Bundessortenamt

What Bundessortenamt does

Bundessortenamt (Federal Plant Variety Office / BSA) is a German federal government agency under the Federal Ministry of Food and Agriculture (BMEL), headquartered in Hannover with seven additional testing stations across Germany (Dachwig, Haßloch, Magdeburg, Nossen, Scharnhorst, Wurzen, plus the Hannover Prüfstelle). Founded in 1948 and operating as the sole German competent authority for plant breeders' rights (Sortenschutz) and national variety listing (Sortenzulassung), the agency conducts statutory DUS (Distinctness, Uniformity, Stability) and VCU (Value for Cultivation and Use) testing, issues certificates, and grants approvals under OECD seed schemes for international variety multiplication outside contracting states. Core products include Plant Breeders' Rights, National Listing, Variety Databases, Descriptive Variety Lists, OECD Seed Scheme Forms, Suitability Tests for Turf Grasses, official certificates (EUR 20 each), VCU Testing Reports, and Organic Heterogeneous Material (ÖHM) notification services under EU Regulation 2018/848.

The agency's revenue model is fee-based and statutory, governed by the National Fee Law (BGebG) and Special Fee Law (BMELBGebV). Revenue streams include Plant Breeders' Rights fees (application, annual protection), National Listing fees (application, annual monitoring, testing, prolongation), one-time certificate issuance (EUR 20), sales of Descriptive Variety Lists and VCU Testing Guidelines (EUR 7.00-15.00 per booklet with volume discounts), turf grass testing fees (EUR 60-150 per trial site/year administered through SFG mbH with a 9% administrative charge), and expenditures for information/extract services. Distribution is exclusively direct: applications submitted via electronic forms, post, fax, or email; OECD forms require breeder numbers and passwords via secure HTTPS; physical publications ordered through an online storefront with domestic and international shipping. Bundessortenamt serves plant breeders, seed companies and traders, gene bank network partners (including Julius Kühn-Institut), agricultural professionals, and researchers across Germany, the EU (via CPVO), and international jurisdictions via OECD and UPOV.

Beyond regulatory services, Bundessortenamt coordinates three decentralized German Gene Bank networks - Deutsche Genbank Zierpflanzen (DGZ, 2009), Deutsche Genbank Obst (DGO, 2007), and Deutsche Genbank Reben (DGR, 2010) - and multiple subnetworks (Hydrangea 2016, Lilium 2017, Pelargonium 2019, Magnolia 2021, Ericeae), plus the Plant Collection Network (NWPS) since June 2017. The agency participates in international frameworks including UPOV, OECD seed schemes, CPVO testing, EU Regulation 2018/848, ECPGR, and RIBESCO. It is GDPR-compliant and operates as a stable public-sector institution with a leadership transition effective February 1, 2026 (Karin Riemer succeeding Elmar Pfülb as President).

Name

Bundessortenamt

Legal name

Bundessortenamt

Website

https://bundessortenamt.de

Company type

Private

Founded year

1948

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Bundessortenamt is the German federal government agency under BMEL that grants plant breeders' rights and national variety listings, conducts DUS/VCU testing, manages three German Gene Bank networks, and serves plant breeders, seed companies, and agricultural researchers across Germany and internationally via UPOV and OECD frameworks.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Agricultural Regulatory Services

NAICS

Regulation of Agricultural Marketing and Commodities (92614)

SIC

Agricultural Services (700)

akta.pro primary industry

Seed Testing, Certification & Quality Assurance (Germination, Purity, Phytosanitary) (AFABAFAM)

akta.pro secondary industries

Seed Quality Testing & Certification Services (AFAGAIAI), Seed Quality Testing & Certification Support (Germination, Purity, Vigor) (AFAOADAK), Seed Testing, Treatment & Certification Services (AFAMADAI)

Keywords

• Plant variety protection
• Seed certification
• Variety registration
• Plant genetic resources
• Agricultural testing services

Headquarters

HQ city

Hanover

HQ country

Germany

HQ region

Europe

Offices8 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Technology or R&D, Others

