BDU Service

What BDU Service does

BDU-Servicegesellschaft für Unternehmensberatungen mbH (referred to here as "BDU Service") is the Bonn-based, commercially active subsidiary of Bundesverband Deutscher Unternehmensberatungen BDU e.V., a non-profit industry association (eingetragener Verein) founded in 1954 that represents the German professional services / management consulting sector. The parent BDU aggregates approximately 600 member companies and roughly 19,000 individual consultants organized across nine Fachverbände (specialty divisions), and ranks among the three globally leading consulting industry associations. The addressable German consulting market it serves is valued at approximately €49 billion and employs around 243,000 people, giving BDU a structural position as the sector's largest domestic trade body.

The group's revenue mechanics combine membership dues, certification fees, event and conference operations, and conference-room rental, executed across the parent e.V. and the service subsidiary. A defining commercial asset is exclusive rights to administer CMC/BDU and CERC/BDU certifications in Germany via memberships in ICMCI and ECSSA respectively, creating a regulated credentialing franchise. BDU Service's sole managing director is Kai Haake, while the parent association is led by President Iris Grewe. There is no proprietary technology product in the conventional sense; the operation runs on an events- and certification-driven services model, augmented by content products such as the BDU Consulting Hour podcast and proprietary market intelligence including the German Consulting Index (GKI).

Name

BDU Service

Legal name

Bundesverband Deutscher Unternehmensberatungen BDU e.V.

Website

https://bdu.de

Company type

Private

Founded year

1954

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

251–500 employees

Short description

BDU-Servicegesellschaft is the commercial subsidiary of Germany's leading consulting trade association, serving roughly 600 member firms and 19,000 consultants via certifications, events, and market intelligence across nine specialty divisions.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Bonn

HQ country

Germany

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Mitgliedsbeiträge (Membership Dues): BDU generates primary revenue from membership dues paid by consulting companies. Membership is open to professional consulting firms that meet BDU quality standards and demonstrate competence, reliability, and appropriate professional experience.
2. Tagungsraumvermietung (Conference Room Rental): BDU rents out meeting rooms at its Bonn headquarters (Joseph-Schumpeter-Saal, 96 m²) to members and external companies, with pricing at €40 per person plus room rental of €400/€200 plus VAT.
3. Zertifizierungsgebühren (Certification Fees): BDU charges fees for its personal certification programs — Certified Management Consultant (CMC/BDU) and Certified Executive Recruitment Consultant (CERC/BDU). These certifications are awarded after personal examination and require renewal every three years for CMC.
4. Veranstaltungen & Konferenzen (Events & Conferences): BDU organizes flagship industry events including the annual Deutscher Beratertag (November, Düsseldorf), Deutscher Personalberatertag (September, Bonn), Fachkonferenz Sanierung, and 2. Fachkonferenz Public Sektor und Beratung. Revenue comes from event registration fees.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

BDU Service operates the commercial and service activities of the Bundesverband Deutscher Unternehmensberatungen (BDU), Germany's leading professional association for the consulting industry. It delivers personal certifications (CMC/BDU and CERC/BDU), market intelligence products (quarterly BDU-Geschäftsklimaindex and Facts & Figures studies), flagship industry events, conference room rental at the Bonn headquarters, and dispute resolution through the Verbandsgericht, all in service of approximately 600 member consulting companies.

Product overview

BDU-Service is the service company of the Bundesverband Deutscher Unternehmensberatungen (BDU), Germany's leading professional association for management consultants. The organization operates as a membership-based association offering professional certifications (CMC/BDU and CERC/BDU), research publications including the quarterly Business Climate Index, the official podcast "Gemeinsam besser beraten," conference room facilities at Bonn Beuel, and dispute resolution services through the Verbandsgericht. The BDU also organizes major industry events including the annual Deutscher Beratertag and Deutscher Personalberatertag, and provides member services through nine specialized Fachverbände covering areas such as strategy consulting, restructuring, HR consulting, and public sector advisory. The portfolio does not constitute a unified software product but rather a collection of professional association services, certifications, and industry platforms.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Certified Management Consultant (CMC/BDU)

Named customers2 records

Segments1 record

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Five partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• ICMCI (International Council of Management Consulting Institutes)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerBDU is an exclusive member of ICMCI, the global association for quality assurance in management consulting. Through this membership, BDU holds the exclusive right in Germany to award the international 'Unternehmensberater CMC/BDU' certification title.
• ECSSA (European Confederation of Search & Selection Associations)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerBDU is a member of ECSSA, the European umbrella organization for personalberatung/executive search. Through this membership, BDU has been exclusively authorized since 2009 in Germany to award the 'Personalberater CERC/BDU' title, making BDU the only relevant institution representing executive search interests in Germany.
• Bundesverband Kapital für den Mittelstand e.V. (BKM)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerBDU's Fachverband Finanzierung + Controlling is a cooperation partner of BKM (Bundesverband Kapital für den Mittelstand e.V.). This cooperation helps integrate BDU's corporate financing expertise and broaden options for Mittelstand companies seeking financing.
• BDSU e.V. (Bundesverband Deutscher Studentischer Unternehmensberatungen)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerBDU maintains a cooperation with BDSU (since 2004) which currently organizes 31 student consulting groups. BDU has negotiated a fee agreement specifically for BDU members working with student consulting groups on joint projects.
• Junior Consultant Network (JCNetwork)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerJCNetwork is the largest German network for student consulting groups, connecting 34 initiatives with over 2,600 Junior Consultants. BDU cooperates with JCNetwork to strengthen ties with student consulting organizations and potential future consultants.

Scale indicators7 records

Recent moves1 record

Emerging players

• Deutscher Verband für Coaching und Training (DVCT): German association for coaching and training professionals. Operates in an adjacent consulting-adjacent professional services niche within Germany with similar quality standard and member-services model.
• Bundesverband der Personalmanager (BPM): German HR professional association overlapping with BDU's HR consulting and personalberatung Fachverbände. Comparable membership, advocacy, and event-based industry-body model.

Regional players

• Syntec Conseil: French federation of consulting firms, the national industry body for France. Directly comparable member-association model serving a national consulting market with similar advocacy, standards, and market intelligence functions.
• AssoConsult (Confederazione Italiana delle Associazioni di Consulenza): Italian federation of management consulting associations. Comparable national-level trade body serving Italian consulting firms with similar representation, certification, and research activities to BDU.

Direct peers

• Management Consultancies Association (MCA): UK-based trade association for management consulting firms, the closest international analog to BDU. Represents a comparable member-base model with quality standards, research, and events for the consulting industry.
• European Confederation of Search & Selection Associations (ECSSA): European umbrella for executive search associations. BDU's CERC/BDU certification derives from ECSSA membership, making it both a strategic partner and a parallel industry-association peer.

Broad incumbents

• Association of Executive Search and Leadership Consultants (AESC): Global executive search and leadership consulting association. Overlaps with BDU's CERC certification ecosystem and executive search Fachverband, but with broader international remit and larger member base.
• International Council of Management Consulting Institutes (ICMCI): Global umbrella body of which BDU is an exclusive German member. Operates the international CMC certification framework, making it a parent-tier peer that grants BDU certification authority.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses2 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/BDU_eV
• Facebookfacebook.com/BDU.eV

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Subsidiaries1 record

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 BDU Service