Forum Ecological Social Market Economy

Name

Forum Ecological Social Market Economy

Legal name

Forum Ökologisch-Soziale Marktwirtschaft e.V. (FÖS)

Website

https://foes.de

Company type

Private

Founded year

1994

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Berlin

HQ country

Germany

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Membership fees: Annual membership fees from individuals and organizations supporting the organization's mission
2. Donations: Charitable donations from individuals supporting ecological fiscal reform and climate policy research
3. Project funding: Commissioned research projects from organizations such as Greenpeace Africa, Greenpeace e.V., and other environmental organizations

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

FÖS is a non-partisan policy think tank that produces economic research and policy advisory services aimed at transforming the social market economy into an ecologically and socially oriented market economy. Its primary deliverables are commissioned and independent studies, policy briefs, and factsheets on ecological fiscal reform, climate finance, carbon pricing, energy, transport, agriculture, and resource policy, alongside operating an annual Adam Smith Prize and a public CO2 price calculator tool.

Product overview

FÖS (Forum Ökologisch-Soziale Marktwirtschaft) is a non-partisan policy think tank, not a technology product company. It operates as a single unified organization focused on ecological fiscal reform research and policy advisory services. The organization produces publications, studies, policy briefs, and factsheets as its primary knowledge products, along with hosting events and awarding the Adam-Smith-Preis. FÖS offers a CO2-Preis Rechner (CO2 price calculator) tool as a public-facing resource. The portfolio consists of research and advisory outputs rather than a platform-based software architecture.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Publications & Studies (Publikationen)

Quantifiable outcome

• Reform package for 8 subsidies with ~35 billion EUR annual volume could reduce emissions by 6.5 to 11.8 million tonnes CO₂ equivalent per year
• +3 more outcomes

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Twelve partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Greenpeace AfricacoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCommissioned FÖS to produce the study 'Understanding the Climate Debt of Extreme Wealth' examining how extreme wealth concentration drives climate change through investment emissions. The study shows the richest 0.01% cause ~992 billion USD in climate damages annually through capital investments.
• Greenpeace e.V.coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerLong-standing partnership for commissioned studies on environmentally harmful subsidies, climate finance, and policy analysis. FÖS produces research commissioned by Greenpeace on topics including fossil fuel subsidies, climate compensation mechanisms, and sustainable food systems.
• BUNDminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerJoint studies and policy recommendations on power plant costs, climate protection, and energy policy reform in Germany.
• NABUminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaboration on sustainable budgeting and spending review analysis for the German federal government.
• WWF DeutschlandminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerJoint press releases and policy advocacy on climate protection measures and social just transition.
• DUH (Deutsche Umwelthilfe)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaboration on energy market design, methane pricing, and supply security policy papers.
• Klima-Allianz DeutschlandminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCoalition partner for coordinated advocacy on climate policy, emission trading, and relief packages.
• DNR (Deutscher Naturschutzring)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerJoint analyses on investment needs for climate neutrality and sustainable finance.
• Bertelsmann StiftungminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaborative research on sustainable transformation of SMEs, fiscal policy for climate action, and megatrends affecting public finances.
• Green Budget EuropeminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerAssociated organization with archived joint newsletter (GBE-News); cooperation on environmental fiscal reform topics.
• civilisten GmbHminorImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerWebsite operator and technical service provider for FÖS digital infrastructure. Located at Schwedenstraße 15a, 13357 Berlin.
• twingle GmbHminorImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerTechnical platform provider for FÖS donation processing system located in Berlin.

Scale indicators2 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Emerging players

• Carbon Brief: UK-based climate policy analysis and media outlet. Adjacent to FÖS in producing accessible, expert-led climate-policy commentary, though primarily English-language and media-format rather than German policy advisory.

Regional players

• IDDRI (Institut du développement durable et des relations internationales): Paris-based sustainability policy research institute producing analysis on climate, energy, and economic transformation. Comparable in function and methodology to FÖS but focused on French and EU policy.
• European Policy Centre (EPC): Brussels-based think tank covering EU climate, energy, and fiscal policy. Comparable to FÖS in policy research methodology but operating at EU rather than German national level.

Broad incumbents

• DIW Berlin (German Institute for Economic Research): Major German economic research institute covering climate, energy, and fiscal policy among broader topics. Overlaps with FÖS on applied economic analysis of climate policy but operates at much larger scale with broader mandate.
• Heinrich-Böll-Stiftung: German political foundation affiliated with the Greens that conducts substantial climate and sustainability policy research. Comparable to FÖS in policy advocacy work on ecological issues but with broader political and ideological mandate.
• ifo Institute: One of Germany's largest economic research institutes. While its core focus is broader macroeconomic analysis, it regularly publishes on energy and climate economics, making it an adjacent incumbent competitor for FÖS's policy influence.

Direct peers

• Mercator Research Institute on Global Commons and Climate Change (MCC): Berlin-based research institute applying economic and policy analysis to climate change and global commons governance. Directly comparable to FÖS in mission, location, and policy-research delivery model.
• Agora Energiewende: German think tank focused on energy transition and climate policy. Directly comparable to FÖS as a Berlin-based policy research organization producing studies and policy briefs that shape German and EU energy and climate decisions.
• Öko-Institut: Germany's leading environmental research institute working on energy, transport, resource, and climate policy. Comparable to FÖS as an independent research organization producing applied policy analysis for government and civil society.
• Green Budget Germany: German policy organization focused on environmental fiscal reform, co-founded by FÖS's chairman Kai Schlegelmilch. Highly comparable to FÖS as a niche fiscal-reform advocacy and research organization with overlapping mission and personnel.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInde.linkedin.com/company/foes
• Xx.com/foes_news

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 Forum Ecological Social Market Economy