Regional Quality Partnership

What Regional Quality Partnership does

Regional Quality Partnership (DBA: RQP, Die Berater-Experten) is a Kiel-based consulting intermediation firm that matches northern German Mittelstand SMBs with a curated network of more than 200 certified management consultants. Founded around the early 2000s under Managing Director Christiane Tiemann, RQP positions itself as a quality-vetted intermediary rather than a consultancy in its own right, supported by the ITQ-certified quality seal and approximately 7,000 completed consulting projects over its operating history. Demand is sourced through an embedded distribution channel of roughly 80 partner banks and promotional institutions across northern Germany, supplemented by direct SMB outreach and the FKB Kompetenz-Zirkel owner-manager program.

The firm operates four regional offices — Kiel (headquarters), Hamburg, Hannover, and Schwerin — and offers productized services alongside core referral intermediation, including the be-DIGITAL digitalization check and recurring FKB Kompetenz-Zirkel training events. The corporate structure extends to RQP-Strategie GmbH as a subsidiary entity. The platform architecture is fundamentally human-curated: there is no indication of proprietary software, AI, or data-driven matching engines beyond standard web presence.

RQP's revenue mechanics blend referral fees on consultant engagements with training and event fees from the Kompetenz-Zirkel and related programs. The buyer-facing pricing model is structurally low-friction: initial consultations are free, and qualifying SMBs can access BAFA subsidies of up to €1,750 (rising to €2,800 in designated regions such as Mecklenburg-Vorpommern) for funded consulting engagements, with RQP capturing a referral margin on the underlying project. Customers are predominantly family-owned Mittelstand businesses in Schleswig-Holstein, Hamburg, Niedersachsen, and Mecklenburg-Vorpommern.

Name

Regional Quality Partnership

Legal name

RQP GmbH

Website

https://rqp-beratung.de

Company type

Private

Founded year

2000

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Regional Quality Partnership is a Kiel-based consulting intermediary that matches northern German Mittelstand SMBs with a curated network of 200+ certified consultants, sourcing demand through ~80 partner banks and four regional offices.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Business Consulting Intermediation Services

NAICS

Management Consulting Services (54161)

SIC

Services-Management Consulting Services (8742)

akta.pro primary industry

Vendor Management System (VMS) & MSP-Led Contractor Programs (BPACAGAF)

Keywords

• Business consulting services
• Consultant matching network
• Mittelstand family business advisory
• Management consulting referrals
• Business succession planning

Headquarters

HQ city

Kiel

HQ country

Germany

HQ region

Europe

Offices4 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Consultant Referral Fees: RQP earns revenue by connecting businesses with certified consultants from their vetted network. The company takes a referral or placement fee for successful matches between companies and consultants.
2. Training and Event Fees: RQP generates revenue through the Expertenakademie and FKB Kompetenz-Zirkel programs, offering paid seminars and webinars for bank consultants and business owners.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

Regional Quality Partnership (RQP) is a consulting intermediation service that matches family-owned Mittelstand businesses in northern Germany with certified, specialist business consultants from a hand-selected network of 200+ vetted advisors. The firm partners with approximately 80 credit and promotional institutions that refer their business customers to RQP for consultant matching. RQP also operates the FKB Kompetenz-Zirkel training program for bank client advisors, the RQP-Expertenakademie workshops for entrepreneurs, and free assessment tools (FirmenWertCheck, be-DIGITAL).

Product overview

RQP (Regionale Qualitätspartnerschaft) operates as a consulting network and matching service, not a unified software product. The core offering is the Beratervermittlung (consultant matching) service that connects family businesses with certified advisors from a pool of over 200 specialists. Supporting products include the FirmenWertCheck (free company value check tool), the FKB Kompetenz-Zirkel (monthly training for bank relationship managers), the RQP-Expertenakademie (webinars and workshops for entrepreneurs), and specialized services for credit institutions. The be-DIGITAL initiative offers free digitalization assessments. RQP primarily serves Northern Germany (Schleswig-Holstein, Hamburg, Niedersachsen, Mecklenburg-Vorpommern) and works with approximately 80 credit and promotional institutions.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Beratervermittlung (Consultant Matching) Core service that matches family-owned Mittelstand businesses in northern Germany with certified, specialized consultants from a hand-selected network of 200+ vetted advisors; the firm's founding offering, delivered via free initial consultation with a match typically proposed within 24 hours.
• Beratervermittlung für Kreditinstitute (Consultant Matching for Credit Institutions) Specialized consultant-matching service for banks and credit institutions, helping commercial customer advisors (Firmenkundenbetreuer) refer business customers to appropriate vetted consultants from the RQP network; supports restructuring, succession, and early-warning-indicator cases.
• FKB Kompetenz-Zirkel Monthly free webinars and occasional live events for bank commercial customer advisors (Firmenkundenbetreuer) covering current business challenges, digitalization, sales, and restructuring, used to educate and maintain partner-bank relationships.
• RQP-Expertenakademie (Expert Academy) Paid seminars, workshops, and events for entrepreneurs and employees of Mittelstand family businesses, offering practical training on business-relevant topics and networking opportunities with other Mittelstand companies.
• FirmenWertCheck (Company Value Check) Free assessment offering for businesses to verify and benchmark their company value, functioning as a lead-generation and educational entry point to RQP's broader consulting intermediation services.
• Digitalisierungs-Check (be-DIGITAL) Free digitalization assessment check that helps companies identify gaps and improvement opportunities across digital processes, digital marketing, and IT security; serves as an entry point to RQP's digitalization consulting matches.

