Sozialkasse des Gerustbaugewerbes

What Sozialkasse des Gerustbaugewerbes does

Sozialkasse des Gerüstbaugewerbes (SOKA Gerüstbau) is the statutorily mandated social security fund for the German scaffolding construction trade, organized as a mutual insurance association (Versicherungsverein auf Gegenseitigkeit, VVaG) under joint governance of the Bundesverband Gerüstbau e.V. employer association and the IG BAU trade union. Founded at least three decades ago and headquartered in Wiesbaden, the organization administers collective-bargaining-derived benefits for more than 3,000 domestic and foreign-dispatched scaffolding companies, over 30,000 commercial workers, 5,300 salaried staff, and 2,300 retirees. Its legal basis is the Arbeitnehmerentsendegesetz, which makes participation compulsory for any scaffolding firm deploying labor in Germany, including foreign dispatch companies (Entsendebetriebe).

The core technical delivery mechanism is the Online-Service platform—three role-based portals for employers, employees/retirees, and apprentices running on SSL-encrypted infrastructure, available 24/7 for monthly contribution reporting, employee registration, vacation and pension claims, and trainee document access. Service lines include vacation and vacation-bonus payments (14.82% of gross wages), wage compensation for Christmas/New Year periods, weather-related work-stoppage coverage, three-year dual vocational training and continuing education programs, supplementary pension (Rentenbeihilfe), minimum-wage compliance verification, and insolvency protection for working-time accounts.

SOKA's revenue model is contribution-based rather than transactional: employers with commercial workers pay 24.1% of gross wages into the social fund, foreign dispatch companies pay 19.6%, and salaried staff are billed at a flat €20 per month. These contributions fund vacation pay, weather-related wage replacement, vocational training, and supplementary pensions, with employers reimbursed for vacation pay plus a 35% social cost supplement (set to step down to 32% from May 1, 2026). Distribution is exclusively direct: Online-Service portal, telephone hotline, on-site Betriebsberatung, and downloadable document libraries. The organization also operates an adjacent subsidiary, Zusatzversorgungskasse des Gerüstbaugewerbes VVaG, which handles supplementary pension insurance for the trade.

Name

Sozialkasse des Gerustbaugewerbes

Legal name

Sozialkasse des Gerüstbaugewerbes

Website

https://sokageruest.de

Company type

Private

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

SOKA Gerüstbau is the statutorily mandated German scaffolding trade social security fund, administering vacation pay, weather-related wage replacement, vocational training, and supplementary pensions for 3,000+ companies and 35,000+ workers via its Online-Service platform.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Sectoral Social Security Administration

NAICS

Health and Welfare Funds (525120), Other Insurance Funds (525190), Insurance and Employee Benefit Funds (5251)

SIC

Services-Membership Organizations (8600)

akta.pro primary industry

Contractor Benefits & Perks Administration (BPACAGAJ)

Keywords

• Scaffolding industry social fund
• Vacation compensation administration
• Supplementary pension insurance
• Vocational training subsidies
• Minimum wage compliance

Headquarters

HQ city

Wiesbaden

HQ country

Germany

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Social Fund Contributions - Commercial Employees: SOKA collects social fund contributions from employers with commercial employees (gewerbliche Arbeitnehmer) at 24.1% of the gross wage sum. This funds vacation compensation, wage replacement for weather-related work stoppages, professional training, and supplementary pension benefits.
2. Social Fund Contributions - Dispatch Companies: Scaffolding companies based abroad (Entsendebetriebe) that deploy workers to Germany contribute at a reduced rate of 19.6% of gross wages, participating only in the vacation fund procedure (Urlaubskassenverfahren).
3. Social Fund Contributions - Employed Staff: Employers with employed (salaried) staff pay a flat rate of €20.00 per full month of employment per employee, supporting supplementary pension provisions.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

Sozialkasse des Gerüstbaugewerbes administers statutory and collective-agreement-based social benefits for the German scaffolding construction trade. Its core deliverable is a 24/7 Online-Service platform that enables employers to file monthly contribution reports and manage employee registrations, while workers and retirees use it to claim vacation pay and access pension information. The fund pools employer contributions to fund vacation compensation, weather-related wage replacement, vocational training subsidies, supplementary pensions, and minimum wage compliance oversight on behalf of 3,000+ member companies and 35,000+ workers.

