Bremen Overseas Research & Development Association

What Bremen Overseas Research & Development Association does

Bremen Overseas Research & Development Association (BORDA), legally registered as BORDA e. V., is a non-governmental organization founded in 1977 and headquartered in Bremen, Germany. The organization designs and implements decentralized sanitation, wastewater, and drinking-water solutions for underserved communities in regions where centralized infrastructure is absent or inadequate. Its core technical offerings are DEWATS (Decentralized Wastewater Treatment Systems) for institutional and community-scale wastewater treatment, DWTS (Drinking Water Treatment Systems) for healthcare facilities, and full fecal sludge management services including treatment, disposal, and reuse. All systems combine biological, physical, and chemical processes and are explicitly designed for climate resilience. Complementary offerings include participatory urban planning, capacity-development programs, and climate-resilient infrastructure advisory.

BORDA operates a project-based, donor-funded business model with no revenue from direct customer charges. Revenue consists of institutional grants, primarily from the German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ), with smaller awards from foundations, service-club organizations (notably LIONS Clubs International), and corporate sponsors (Kemper + Co. KG, Henry Lamotte Food GmbH). Documented individual projects range from EUR 25,000 for single-hospital water systems to EUR 4.96M for multi-country municipal sanitation programs. Implementation is delivered through seven wholly-owned regional and country offices covering Africa (Tanzania, Zambia, Mali, South Africa, Lesotho), South Asia (India, Nepal, Bangladesh, Pakistan, Sri Lanka), Southeast Asia (Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Philippines, Thailand, Vietnam), West & Central Asia (Jordan, Iraq, Tajikistan, Afghanistan), and Latin America (Mexico, Nicaragua, Cuba), combined with a network of local implementation and academic partners. Across 45+ years of operation the organization reports having reached 1 million people with improved living conditions and installed 3,500+ decentralized treatment plants in 25 countries.

Name

Bremen Overseas Research & Development Association

Legal name

BORDA e. V.

Website

https://borda.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1977

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

51–100 employees

Short description

BORDA is a 1977-founded German non-profit NGO that designs and implements decentralized wastewater, drinking-water, and fecal-sludge management solutions for governments, municipalities, healthcare facilities, and crisis-affected populations across 25 countries in Africa, Asia, and Latin America, funded primarily by BMZ grants and delivered through seven regional offices.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

International Development Sanitation Services

NAICS

Water, Sewage and Other Systems (2213), Sewage Treatment Facilities (221320), Water Supply and Irrigation Systems (221310), Utilities (221)

SIC

Water Supply (4941), Sanitary Services (4950), Electric, Gas & Sanitary Services (4900)

akta.pro primary industry

Decentralized/Package Wastewater Systems (Small/Remote) (EUANADAE)

akta.pro secondary industries

Onsite/Decentralized Reuse Utilities (District/Building‑Scale Reuse as a Service) (EUANAGAH), Non‑Potable Reuse Utilities (Irrigation, Industrial, Cooling) (EUANAGAA), Environmental Public Health (Food Safety, Water Quality, Sanitation) (BPAIAJAE)

Keywords

• Decentralized wastewater treatment
• International development services
• Sanitation infrastructure solutions
• Wastewater management consulting
• Fecal sludge management

Headquarters

HQ city

Bremen

HQ country

Germany

HQ region

Europe

Offices8 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Technology or R&D, Others

Revenue model

1. Donor-Funded Projects: BORDA operates primarily through grants and project funding from governmental development agencies (BMZ, EU), international organizations, foundations, and corporate donors. Revenue is project-based with specific deliverables and timelines.
2. Technical Consulting Services: Provides specialized engineering expertise, capacity development, and technical advisory services to governments, municipalities, and development organizations.
3. Project Implementation: Implements sanitation infrastructure projects funded by donors, managing budgets, timelines, and local partnerships to deliver outcomes.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

BORDA implements decentralized sanitation and water management infrastructure projects for governments, municipalities, and healthcare facilities in developing regions. Core offerings include DEWATS (Decentralized Wastewater Treatment Systems), DWTS (Drinking Water Treatment Systems), and fecal sludge management services, delivered through grant-funded regional projects across 25 countries.

Product overview

BORDA offers a portfolio of sanitation and water management solutions centered on decentralized infrastructure systems. The core offerings include DEWATS (Decentralized Wastewater Treatment Systems) and DWTS (Drinking Water Treatment Systems) for communities and institutions, complemented by fecal sludge management services. Additional offerings include climate-resilient infrastructure development and capacity development programs. BORDA operates through regional offices (Africa, South Asia, Southeast Asia, West & Central Asia, Latin America) implementing projects in 25 countries, with a focus on sustainable, community-centered approaches to sanitation challenges.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• BORDA West & Central Asia (WesCA): Regional office for West and Central Asia operations, headquartered in Amman, Jordan, covering Iraq, Jordan, and Tajikistan.
• BORDA Tajikistan
• BORDA Africa

Products and services

• DEWATS (Decentralized Wastewater Treatment Systems) Decentralized wastewater treatment systems designed for communities and institutions lacking centralized sewage infrastructure. Treats wastewater using biological processes and enables safe reuse or disposal.
• DWTS (Drinking Water Treatment Systems) Drinking water treatment systems that purify and treat municipal water supplies for safe consumption in healthcare facilities and communities.
• Fecal Sludge Management Services Environmentally sound, socially acceptable, and economically viable treatment, disposal, and reuse of fecal sludge from on-site sanitation systems.
• Sanitation Workers' Resting Facility Multi-functional 2500 sq ft facilities providing sanitation workers with dedicated toilets, bathing areas, lockers, meeting rooms, cafeteria, and mobile charging stations for dignified working conditions.
• DEWATS Hospital Installation Project (Penjikent, Tajikistan) Decentralized wastewater treatment system installation for healthcare facility hygiene improvement at City Infectious Diseases Hospital in Penjikent, Tajikistan.

