Senior Experten Service

What Senior Experten Service does

Senior Experten Service (SES) is a Bonn-based non-profit gGmbH founded in 1983 and Germany's largest volunteer organization for retired professionals and those on career breaks (Weltdienst 30+). It operates a two-sided model that matches approximately 14,882 registered volunteer experts — drawn from ~50 industries and 500+ professions, with an average age of 69 and 28% female participation — with organizations requesting expertise, primarily small and medium enterprises, public authorities, vocational institutions, and social/medical facilities in developing and emerging countries. SES also runs VerAplus (launched 2008), a nationwide free mentoring program pairing ~5,000 senior expert coaches with German apprentices (1,214 active tandems; 27,000+ apprentices helped since inception; 95% recommendation rate), and serves as a key implementing partner for the German-African Youth Cooperation (DAJW).

SES is institutionally embedded in the German development-cooperation system: it is supported by four major trustee associations (BDA, BDI, DIHK, ZDH) and is funded primarily through federal grants from the BMZ (international assignments), BMBF and BMFSFJ (VerAplus, under the Bildungsketten initiative), supplemented by donations and Förderverein membership fees (€50/year). All services are free for beneficiaries; international travel and assignment handling costs are covered by SES's public funding, while local clients bear board, lodging, and local transport. Distribution is relationship-based: 200+ international representatives in ~90 countries plus regional representatives in German states source demand and supply, and the VerAplus web portal (vera.ses-bonn.de) enables self-service registration by apprentices. Since 1983, SES has completed 60,000–70,000+ assignments across 170 countries.

The technology footprint is light and operational rather than productized: Matomo for web analytics and FundraisingBox for donation processing are the only named third-party tools; the organization's "platform" is its matching, preparation, deployment, and monitoring workflows supported by its regional and international representative networks. There is no API, no proprietary software product, and no disclosed AI capability. Recent strategic direction has emphasized domestic expansion through VerAplus, integration mentoring for international skilled workers (new IHK Nürnberg partnership, 2026), demographic broadening via Weltdienst 30+, and pan-European positioning through the election of Managing Director Marion Sodemann as Vice President of CESES in June 2026.

Name

Senior Experten Service

Legal name

Senior Expert Service (SES) gGmbH

Website

https://www.ses-bonn.de

Company type

Private

Founded year

1983

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1,001–5,000 employees

Short description

Senior Experten Service (SES) is a Bonn-based non-profit founded in 1983 that matches approximately 14,882 retired professionals as volunteer experts with organizations in developing countries and runs the VerAplus free mentoring program for German apprentices; it is funded by German federal ministries (BMZ, BMBF, BMFSFJ) and supported by four major employer associations.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Nonprofit Consulting Services

NAICS

Professional and Management Development Training (611430), Management Consulting Services (54161)

SIC

Services-Management Consulting Services (8742), Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro primary industry

Staff Training, Coaching & Professional Development (SEL/Mental Health) (EDAKAMAL)

Keywords

• Volunteer expert services
• Knowledge transfer programs
• Apprenticeship mentoring services
• Development cooperation consulting
• Nonprofit consulting services

Headquarters

HQ city

Bonn

HQ country

Germany

HQ region

Europe

Offices6 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Public Funding / Government Grants: SES receives government funding primarily from the Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ) for international assignments, and from the Federal Ministry of Education and Research (BMBF) / Federal Ministry for Family Affairs (BMFSFJ) for the VerAplus domestic program. These public funds cover international travel costs, project handling costs, insurance, and assignment preparation.
2. Donations: SES accepts donations from individuals and companies. Donations are used where most needed, particularly for assignments with clients with small budgets and operations in education, health, and social affairs. The organization's support association (Förderverein) also collects membership fees (€50/year) and larger donations (three- to four-digit contributions) that directly fund SES assignments.
3. Förderverein (Support Association) Membership Fees: The 'Verein zur Förderung des Senior Experten Service e.V.' manages membership fees (€50/year) and donations in the five-figure range annually. These funds are used for assignments with clients with small budgets and for public awareness campaigns.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels6 records

Marketing channels9 records

Core offering

Senior Experten Service (SES) is a non-profit organization that recruits, prepares, and deploys retired professional volunteers to deliver free knowledge-transfer assignments. The international arm places ~14,882 experts across ~50 industries and 500+ professions into organizations in developing and emerging countries. The domestic VerAplus program pairs German apprentices (Auszubildende) with senior expert mentors on a 1:1 basis to prevent training dropouts and strengthen vocational training outcomes. Weltdienst 30+ extends deployment eligibility to professionals aged 30+ on career breaks.

