What Inab does

Inab (legally: inab – Ausbildungs- und Beschäftigungsgesellschaft des bfw mbH, DBA: 'inab – Jugend, Bildung und Beruf') is a German non-profit vocational training and youth education services provider headquartered in Erkrath with a registered seat in Berlin. Founded in 1986 as a wholly-owned subsidiary of bfw – Unternehmen für Bildung (the DGB-affiliated Berufsfortbildungswerk Gemeinnützige Bildungseinrichtung des DGB GmbH), inab specializes in supporting young people through the school-to-work transition, with particular focus on participants facing barriers including disability, migration background, and social disadvantage. The organization operates approximately 40 physical training locations across 10 German federal states, delivering services through four core divisions: Schule & Erziehung (school social work, all-day care, integration assistance, learning therapy), Berufsvorbereitung (BvB, AVGS coaching, BerEb, refugee programs), Ausbildung (BaE, Verbundausbildung, AsA flex, Azubi-Coaching), and Rehabilitation (Reha-Ausbildung, BvB-Reha, Unterstützte Beschäftigung).

inab's technology footprint is conventional rather than proprietary: services are delivered via physical workshops (woodworking, metal, painting, gastronomy, construction), classrooms, and coaching facilities, with standard digital tools (Google Analytics, Google Tag Manager, MaTelSo call tracking) supporting marketing and administration. Some locations offer digital coaching modules such as DigiUp/DigiPass at Leipzig for digital literacy. There is no proprietary technology platform, AI/ML pipeline, or software product. Recent product extensions include Digi Fit (training on AI/digital tools for apprentices) and Bewerbung konkret 4.0 (incorporating AI-assisted application techniques), but these are pedagogical content rather than technological capabilities.

inab's revenue model is based on publicly funded training contracts under German social law (SGB II, SGB III, SGB VIII). Programs are AZAV-certified and commissioned by the Agentur für Arbeit (Federal Employment Agency), Jobcenter, municipalities, federal/state ministries, and the EU. Participants funded through these channels pay no fees — costs are covered by public sponsors per multi-year contracts. Self-paying participants (typically with an AVGS voucher issued by a case worker) and employer-commissioned training (e.g., Verbundausbildung) represent secondary revenue streams. As a registered gemeinnützig (non-profit) GmbH, inab does not have external equity funding; the most recent leadership includes CEO Klaus Knappstein, COO Sonja Schmitz, and Aufsichtsratsvorsitzender Renatus Germann.

Name

Inab

Legal name

inab – Ausbildungs- und Beschäftigungsgesellschaft des bfw mbH

Website

https://inab-jugend.de

Company type

Private

Founded year

1986

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

101–250 employees

Short description

Inab is a German non-profit vocational education provider operating approximately 40 locations nationwide. As a bfw subsidiary, it delivers AZAV-certified training, rehabilitation, school social work, and career coaching services to youth and young adults — particularly those with disabilities or migration backgrounds — funded by public employment agencies, job centers, and municipalities.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Vocational Education and Training Services

NAICS

Vocational Rehabilitation Services (6243), Technical and Trade Schools (6115), Educational Services (611), Educational Support Services (611710)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200), Services-Social Services (8300), Services-Employment Agencies (7361)

akta.pro primary industry

Public Workforce Development Programs (WIOA/One-Stop Career Centers) (EDAAAOAA)

akta.pro secondary industries

Special Education Staffing & Contracted Providers (Paras, Therapists, Specialists) (EDAJAKAL), Holiday, Inset-Day & Break Coverage Programs (Early Years) (EDACAHAK), State/Provincial Human Services & Benefits Administration (Welfare, Disability, Child & Family) (BPAIABAI)

Keywords

• Vocational training services
• Youth education programs
• Rehabilitation training
• Career coaching
• Workforce integration