Product overview

Sozialkasse des Gerüstbaugewerbes operates as a social security fund for the scaffolding trade in Germany, offering a suite of services centered around its Online-Service digital platform. The core offering consists of an online portal with differentiated access for employers (monthly reporting, employee management, account statements), employees/pensioners (data management, holiday pay reimbursement, pension information), and apprentices (training materials). Supporting this platform are benefit services including vacation pay, wage compensation, summer layoff pay, vocational training, professional continuing education, supplementary pension schemes, and minimum wage compliance monitoring—all delivered through an extensive library of downloadable forms and documents.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Online-Service Platform SSL-encrypted digital platform with three differentiated portals: employer portal for monthly contribution reports, employee registration/deregistration, and account statements; employee/retiree portal for vacation compensation claims and pension information; and trainee portal for apprenticeship documentation. Available 24/7 to the 3,000+ scaffolding companies and 35,000+ workers covered by the fund.
• Urlaub und Urlaubsgeld (Vacation and Vacation Pay) Statutory vacation compensation paid to commercial scaffolding workers at 14.82% of contribution-eligible gross wages (11.40% Urlaubsentgelt plus 3.42% Urlaubsgeld). Employers are reimbursed the vacation pay plus a 35% social cost supplement (pauschaler Sozialaufwandsersatz).
• Lohnausgleich (Wage Compensation) Compensation payments for commercial workers during the Christmas/New Year period (24-26 December, 31 December, 1 January), equivalent to 7.8 hours of hourly wage per qualifying day, replacing prior holiday bonus claims.
• Sommerausfallgeld (Summer Layoff Pay) New wage replacement benefit for commercial employees to compensate for summer-related work interruptions, scheduled for introduction on May 1, 2026 alongside an adjustment of the social cost supplement from 35% to 32%.
• Berufsausbildung (Vocational Training / Apprenticeship) Three-year dual apprenticeship program for scaffold builders (Gerüstbauer/Gerüstbauerin) combining in-company training, inter-company instruction (ÜLU) at training centers in Dortmund, Magdeburg/Berlin, and Weiterstadt/Groß-Gerau, and block vocational school instruction. Training compensation is subsidized at 50% from month 4 to month 24.
• Berufsfortbildung (Professional Continuing Education) Advanced training courses delivered in cooperation with selected Handwerkskammern, including certifications for Geprüfter Gerüstbau-Monteur, Geprüfter Gerüstbau-Montageleiter, and Geprüfter Gerüstbau-Kolonnenführer. Course costs (wages, travel, accommodation, examination fees) are fully funded.
• Zusatzversorgung (Supplementary Pension via Zusatzversorgungskasse VVaG) Supplementary pension scheme for former scaffolding trade workers providing monthly Rentenbeihilfe ranging from €56.24 to €86.92 (full benefit) and €2.76 to €70.05 (partial benefit), plus one-time death benefit of €82.83 to €1,370.26 for surviving dependents. Serves 2,300 pensioners via the affiliated Zusatzversorgungskasse des Gerüstbaugewerbes VVaG.
• Mindestlohnkontrolle (Minimum Wage Control) Monitoring of minimum wage compliance using company reporting data, investigation of alleged violations, and cooperation with German customs authorities (Finanzkontrolle Schwarzarbeit) on enforcement.
• Downloads und Formulare (Document and Form Repository) Comprehensive online library of downloadable forms, brochures, circulars, tariff agreements, and annual reports dating back to 2018, supporting registration, benefits, training, and social security procedures.