Quantifiable outcome

• 1 million people reached with improved living conditions in 25 countries
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers5 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature5 records

Partnerships

15 partnerships are on record, tiered minor and core.

• Foundation for International Development/Relief (FIDR)minorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2024Japanese development organization providing funding for hospital expansion at Kratié Referral Hospital, Cambodia.
• TIDE, IndiaminorImplementation/ SI/ Consulting Partner · 1 January 2021Local partner for sanitation workers facility project in Chikkaballapura, India.
• EquidevminorImplementation/ SI/ Consulting Partner · 1 January 2020Technical partner for DEWATS implementation in Tajikistan projects.
• Basic Needs Services (BNS), IndonesiaminorImplementation/ SI/ Consulting Partner · 1 January 2019Local implementation partner for Southeast Asia regional project covering Indonesia, Cambodia, Laos, Philippines, Thailand, Vietnam.
• BEST, IndonesiaminorImplementation/ SI/ Consulting Partner · 1 January 2019Local partner for decentralized sanitation project implementation in Indonesia.
• Vietnam Academy for Water Resources (VAWR)minorImplementation/ SI/ Consulting Partner · 1 January 2019Academic and technical partner for water management projects in Vietnam.
• Asian Institute of Technology (AIT), ThailandminorImplementation/ SI/ Consulting Partner · 1 January 2019Regional academic partner providing technical expertise for Southeast Asia sanitation initiatives.
• BORDA TanzaniacoreImplementation/ SI/ Consulting Partner · 1 January 2019Country office implementing Africa regional project activities in Tanzania.
• BORDA ZambiacoreImplementation/ SI/ Consulting Partner · 1 January 2019Country office implementing Africa regional project activities in Zambia.
• BORDA MalicoreImplementation/ SI/ Consulting Partner · 1 January 2019Country office implementing Africa regional project activities in Mali.
• BORDA South AfricacoreImplementation/ SI/ Consulting Partner · 1 January 2019Country office implementing Africa regional project activities in South Africa.
• Technologies for Economic Development (TED), LesothominorImplementation/ SI/ Consulting Partner · 1 January 2019Regional partner for Africa project implementing sanitation solutions in Lesotho.
• Erbil Joint Cooperation Center (formerly Erbil Refugee Council)coreImplementation/ SI/ Consulting Partner · 1 January 2017Key local partner for refugee sanitation projects in Northern Iraq, coordinating with refugee camps and host communities.
• General Directorate of Water and Sewerage KRGcoreImplementation/ SI/ Consulting Partner · 1 January 2017Government partner for water and sanitation infrastructure development in Kurdistan Region of Iraq.
• City of BremenminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2017Home city of BORDA providing institutional support and partnership for international development work.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves8 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• SNV Netherlands Development Organisation: SNV operates WASH programs across Africa and Asia funded by similar bilateral donors (including BMZ and EU), with comparable focus on inclusive sanitation and fecal sludge management in low- and middle-income countries.
• WaterAid: WaterAid is a global NGO focused on safe water, sanitation and hygiene in low-income countries, with overlapping delivery of WASH infrastructure to governments and communities in similar geographies to BORDA.
• iDE (International Development Enterprises): iDE builds market-based sanitation and water enterprises in developing countries (notably Cambodia and Vietnam), intersecting with BORDA's Southeast Asia footprint and focus on decentralized sanitation solutions.
• International Rescue Committee (IRC): IRC delivers emergency WASH response (including refugee camp sanitation) and long-term water/sanitation programming in fragile states, directly overlapping BORDA's Northern Iraq refugee and crisis-affected population work.
• Water Mission: Water Mission is a Christian NGO that designs and deploys decentralized water, sanitation, and hygiene solutions in developing countries, with a similar technology-focused, project-based delivery model to BORDA's DEWATS work.

Broad incumbents

• Oxfam: Oxfam operates global WASH programs alongside broader humanitarian work, often partnering with the same bilateral donors as BORDA and competing for similar multi-country WASH and fecal-sludge management contracts.
• GIZ (Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit): GIZ is the German federal development agency that channels BMZ funding and commissions implementing partners like BORDA, with much broader sectoral coverage but shared donor base and WASH programming overlap.
• Plan International: Plan International runs WASH infrastructure and capacity-building programs for children and communities across Asia and Africa, with comparable institutional-donor funded sanitation delivery to BORDA's geographies.
• UNICEF WASH Programme: UNICEF's global WASH programme is a major implementer and convener in the sanitation sector, often co-funding or commissioning national-level projects in the same countries where BORDA operates hospital and municipal systems.

Emerging players

• Practical Action: Practical Action is a smaller international NGO applying technology-focused, community-led approaches to WASH and water management in developing countries, mirroring BORDA's participatory, decentralized model though at a smaller scale.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks7 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/BORDA_Bremen
• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UC6t__uU1_fxVQwC286b0DxA
• Facebookfacebook.com/borda.bremen
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/bremen-overseas-research-and-development-association/?originalSubdomain=de
• Instagraminstagram.com/borda.ev

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles11 records

Subsidiaries7 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about Bremen Overseas Research & Development Association