Headquarters

HQ city

Erkrath

HQ country

Germany

HQ region

Europe

Offices36 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Publicly Funded Training Contracts: inab generates the majority of its revenue through contracts with German public employment agencies (Agentur für Arbeit), job centers (Jobcenter/Arbeitsgemeinschaften), municipalities, and federal/state ministries. Programs such as BvB (Berufsvorbereitende Bildungsmaßnahmen), BaE (Berufsausbildung in außerbetrieblichen Einrichtungen), Reha-Ausbildung, BvB-Reha, Unterstützte Beschäftigung, Berufseinstiegsbegleitung (BerEb), and coaching programs are commissioned and funded under German social law (SGB II, SGB III, SGB VIII) and AZAV certification. Revenue is project-based and tied to participation numbers and program outcomes. inab is a non-profit (gemeinnützig) entity.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

inab provides publicly funded vocational preparation, training, rehabilitation, all-day care, and school support services across approximately 40 locations in Germany. Its programs – including BvB (Berufsvorbereitende Bildungsmaßnahmen), BaE, Reha-Ausbildung, supported employment (UB/InbeQ), AVGS coaching, BerEb, and integration assistance – are AZAV-certified and funded under German social law (SGB II/III/VIII). Services are commissioned by the Agentur für Arbeit, Jobcenter, municipalities, schools, chambers of trade, and the EU/BMBF.

Product overview

Inab (Inab – Ausbildungs- und Beschäftigungsgesellschaft des bfw mbH) is a nationwide vocational training and youth education services provider operating under four main business divisions: Schule & Erziehung (School & Education), Berufsvorbereitung (Vocational Preparation), Ausbildung (Training/Azubi Services), and Rehabilitation. The company offers continuing education courses, individual coaching programs, after-school care, learning therapy, career orientation, and supported employment services for youth and young adults. Specific programs include DigiUp mit DigiPass for digital literacy, the Ernährungsführerschein nutrition program for primary schools, and various EU-funded projects like DREAM and MSE-VET for international vocational training cooperation. Inab operates multiple locations across Germany and collaborates with companies for apprenticeship support and cooperative training arrangements.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Schule & Erziehung (School & Education) Division providing full-day child care (Ganztagsbetreuung), school accompaniment / integration assistance, Kita assistance, learning coaching and therapy (Lerncoaching / Lerntherapie), career orientation programs (BOP, KAoA), and school social work services delivered on-site at partner schools.
• Berufsvorbereitung (Vocational Preparation) Division offering coaching with AVGS vouchers, preparatory vocational training measures (BvB), activation assistance for younger participants (Aktivierungshilfen), programs for young refugees (PerjuF), career entry support (BerEb), and AGH-MAE work-opportunity programs.
• Ausbildung (Apprenticeship / Azubi Services) Division providing apprentice coaching for companies, assisted flexible training (AsA flex), the Bremen training initiative, out-of-company vocational training (BaE), and cooperative Verbundausbildung arrangements for SMEs.
• Rehabilitation Division providing rehabilitation training (Reha-Ausbildung), BvB Reha, individual coaching (Einzelcoaching / Zug um Zug), and supported employment (Unterstützte Beschäftigung / InbeQ) for people with disabilities.
• Weiterbildung (Continuing Education) Division offering further education courses in pedagogy and social work (including autism, ADHS, migration-related pedagogy), commercial / financial / administrative fields (Microsoft Office, DATEV, public administration entry), basic skills acquisition, and professional language courses for industries such as logistics, hospitality, care, office management, metalwork, and electrical work.
• Coaching mit AVGS (Activation-Voucher Coaching) Individual coaching funded through Aktivierungs- und Vermittlungsgutschein (AVGS) vouchers, including Bewerbung konkret 4.0, Zug um Zug stabilization coaching, Einzelcoaching, and dedicated coaching for Ukrainian refugees.
• Ganztagsbetreuung (All-Day Care) Full-day childcare and supervision services for school children, including the pooling model for integration assistance (Integrationsassistenz / Schulbegleitung) deployed at partner Grundschulen.
• Lerntherapie (Learning Therapy) Therapeutic support for children and adolescents with learning difficulties, covering dyslexia, dyscalculia, and concentration problems, delivered at locations such as Lüdenscheid, Iserlohn, Karlsruhe, Erkrath, and Bad Berleburg.
• Berufseinstiegsbegleitung (BerEb) – Career Entry Support Support for students from secondary schools to successfully transition into vocational training, including assistance achieving school-leaving certificates, finding apprenticeships, and stabilizing the school-to-work transition.
• DigiUp mit DigiPass (Digital Literacy Coaching) Digital literacy coaching program comprising DigiCheck (assessment), DigiUp (skills building), and DigiPass (certification of digital competencies), aimed at participants seeking to enter modern workplaces.
• Digi Fit – Souveräne Nutzung digitaler Tools und KI im Ausbildungsalltag Training program for confident use of digital tools and AI in apprenticeship daily routines, offered to companies and their trainers (Ausbilder).
• Ernährungsführerschein (Nutrition License) Practical nutrition education program for primary-school children teaching food preparation, hygiene, and healthy eating habits.
• Fachpraktiker-Ausbildungen (Specialist Practitioner Training) Rehabilitation vocational training in specialist-practitioner roles covering metal construction, woodworking, painting, housekeeping, and kitchen work – typically two-year programs leading to a recognized Fachpraktiker qualification.
• InbeQ – Individuelle betriebliche Qualifizierung (Individual Workplace Qualification) Individual workplace-based qualification program for people with disabilities structured in orientation, qualification, and stabilization phases over up to 24 months.
• Medienprojekt EinDruck (Intermedia Journalism Project) Intermedia journalism project in which participants create blog content, interviews, reports, and short films covering social projects in Leipzig.
• MSE-VET – Micro and Small Enterprises Vocational Education and Training German-Italian vocational education cooperation project funded by BMBF (WiSoVET funding line) to strengthen small-business training and social-partnership cooperation, partnering with Italian trade-union federations (CGIL, CISL, UIL) and German training centres.
• DREAM – Dynamic Reinforcement for European Adaptation of Migrants European project strengthening migrant integration through best-practice exchange and an EU-wide stakeholder network, covering 9 European countries, with an international best-practice database and national workshops in each participant country.