Quantifiable outcome

• Over 7,000 consulting projects successfully matched
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers6 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Seven partnerships are on record, tiered minor and core.

• ITQ InstitutminorOthersITQ Institut awards the quality seal (Gütesiegel) to RQP, recognizing the company's quality standards in consultant intermediation. Displayed on RQP's website footer.
• VR Bank Westküste eGcoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorRegional cooperative bank that has partnered with RQP since the beginning. RQP originated at FH Westküste in Heide. The bank refers business customers to RQP for consulting services and provides testimonials about positive experiences.
• Bürgschaftsbank and MBG Mecklenburg-VorpommerncoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorGuarantee bank and Mittelstandsbusiness development company from Mecklenburg-Vorpommern joined as cooperation partners based on positive experiences shared by other northern German Bürgschaftsbanken.
• Investitionsbank Schleswig-HolsteincoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerInvestment bank of Schleswig-Holstein co-hosts the Sanierer-Dialog (Restructuring Dialogue) with RQP, providing a platform for bank restructuring specialists to network and share best practices.
• Partner Schleswig-HolsteinminorGTM or Marketing PartnerMarketing partnership with Partner Schleswig-Holstein initiative, a regional business support network.
• Credit and Promotional Institutions (approx. 80)coreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorApproximately 80 credit institutions (Sparkassen, Volksbanken, etc.) and promotional banks in northern Germany cooperate with RQP to refer business customers to vetted consultants. RQP serves as neutral intermediary that maintains bank neutrality while connecting companies with appropriate advisors.
• RQP-Strategie GmbHminorOthersRQP-Strategie GmbH is a group company within the RQP corporate group. Data protection policy mentions sharing data with companies in the RQP group as needed for processing inquiries.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• DIHK Service GmbH: DIHK is the umbrella organization of German Chambers of Industry and Commerce and provides business consulting referrals and support services to SMEs nationally. It competes with RQP for Mittelstand consulting intermediation at a national scale.
• IHK (Industrie- und Handelskammer): The regional IHK chambers provide consulting referrals, business start-up support, and advisory services to Mittelstand businesses across Germany. They serve a similar SMB customer base to RQP but as a public-chamber institution rather than a private intermediary.
• Bundesverband Deutscher Unternehmensberater (BDU): BDU is the leading German professional association for management consultants with thousands of members. While broader than RQP, BDU sets quality standards, certifies consultants, and provides a directory that competes for the same Mittelstand audience seeking vetted advisors.
• KfW Mittelstandsbank: KfW is Germany's state development bank providing financing and consulting referrals to Mittelstand businesses. It shares RQP's Mittelstand focus and works in conjunction with the same bank partner ecosystem, making it both a collaborator and competitor for consulting intermediation.

Emerging players

• Malt: Malt is a leading European freelance and consulting marketplace that digitally matches companies with vetted independent experts. It represents the digital-first, technology-driven intermediation model that could disrupt RQP's manual, relationship-driven approach.
• Consultport: Consultport is an online marketplace for top-tier management consultants, connecting companies with freelance advisors globally. It overlaps with RQP's consulting-matching value proposition but executes it through a digital platform rather than bank relationships.
• deepsales: An emerging digital B2B advisory marketplace connecting companies with vetted consultants and experts. Represents the broader trend of platform-based consulting intermediation that could compete with traditional intermediaries like RQP over time.

Direct peers

• RKW Kompetenzzentrum: RKW is a German consulting network focused on SME and Mittelstand support, structurally similar to RQP in providing access to vetted consulting expertise. Both operate as intermediation models connecting businesses with external advisors across German regions.

Regional players

• Bürgschaftsbanken (German Guarantee Banks): Bürgschaftsbanken are regional German guarantee banks that support SME financing and frequently refer clients to consultants — they are simultaneously RQP's channel partners and could evolve into competing consulting intermediaries in their respective regions.
• Förderberatung NRW: Regional Mittelstand consulting referral services in other German states (e.g., North Rhine-Westphalia) operate with similar bank-partner-driven intermediation models to RQP but serve different geographies. They represent both peer models and potential partnership/expansion targets.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UCpwbr0G6MaHoEtlG9Ni3nZw
• Facebookfacebook.com/DieBeraterExperten.de
• Instagraminstagram.com/rqp_berater_experten
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/rqp-gmbh

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 Regional Quality Partnership