Product overview

Senior Expert Service (SES) operates as a non-profit organization (gGmbH) facilitating knowledge transfer through two primary programs: the core SES international assignment program connecting retired professionals with organizations worldwide, and VerAplus (Verbesserung von Ausbildungserfolgen), a nationwide mentoring program pairing apprentices with retired expert mentors. SES also manages Weltdienst 30+, a division for professionals aged 30+ in career breaks. The organization coordinates assignments in 170 countries with over 14,000 registered experts.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• VerAplus: A nationwide mentoring program connecting apprentices with retired volunteer experts for one-on-one support. Funded by BMBFSFJ as part of the Bildungsketten initiative. Has supported over 27,000 apprentices since 2008.
• Weltdienst 30+

Products and services

• SES International Assignments (Ausland)

Quantifiable outcome

• Over 27,000 apprentices helped since 2008 through VerAplus
• +4 more outcomes

Named customers13 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration1 record

Partnerships

Eleven partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• BDA (Bundesvereinigung der Deutschen Arbeitgeberverbände)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerBDA is one of the four Träger (trustee/umbrella organizations) of SES. As the umbrella organization of German employers, BDA provides institutional support and helps connect SES with the employer community.
• BDI (Bundesverband der Deutschen Industrie)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerBDI is one of the four Träger (trustee organizations) of SES. As the Federation of German Industries, BDI represents industrial employers and supports SES's mission.
• DIHK (Deutscher Industrie- und Handelskammertag)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerDIHK is one of the four Träger organizations of SES and serves as the umbrella for German Chambers of Commerce and Industry. DIHK helps connect SES with companies and institutions across Germany.
• ZDH (Zentralverband des Deutschen Handwerks)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerZDH is one of the four Träger organizations of SES, representing the German skilled trades and crafts sector. Particularly relevant for the VerAplus program supporting apprenticeship training in the trades.
• IHK Nürnberg (Industrie- und Handelskammer Nürnberg für Mittelfranken)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerNew cooperation in 2026 for integration mentoring of international skilled workers (Integrationsmentoring für internationale Fachkräfte), connecting SES experts with IHK member companies.
• ICATHI (Instituto de Capacitación para el Trabajo del Estado de Hidalgo, Mexico)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerSES's Mexican representative Gerhard Loecken signed a cooperation agreement with ICATHI (the State Institute for Labor Training in Hidalgo, Mexico) to support vocational training activities.
• DAJW (Deutsch-Afrikanisches Jugendwerk)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerSES is a key implementing partner for the DAJW (German-African Youth Cooperation), bringing its professional expertise, expert network, and international assignment experience to youth exchange and cooperation programs.
• CESES (Confederation of European Senior Expert Services)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerSES's Managing Director Marion Sodemann was elected Vice President of CESES in June 2026. CESES is the European confederation of senior expert service organizations, representing the network at the European level.
• Initiative BildungskettencoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe Bildungketten initiative (funded by BMBF) supports the VerAplus program as part of Germany's strategy to prevent apprenticeship dropout and strengthen vocational training. Partners include BIBB, BMFSFJ, and various implementing organizations.
• Facility Care AGminorGTM or Marketing PartnerFacility Care AG supports VerAplus as a corporate partner. The company's board member Bernd Schlockermann publicly endorses the program as a means to strengthen skilled trades through intergenerational knowledge transfer.
• BIBB (Bundesinstitut für Berufsbildung)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerBIBB is a partner of the VerAplus program and the Initiative Bildungsketten, contributing expertise in vocational education and training.

Scale indicators16 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Broad incumbents

• GIZ (Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit): German federal enterprise for international development cooperation, also funded by BMZ. While SES operates on a volunteer model and GIZ is a paid consultancy, both serve the same German government development-cooperation agenda and often co-deploy in the same emerging-market contexts.
• JICA (Japan International Cooperation Agency): Japan's governmental agency for international development cooperation. While much larger and paid-consultancy based, JICA operates in the same senior-expert-deployment category as SES for development assignments across Asia, Africa, and Latin America.
• Peace Corps: US government volunteer-sending agency placing American volunteers in developing countries. While SES targets senior professionals and Peace Corps targets recent graduates, both operate government-funded volunteer-deployment models for development cooperation.
• Senior Experts Resource Group (SERG) / DED (former German Development Service): Historical German development volunteer service now folded into GIZ. Operated under the same BMZ funding umbrella as SES with overlapping mission of placing German professionals in development contexts, and shares alumni networks with SES.

Direct peers

• IESC (International Executive Service Corps): US non-profit that recruits experienced American business executives as volunteer advisors for private-sector development in emerging markets. Closely comparable model — retired executive volunteers, donor-funded, private-enterprise focus — though operating from a US base.
• Expertise France: France's national agency for international technical expertise, the closest structural analog to SES internationally. Mobilizes senior French experts for development assignments with similar governmental funding patterns and similar beneficiary organizations in emerging markets.
• CESES (Confederation of European Senior Expert Services): Brussels-based federation of national senior-expert service organizations that SES is a member of and whose Vice Presidency SES's Managing Director now holds. Directly comparable mission of mobilizing retired professionals for cross-border knowledge transfer within Europe.
• VSO (Voluntary Service Overseas): UK-based international development charity sending skilled professionals as volunteers to developing countries. Comparable volunteer-led, government-and-donor-funded model for capacity-building assignments in education, health, and livelihoods across Africa and Asia.

Emerging players

• Retired and Senior Volunteer Programme (RSVP / Volunteer Ireland): Ireland's senior-volunteer placement program within the broader Volunteer Ireland network. Smaller-scale analog mobilizing retirees for community and international assignments, with similar target demographic and volunteer-led delivery model.
• Fondation de France — Programme Senior Force: French philanthropic foundation that, like SES, channels senior professional expertise toward social-purpose assignments including international development and youth mentoring. Comparable in mobilizing retirees for structured volunteer assignments, with partial geographic overlap in francophone Africa.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/initiativevera
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/senior-expert-service
• Instagraminstagram.com/initiativeveraplus

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles8 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about Senior Experten Service