Research Institute for Educational and Social Economics

What Research Institute for Educational and Social Economics does

FiBS Forschungsinstitut für Bildungs- und Sozialökonomie (Research Institute for Educational and Social Economics) is a Berlin-based research and consulting institute founded in 1994 by Dr. Dieter Dohmen. It operates as a private, independently owned organization providing research, consulting, evaluation, forecasting, and think-tank services on educational and social economics. Its research scope covers the full lifecycle of lifelong learning — early childhood education (Kita), schooling, higher education, vocational training, and continuing education — and addresses cross-cutting topics including digitalization, innovation, demographic change, and the labor market. FiBS serves German, European, and international clients drawn from government ministries, state authorities, political and corporate foundations, and educational institutions, delivering commissioned studies, expert assessments, feasibility studies, and policy papers.

The institute's core technology asset is EduSim, a proprietary simulation tool used to forecast demographic developments in education and labor markets and to model the costs and effects of pedagogical reforms. Service delivery is project-based, with each engagement producing a defined deliverable such as a study, evaluation, or forecast, and distribution occurs primarily through direct institutional engagement and through publications made available on the FiBS website. Marketing is light-touch: a website, a LinkedIn presence, a newsletter, and participation in academic and policy conferences and lectures. The institute also operates a wholly-owned social-enterprise subsidiary, ElternHotline gGmbH, founded in March 2020 to support parents and families in 14 languages.

FiBS has no disclosed external investors, no venture or private equity backing, and no published revenue. The firm reports headcount in the 11–50 range, indicating a small professional-services organization whose revenue is generated entirely from project commissions, consulting fees, and knowledge products. The institute is recognized internationally through Dr. Dohmen's 2019 induction into the International Adult and Continuing Education Hall of Fame, which serves as the primary brand credential underpinning the firm's authority in adult and continuing education policy work.

Name

Research Institute for Educational and Social Economics

Legal name

FiBS Forschungsinstitut für Bildungs- und Sozialökonomie

Website

https://fibs.eu

Company type

Private

Founded year

1994

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

FiBS is a Berlin-based, founder-led research and consulting institute that delivers commissioned studies, evaluations, forecasts, and policy advice on educational and social economics to government ministries, foundations, and educational institutions in Germany, Europe, and internationally.

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, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales

Revenue model

1. Research Projects and Studies: Commissioned research studies, expert assessments, and evaluations for government agencies, foundations, and educational institutions. Projects are delivered on a contract basis with specific deliverables.
2. Consulting Services: Advisory services on educational policy, financing, and reform implementation for public and private sector clients.
3. Publications and Knowledge Products: Studies, position papers, and reports published and made available to the public and clients.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

FiBS is a research institute that conducts commissioned studies, expert assessments, evaluations, forecasts, and consulting engagements on educational economics, lifelong learning, demographic change, and labor market topics. It serves public and private sector clients through project-based research services and offers the proprietary EduSim simulation tool for demographic forecasting in education and labor markets. The institute also operates ElternHotline gGmbH, a social enterprise supporting parents and families in 14 languages.