Quantifiable outcome

• Vacation compensation reimbursement covers full vacation pay plus 35% social cost supplement for employers
• +2 more outcomes

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Four partnerships are on record, tiered core and supporting.

• Bau Bildung Sachsen-Anhalt e.V.coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2021Following the termination of cooperation with HWK Berlin at the end of 2021, over-branch training (Überbetriebliche Lehrlingsunterweisung) for the northeastern federal states transitioned to Bau Bildung Sachsen-Anhalt e.V. with location in Magdeburg. This partnership ensures the continuation of practical training for scaffolding apprentices in the Berlin/Magdeburg region.
• Handwerkskammern (Chambers of Crafts)coreImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerSOKA Gerüstbau conducts professional development courses (Fortbildungslehrgänge) in cooperation with selected Handwerkskammern (chambers of crafts) for continuing education programs including Geprüfter Gerüstbau-Monteur, Geprüfter Gerüstbau-Montageleiter, and Geprüfter Gerüstbau-Kolonnenführer certifications.
• SOKA-BAU (Zusatzversorgungskasse des Baugewerbes AG)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerSOKA-BAU provides supplementary pension provisions through capital conversion (Entgeltumwandlung), with employers receiving a 25% subsidy on converted amounts. This enables scaffolding trade workers to build additional retirement benefits through the construction industry's supplementary pension scheme.
• Berufsschulen (Vocational Schools)supportingImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerScaffolding apprenticeship combines practical training in companies and over-branch training centers with vocational school instruction delivered as block instruction (Blockunterricht) at Berufsschulen in Dortmund, Magdeburg/Berlin, and Weiterstadt/Groß-Gerau.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• OPPBTP (Organisme Professionnel de Prévention du Bâtiment et des Travaux Publics): French construction-sector social fund addressing training, prevention, and welfare. Different in scope (prevention-focused) but operates on the same contributory model and serves the same construction workforce.
• BG BAU (Berufsgenossenschaft der Bauwirtschaft): German statutory accident insurance fund for the construction industry. Adjacent in serving the same employer base and providing similar sectoral social benefits, though focused on workplace accidents rather than vacation/pension/training.
• Deutsche Rentenversicherung (DRV): German statutory pension insurance carrier that administers the national PAYG pension system. SOKA's supplementary pension (Rentenbeihilfe) sits on top of DRV, making DRV a structural upstream counterpart rather than a competitor.
• UK CITB (Construction Industry Training Board): Statutory UK body that levies construction employers to fund training, qualifications, and standards. Closest international functional analogue to SOKA Gerüstbau's vocational training and welfare funding role, though UK-centric and broader in scope.

Direct peers

• Sozialkasse des Dachdeckerhandwerks: Social fund for the German roofing trade, providing vacation compensation, supplementary pensions, and training under the same Arbeitnehmerentsendegesetz framework. Same organizational and revenue model as SOKA Gerüstbau, applied to a different skilled-trade vertical.
• Zusatzversorgungskasse des Baugewerbes AG: Construction-industry supplementary pension provider offering capital-conversion (Entgeltumwandlung) pension plans, formally partnered with SOKA Gerüstbau for supplementary pension administration. Direct comparable in pension administration function and target employer base.
• SOKA-BAU (Zusatzversorgungskasse des Baugewerbes AG): Social fund for the broader German construction industry, providing vacation pay, supplementary pensions, and training benefits. Operates under the same Sozialkassen framework as SOKA Gerüstbau but covers the entire Bauhauptgewerbe; direct peer in structure, regulatory mandate, and product offering.
• Sozialkasse des Maler- und Lackiererhandwerks: Social fund for the German painters' trade, operating with identical statutory mandate, contribution mechanics, and benefit catalog (vacation, training, pension). Same VVaG/Versorgungswerk structure as SOKA Gerüstbau, segmented by trade.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles6 records

Subsidiaries1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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

Frequently asked questions about Sozialkasse des Gerustbaugewerbes