KOSTBAR

What KOSTBAR does

KOSTBAR Strukturgesellschaft mbH is a Berlin-based, founder-owned management consulting firm founded in 2014 by Christoph Kolk, Andreas Steinert, and Volker Barnewold. The company provides specialized advisory services to energy supply companies (Energieversorgungsunternehmen) and infrastructure operators across the DACH region, organized around two core consulting fields: Einkaufsmanagement & Contract Management (procurement and contract management, including EU procurement law, FIDIC contract administration, forensic schedule analysis, and systematic claim management) and Organisationsdesign & Projektmanagement (organizational design and project management, including strategy consulting, change management, risk management, document management, and integrated management systems). Public references cover power plant construction, heat storage, refurbishment, and heat generation projects.

The firm's flagship differentiator is KOIN (KOSTBAR Index for Project Awareness), a proprietary project management concept combining Collaborative Management principles with analytical tools intended for real-time, early problem detection in large infrastructure projects, alongside an in-house Nachtrags-/Claim Management tool for document and deadline control. Delivery is led by a multidisciplinary team that includes certified IAPM Senior Projektmanager and Six Sigma Green Belt practitioners, Volljuristin and Wirtschaftsjuristin (LL.M.) legal specialists, Wirtschaftsingenieurwesen engineers, and in-house developers focused on digitalization and database structures. There is no disclosed AI/ML capability, software product, app, or API offering; the technology layer is positioned as proprietary methodology and tooling rather than a scalable SaaS platform.

KOSTBAR operates a project-based professional services model, generating revenue through direct consulting engagements with enterprise clients on undisclosed, quote-based terms. Go-to-market relies on expertise positioning, professional networks (XING, IAPM), employer branding (Kununu Top Company / Open Company badges), and referral relationships with strategic partners Hays and FERCHAU, which provide specialized staffing capacity, complemented by academic partnerships with HWR Berlin and BTU Cottbus-Senftenberg. No public funding rounds, acquisitions, parent entities, or revenue figures are disclosed.

Name

KOSTBAR

Legal name

KOSTBAR Strukturgesellschaft mbH

Website

https://kostbar-strukturgesellschaft.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2014

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

KOSTBAR Strukturgesellschaft mbH is a Berlin-based, founder-owned consulting firm advising energy supply companies and infrastructure operators in the DACH region on procurement and contract management (including EU procurement law and FIDIC) and on organizational design and project management, differentiated by its proprietary KOIN methodology and an in-house Claim Management tool.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Management Consulting Services

NAICS

Management Consulting Services (54161), Engineering Services (541330)

SIC

Services-Management Consulting Services (8742), Services-Engineering Services (8711)

akta.pro primary industry

Construction Program Management (Multi-site/Portfolio) (IMAFAAAF)

akta.pro secondary industries

Contract Lifecycle Management (CLM) & Document Automation (BPAEAPAD), Construction Management & General Contracting (EPCM, Scheduling, QA/QC, HSE) (EUAMAFAJ)

Keywords

• Procurement consulting
• Contract management
• Project management consulting
• Organizational design
• Energy infrastructure consulting

Headquarters

HQ city

Berlin

HQ country

Germany

HQ region

Europe

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Strategic Consulting Services: Project-based professional consulting services in two main domains: Einkaufsmanagement & Contract Management (procurement and contract management), and Organisationsdesign & Projektmanagement (organizational design and project management). Revenue is generated through project engagements with enterprise clients in energy and infrastructure sectors.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

KOSTBAR Strukturgesellschaft mbH is a Berlin-based management consulting firm that delivers professional services in two main domains: Einkaufs- & Contract Management (procurement and contract management, including EU procurement procedures, FIDIC/VOB/BGB contract frameworks, and claim management) and Organisationsdesign & Projektmanagement (organizational design and project management, including strategy consulting, risk management, and integrated management systems). Its clients are energy supply companies and infrastructure operators undertaking large-scale projects such as power plant construction, heat storage, and refurbishment. The firm additionally offers KOIN, a proprietary collaborative project management concept for real-time early problem detection in complex infrastructure projects.