Product overview

FiBS (Forschungsinstitut für Bildungs- und Sozialökonomie) is a research institute that operates as a single integrated offering rather than a platform-plus-modules architecture. The institute provides research, consulting, evaluations, studies, and projections focused on lifelong learning from early childhood education (Kita) through higher education and continuing education. Their primary research areas include educational economics, school systems, digitalization, innovation, demographic change, and the labor market. A key analytical tool is EduSim, a simulation model for demographic forecasting in education and labor markets. The institute works with national and international clients including government ministries, foundations, and educational institutions.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• EduSim Demographic Forecasting Simulation Tool A proprietary simulation tool that forecasts demographic developments in education and labor markets, projects student and teacher demand, and estimates costs and effects of pedagogical reforms, available for use in educational planning and policy analysis.
• Research Services (Forschung) Commissioned academic and applied research on educational and socio-economic topics across early childhood education (Kita), schools, higher education, vocational training, continuing education, digitalization, innovation, demographic change, and the labor market.
• Consulting (Beratung) Expert advisory services on educational policy, financing, and structural development for government ministries, foundations, and educational institutions.
• Think Tank Services Policy-oriented research and analysis that contributes to educational and social policy discourse for governments, foundations, and educational stakeholders.
• Evaluations (Evaluationen) Systematic assessment of educational programs, institutions, and policy interventions delivered to government bodies, foundations, and educational organizations.
• Studies and Expert Assessments (Studien und Gutachten) Comprehensive studies and expert opinions on educational economics, financing, and policy topics commissioned by government agencies, foundations, and educational institutions.
• Projections (Prognosen) Forecasting of student numbers, teacher demand, and educational costs using demographic modeling for education planners and policy makers.
• Feasibility Studies (Machbarkeitsstudien) Feasibility assessments for educational initiatives, reforms, and programs delivered to government bodies, foundations, and educational institutions.
• Concepts (Konzepte) Development of conceptual frameworks and models for educational policy and practice, commissioned by governments, foundations, and educational institutions.

Named customers4 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature1 record

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• Entrepreneurs for FutureOthersFiBS is listed as a member or affiliate of Entrepreneurs for Future, a network of companies committed to sustainability and climate action.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Bundesinstitut für Berufsbildung (BIBB): German federal institute for vocational education and training research, advising government on Berufsbildung policy. Directly comparable to FiBS as a publicly funded research and advisory body serving the same German federal ministries and education policy domain, including continuing education and lifelong learning.
• ifo Institut – Leibniz-Institut für Wirtschaftsforschung: Munich-based economic research institute that publishes the ifo Bildungsbarometer and education-related forecasts. Closely comparable as a German economic think tank serving ministries with education-relevant econometric and forecasting expertise, although much larger in scale.
• Deutsches Institut für Wirtschaftsforschung (DIW Berlin): Berlin-based economic research institute producing studies on education economics, labor markets, and demographic change. Comparable to FiBS in methodology, Berlin geography, and policy advisory role for German government and foundations on socio-economic topics.
• Stifterverband für die Deutsche Wissenschaft: German science and education association producing studies on education financing, innovation, and demographic change, serving foundations and government. Overlaps with FiBS's lifelong-learning and Bildungsfinanzierung mandates and frequently publishes in the same policy spaces.
• Institut der deutschen Wirtschaft Köln (IW Köln): Cologne-based economic research institute with a strong Bildungsökonomik unit producing studies on education financing, vocational training, and demographic change. Overlaps directly with FiBS's mandate on education economics research and policy advisory.
• Bertelsmann Stiftung: Large German foundation running a major education and lifelong-learning research program (including school digitalization and financing studies commissioned alongside FiBS's work). Direct peer because they buy and produce the same type of German education-policy research and commission similar Vodafone-style foundation studies.
• Deutsches Zentrum für Hochschul- und Wissenschaftsforschung (DZHW): German Centre for Higher Education and Science Studies conducting empirical research on higher education and lifelong learning. Comparable as a research partner for German federal and state authorities on socio-economic education topics within FiBS's portfolio.
• Centrum für Hochschulentwicklung (CHE): German higher-education research and ranking organization serving ministries and foundations with higher-education policy advice and studies. Comparable niche overlap with FiBS's Hochschule and Weiterbildung research fields, including commissioned studies for foundations.

Regional players

• WIFO – Österreichisches Institut für Wirtschaftsforschung: Austrian economic research institute that conducts education economics and labor-market research for Austrian and EU institutions. Comparable institutional model and methodology to FiBS but operating primarily in Austria rather than Germany, with some cross-border EU commission overlap.

Broad incumbents

• ZEW – Leibniz-Zentrum für Europäische Wirtschaftsforschung: Mannheim-based Leibniz economic research institute covering education markets, innovation, and labor markets at the German and European level. Larger incumbent that competes for similar education-economics mandates, particularly EU-level research contracts.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/fibs-forschungsinstitut-f%C3%BCr-bildungs-und-sozial%C3%B6konomie
• Xx.com/fibs_research

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

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 Research Institute for Educational and Social Economics