
• Xx.com/wertkreis

Compliance5 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles18 records

Subsidiaries5 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 wertkreis Gütersloh