Named customers5 records

Segments6 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Six partnerships are on record, tiered core, major and minor.

• bfw (Berufsfortbildungswerk Gemeinnützige Bildungseinrichtung des DGB GmbH)coreOthersinab is a wholly-owned subsidiary of bfw mbH. bfw is a DGB (German Trade Union Confederation) affiliated vocational training organization and serves as the parent company. inab operates as 'inab – Ausbildungs- und Beschäftigungsgesellschaft des bfw mbH.' The parent provides corporate governance (CEO Klaus Knappstein, COO Sonja Schmitz, Aufsichtsratsvorsitzender Renatus Germann), legal infrastructure (AGB, LkSG compliance, data protection), and shared services.
• Handwerkskammer Oberpfalz-Niederbayern (Chamber of Trade Upper Palatinate-Neubavaria)coreStrategic or Co-development Partnerinab Regensburg is commissioned by the Handwerkskammer Oberpfalz-Niederbayern to conduct Potenzialanalysen (potential analyses) for students at partner schools. This is a structured cooperation in the Berufsorientierung chain, delegated by the Chamber of Trade to certified providers.
• Stadt Stuttgart / Kommunalverband Jugend und Soziales Baden-Württemberg (KVJS)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe Jugendsozialarbeit at Stuttgart vocational schools (Steinbeisschule, Johannes-Gutenberg-Schule, Wilhelm-Maybach-Schule) is a joint project co-funded by the City of Stuttgart and KVJS. This institutional partnership embeds inab social workers in schools as an integral part of the municipal youth welfare system.
• MSE-VET Italian Partners (CGIL, CISL, UIL regional federations; HBZ Brackwede; HWK Süd-Thüringen; SCIVET; Unions4VET)majorStrategic or Co-development PartnerMSE-VET is a Germany-Italy vocational training cooperation project led by inab Leipzig and funded by BMBF. It involves Italian trade union federations (CGIL, CISL, UIL), German training centers (HBZ Brackwede, HWK Süd-Thüringen), and strategic projects SCIVET and Unions4VET. The project develops frameworks for supporting small and micro enterprises in vocational training across both countries.
• Ökolöwe – Umweltbund Leipzig e.V., Tagestreff INSEL (SZL Suchtzentrum Leipzig), Denkmalsozial gGmbH, Volkssolidarität Leipziger Land / Muldental e.V., BUND Landesverband Sachsen e.V.minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner organizations that receive upcycled products (furniture, everyday items) created by inab Leipzig's woodworking workshop. This represents a social/charitable partnership where inab donates or provides free items to partner organizations, creating community integration and environmental impact outcomes.
• DREAM EU Project Consortium (9 European countries)majorStrategic or Co-development PartnerDREAM ('Dynamic Reinforcement for European Adaptation of Migrants') is an EU-wide network project funded by EU structural mechanisms, involving stakeholders from 9 European countries. inab Schwäbisch Hall participates, contributing expertise in migrant integration through education. The project develops a database of best practices and organizes national workshops across participant countries.