Revenue model

1. Plant Breeders' Rights Fees: Fees charged for processing plant breeders' rights applications, annual protection fees for protected varieties, and related administrative services. This is a core government service funded by applicants seeking intellectual property protection for plant varieties.
2. National Listing Fees: Fees for variety listing applications, annual monitoring fees for listed varieties, testing fees for each year of testing, and prolongation fees. Covers the cost of conducting value for cultivation and use (VCU) testing.
3. Certificate Issuance: Issuance of certificates for plant breeders' rights and national listing at €20 per certificate. Available to rights holders, breeders, and additional breeders of varieties.
4. Descriptive Variety Lists and Publications: Sale of printed publications including Descriptive Variety Lists (Getreide, Mais, Öl- und Faserpflanzen, Kartoffel, Rasengräser, Futtergräser, Reben, Obst) and VCU Testing Guidelines. Unit prices range from €7.00-15.00 with volume discounts available.
5. Turf Grass Testing Fees: Fees for suitability tests for turf grasses charged per trial site and year: Home Use €100, Sports Use €120, Low-maintenance €60, Close mowing €150. Administered through Sortenförderungsgesellschaft mbH (SFG).
6. Expenditures and Extracts: Costs for providing information about non-own varieties, extracts from national list, plant breeders' rights register, and other documents.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

Bundessortenamt is the German federal authority that grants Plant Breeders' Rights (Sortenschutz) and approves National Listing (Sortenzulassung) for plant varieties based on DUS and VCU testing. It provides seed certification oversight, OECD seed scheme approvals, official certificates, descriptive variety lists, and coordinates three German Gene Bank networks (ornamentals, fruit crops, vines) for plant genetic resource conservation.

Product overview

Bundessortenamt (Federal Plant Variety Office) is Germany's official government agency for plant variety protection and seed certification. The organization offers a portfolio of interconnected regulatory and testing services centered around Plant Breeders' Rights (Sortenschutz) and National Listing (Sortenzulassung). Core offerings include DUS and VCU testing services, variety databases, Descriptive Variety Lists, and OECD Seed Scheme approval processes. Additionally, the agency manages three German Gene Banks covering ornamental plants, fruit crops, and vines as part of national plant genetic resource conservation. Testing services extend to turf grass suitability evaluation, with support for organic heterogeneous material notification under EU organic regulations.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Deutsche Genbank Zierpflanzen (German Gene Bank for Ornamentals): A decentralized gene bank network for conserving ornamental plant genetic resources, founded in 2009.
• Deutsche Genbank Obst (German Gene Bank for Fruit Crops)
• Deutsche Genbank Reben (German Gene Bank for Vines)

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration2 records

Feature5 records

Partnerships

14 partnerships are on record, tiered minor, moderate and core.