Product overview

KOSTBAR Strukturgesellschaft mbH is a consulting firm founded in 2014, offering professional services in two core consulting fields: Einkaufs- & Contract Management (procurement and contract management) and Organisationsdesign & Projektmanagement (organizational design and project management). The company has developed a proprietary methodology called KOIN (KOSTBAR Index for Project Awareness) that combines Collaborative Management principles with analytical tools for cost reduction and early problem detection in large infrastructure projects. The portfolio centers on consulting services for the energy and infrastructure sector, supported by a network of strategic partnerships and specialized expertise in project management methodologies.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Einkaufs- & Contract Management (Procurement & Contract Management) Procurement and contract management consulting services for energy and infrastructure clients, covering EU procurement procedures (Vergabeverfahren), contract drafting and forms (Vertragsformen/-erstellung), evaluation criteria, negotiations, contract management, contract administration, forensic schedule analysis, and systematic claim management.
• Organisationsdesign & Projektmanagement (Organizational Design & Project Management) Organizational design and project management consulting for energy and infrastructure organizations and projects, including strategy consulting and expertise for organizations, methods/tools/processes, digitalization, new work environments, organizational design for companies and projects, project control and administration, risk management, and integrated management systems.
• KOIN (KOSTBAR Index for Project Awareness) Proprietary project management concept that combines Collaborative Management principles with reliable analysis and cost reduction, tailored for large infrastructure projects. Provides real-time analysis of critical parameters influencing project realization and enables early problem detection through an intuitive user interface, identifying bottlenecks and inefficiencies before they escalate and optimizing collaboration across multiple trades and stakeholders.

Quantifiable outcome

• Successful project structuring and realization for clients in energy and infrastructure sectors

Named customers1 record

Segments1 record

Ideal customer profiles1 record

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature1 record

Partnerships

Seven partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• HayscoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorStrategic recruitment and staffing partner that complements KOSTBAR's consulting capabilities by providing access to specialized talent for project assignments.
• FERCHAUcoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorEngineering and IT staffing partner that provides additional resources and expertise to support KOSTBAR's project delivery capabilities.
• IAPM (International Association of Project Managers)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerProfessional association for project managers providing certification, training, and industry network access. KOSTBAR team members hold IAPM certifications.
• OttmannminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCooperation partner with synergistic competencies that complement KOSTBAR's consulting services.
• Berliner WeiserminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCooperation partner providing complementary consulting expertise.
• HWR Berlin (Hochschule für Wirtschaft und Recht Berlin)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerAcademic partner providing access to research, talent, and educational resources.
• BTU (Brandenburgische Technische Universität Cottbus-Senftenberg)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerTechnical university partnership providing access to academic expertise and potential talent pipeline.

Scale indicators1 record

Recent moves4 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• Drees & Sommer: German engineering and management consultancy focused on construction, real estate, and infrastructure projects. Highly comparable to KOSTBAR as both serve German enterprise clients with project management, organizational design, and procurement support for complex construction and infrastructure programs.
• Kerkhoff Group: German procurement and supply chain consultancy that helps enterprises structure purchasing organizations and manage complex contracts. Directly comparable to KOSTBAR's Einkaufs- & Contract Management practice, particularly its EU procurement and claim management expertise.
• Fichtner Group: Stuttgart-based engineering consultancy serving energy, infrastructure, and public-sector clients with project advisory, owner's engineering, and PMO services. Directly comparable to KOSTBAR's energy infrastructure PMO and contract management offering in the German market.

Emerging players

• HPP Architekten: German architecture and project management firm with deep experience in complex building and infrastructure projects. Tangentially comparable to KOSTBAR on the organizational/project management side, though primarily design-led.
• Ingenieurgruppe Bauen: German engineering consultancy providing project management, construction supervision, and contract management for infrastructure and building projects. Comparable to KOSTBAR as a German boutique in the same PMO/contract management niche.

Broad incumbents

• Arcadis Germany: Global design and consultancy firm with a significant German practice in mobility, energy, and infrastructure project advisory. Comparable to KOSTBAR on infrastructure PMO and contract management but operates at much larger scale and broader scope.
• Turner & Townsend: Global project management and cost consultancy serving energy, infrastructure, and real estate clients with PMO, contract management, and risk services. Comparable to KOSTBAR on the program/contract management side for energy infrastructure, but at global scale.
• HOCHTIEF Engineering (HOCHTIEF ViCon / HOCHTIEF Consult): German-headquartered construction group with significant in-house project management, contract management (FIDIC), and consulting capabilities for energy and infrastructure projects. Comparable to KOSTBAR on the project structuring and FIDIC contract management dimension, though embedded in a much larger construction firm.
• Tractebel (Engie): Global engineering consultancy (formerly Lahmeyer International) providing owner's engineering, project management, and energy consulting. Broad incumbent in the same energy infrastructure PMO space KOSTBAR serves, but with vastly larger scale and broader service portfolio.

Regional players

• GPC (Government Projects Consulting): German consultancy offering project management and procurement/contract management for public-sector and infrastructure clients. Comparable to KOSTBAR on PMO and EU procurement procedures, primarily serving the DACH public-infrastructure market.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles4 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 KOSTBAR