Scale indicators2 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• DEKRA Akademie: One of Germany's largest private vocational education providers, delivering AZAV-certified Umschulung, Weiterbildung, and integration Maßnahmen through a national branch network. Directly competes with inab for BA/Jobcenter-commissioned contracts across nearly all of inab's program areas.
• BBW – Berufsbildungswerk (e.g., Berufsbildungswerk Adolf Aich): Specialized vocational training provider focused exclusively on youth with disabilities, delivering Reha-Ausbildung and Berufsvorbereitung under SGB III/IX. Direct competitor in inab's rehabilitation division, particularly for Fachpraktiker and supported employment programs.
• TÜV Rheinland Akademie: Major German vocational education provider offering Berufsvorbereitung, Umschulung, and continuing education under AZAV certification. Competes with inab in commercial vocational training, language courses, and digital upskilling programs.
• Kolping Bildungswerk: Germany-wide Catholic-affiliated vocational education provider delivering Berufsvorbereitung, Ausbildung, and integration Maßnahmen. Competes with inab for AZAV contracts and offers comparable rehabilitation and youth transition services.
• maxq.net (bfw subsidiary): Sister company under the bfw group providing vocational qualification and retraining programs, often competing with inab for the same AZAV-funded Maßnahmen tenders. Operates the same DGB-affiliated non-profit model with overlapping program types.
• CJD – Christliches Jugenddorfwerk Deutschlands: One of Germany's largest non-profit youth education and vocational training organizations, offering Berufsvorbereitung, Ausbildung, Schulbegleitung, and integration programs nationwide. Directly comparable in scale, mission, and target populations to inab.
• gfi – Gesellschaft zur Förderung beruflicher und sozialer Integration: Bavarian-based non-profit providing youth vocational preparation, rehabilitation training, and integration programs under SGB II/III funding. Operates as a direct competitor in southern Germany for AZAV-certified measures serving similar target populations.
• bfw – Unternehmen für Bildung: Parent company of inab and the DGB-affiliated vocational training group. Operates a parallel network of vocational preparation, training, and rehabilitation programs under similar AZAV-certified frameworks; directly comparable in service mix, funding sources, and target population.
• FAW – Fortbildungsakademie der Wirtschaft: Non-profit vocational training provider affiliated with German employer associations, delivering BaE, Reha-Ausbildung, BerEb, and AVGS coaching across multiple states. Closely comparable in mission, program mix, and funding model to inab.

Emerging players

• Europäisches Bildungswerk (EBW): Mid-sized non-profit vocational training provider operating in selected German states, delivering AZAV-certified Maßnahmen including Berufsvorbereitung and integration coaching. Comparable business model but smaller geographic footprint than inab.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/profile.php
• Instagraminstagram.com/inab_winsen/?hl=de

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles3 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 Inab