• Subnetwork Magnolia PartnersminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2021Founded in 2021 as youngest subnetwork. Coordinated by Rombergpark Botanical Garden Dortmund. Preserves and documents Magnolia diversity in Germany's largest collection with nearly 120 accessions documented.
• Subnetwork Pelargonium PartnersminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2019Over 10 partners involved in documenting and preserving Pelargonium genetic diversity in decentralized collections. BSA conducts verification and description at Dachwig testing station. Coordinated by Julius Kühn-Institut since October 2019.
• Plant Collection Network (Netzwerk Pflanzensammlungen - NWPS)moderateStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2017Coordinated by Bundessortable since June 2017. Originally emerged from a project of German Horticultural Society (DGG). Provides platform for plant collectors to exchange ideas, increase visibility, and publish collection data.
• Subnetwork Lilium PartnersminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2017Founded in 2017. Coordinated by Stefan Strasser (Lilien-Arche Erlangen). Preserves historical and rare lily species and varieties with over 470 accessions documented in DGZ database.
• Subnetwork Hydrangea PartnersminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2016Founded in 2016 as first subnetwork of Gene Bank for Vegetatively Propagated Ornamentals. Coordinated by TU Dresden. Project verified and documented 640 Hydrangea accessions.
• German Gene Bank for Vines (DGR)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2010Founded in 2010 as a gene bank network with Julius Kühn-Institut (JKI) as coordination centre. Bundessortenamt stores collections of vine species and varieties as one of the federal organizations in the network.
• German Gene Bank for Ornamentals (DGZ)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2009Founded in 2009 as a decentralized gene bank network. Coordinates the Plant Collection Network. Manages subnetworks for rhododendrons, roses, seed-propagated ornamentals, vegetatively propagated ornamentals, and specialized plant groups including Lilium, Magnolia, Hydrangea, Pelargonium, and Ericeae.
• German Gene Bank for Fruit Crops (DGO)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2007Founding member and collection partner in apple, cherry, plum, raspberry, blackberry, and strawberry networks. Coordinates gene bank network for raspberries and blackberries, and pear and wild fruit networks. Member of DGO expert advisory committee.
• Sortenförderungsgesellschaft mbH (SFG)coreImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerAdministers turf grass suitability testing in cooperation with Bundessortenamt since 2005. Handles administrative tasks including application processing, financial management, and fee collection. Contact: Kaufmannstraße 71-73, 53115 Bonn.
• Julius Kühn-Institut (JKI)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCoordination centre for German Gene Bank for Vines and founding partner in gene bank networks. Operates Geilweilerhof Grapevine Institute. Involved in Pelargonium subnetwork coordination.
• European Gene Bank Network for Ribes Species (RIBESCO)moderateStrategic or Co-development PartnerParticipating partner contributing accessions for Ribes species to the Northern European Gene Pool managed by MTT (Finland). Part of European Programme on Cooperation for Plant Genetic Resources (ECPGR).
• European Cooperative Programme for Plant Genetic Resources (ECPGR)moderateStrategic or Co-development PartnerParticipating member contributing to European gene bank cooperation and data sharing through AEGIS (European Gene Bank Integrated System).
• Bundesverband Deutscher Pflanzenzüchter (BDP)moderateImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerDeveloped joint concept for turf grass suitability testing with Bundessortable in 2004. Publishes Durchführungsbestimmungen jointly on their website.
• UPOV (International Union for the Protection of New Varieties of Plants)coreTechnology or IntegrationInternational organization for plant variety protection of which Bundessortable is a member. Distributes UPOV Newsletter with latest updates to stakeholders.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Broad incumbents

• UPOV (International Union for the Protection of New Varieties of Plants): International intergovernmental organization setting the framework for plant variety protection that national offices like Bundessortenamt implement. Bundessortenamt is a member and disseminates UPOV newsletters to German stakeholders.
• Julius Kühn-Institut (JKI) - Federal Research Centre for Cultivated Plants: German federal research institute under BMEL that coordinates the German Gene Bank for Vines and collaborates with BSA on Pelargonium and other subnetworks. Comparable federal plant-research mandate with shared regulatory interfaces.
• USDA AMS Plant Variety Protection Office: US equivalent issuing Plant Variety Protection certificates and managing the federal seed program. Comparable statutory mandate in plant variety protection for a major agricultural jurisdiction, with similar DUS testing approach.

Direct peers

• National Institute of Agricultural Botany (NIAB): UK-based plant science organization providing DUS testing, VCU trials, and seed certification services on contract for the UK Plant Variety Rights Office. Closely comparable on testing methodology and fee-based service delivery.
• GEVES (Groupe d'Étude et de contrôle des Variétés Et des Semences): French official variety and seed testing body conducting DUS and VCU examinations for France's national listing system. Operates a similar federal-agency model with multiple testing stations and database publications.
• Naktuinbouw: Dutch inspection service for horticultural crops and seeds, handling variety registration, DUS testing, and seed certification for the Netherlands. Comparable testing, registration, and inspection services for plant breeders and seed traders.
• Community Plant Variety Office (CPVO): EU-level agency granting Community plant variety rights across all EU member states based on DUS testing. Directly comparable as the supranational counterpart to Bundessortenamt, with overlapping mandate and shared testing protocols.
• AGES (Austrian Agency for Health and Food Safety): Austrian federal agency handling variety testing, seed certification, and plant health in a similar statutory framework. Provides a comparable national model for plant variety registration and DUS/VCU testing in the German-speaking region.

Regional players

• Agroscope: Swiss federal research body conducting variety trials and coordinating plant breeding research for Switzerland. Similar public-agency model for VCU testing and variety registration in a non-EU but DUS-aligned jurisdiction.

Others

• European Seed Association (Euroseeds): European seed industry trade association representing breeders and seed merchants. Bundessortenamt engages with Euroseeds' members through BDP and through joint regulatory consultations on seed marketing and certification.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/bundessortenamt

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 Bundessortenamt