What Franz Sales Haus does

Franz Sales Haus is a Catholic non-profit social services organization headquartered in Essen, Germany, founded in 1884 as an institution for children with intellectual disabilities. Operating under the legal entity Trägerverein für das Franz Sales Haus zu Essen, the organization employs approximately 2,000 skilled professionals (Fachkräfte) plus many volunteers across more than 40 locations in Essen and additional sites in Bochum. Its service portfolio is organized around six pillars: Wohnen (residential living and inclusion assistance), Arbeit (workshops and inclusive enterprises), Bildung (special school, vocational college, and academy), Sport (SportZentrum Ruhr), Gesundheit (MZEB medical treatment center, BUKomm AAC counseling), and Freizeit (cultural courses, day structure, and the Fran z guckt digital platform).

The primary revenue source is German public social insurance and disability funding under SGB IX (Eingliederungshilfe) and SGB V (§ 119c for the MZEB), with services largely cost-free at the point of use to clients. The Landschaftsverband Rheinland (LVR) is the principal public payer. Supplementary revenue is generated through wholly-owned commercial subsidiaries — in service GmbH (Hotel Franz and Hotel Claudius, four-star inclusive hotels), in time gGmbH (landscaping and cleaning), Franz Sales Werkstätten GmbH (workshops and the Bioland-certified Klosterberghof organic farm), and Auszeit Bochum gGmbH (short-term residential care opened in autumn 2024). Donations via Aktion Mensch, Sozialstiftung NRW, the Stiftung Franz Sales Haus, and individual contributors supplement the funding mix.

The organization operates a hybrid go-to-market model combining institutional referral (LVR, municipal social welfare offices, schools, healthcare providers) with direct-to-consumer intake through its KoKoBe counseling center, the Beratungsstelle, and digital channels (website, Fran z guckt platform, social media). Customer segments span long-term residential clients, families of children and youth with disabilities, students in inclusive education, MZEB-eligible adults with intellectual disabilities, and corporate buyers of inclusive enterprise services (hotel, landscaping, contract manufacturing). The organization is a PE/VC/M&A non-applicable structure — it is a Trägerverein with multiple GmbH subsidiaries, no external shareholders, and no funding rounds in the input data. A February 2026 cyberattack resulted in data theft but did not affect client services.

Name

Franz Sales Haus

Legal name

Trägerverein für das Franz Sales Haus zu Essen

Website

https://franz-sales-haus.de

Company type

Private

Founded year

1884

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Franz Sales Haus is a Catholic non-profit social services organization founded in 1884 in Essen, Germany, providing integrated housing, education, employment, healthcare, and leisure services for people with intellectual, psychological, and multiple disabilities across 40+ locations.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Essen

HQ country

Germany

HQ region

Europe

Offices14 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Supply Chain, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Public Social Services Funding (Eingliederungshilfe): The primary revenue source comes from government-funded social services under German social law (§§ 90 ff. SGB IX, § 119c SGB V). Costs for housing, day structure, work integration, education, healthcare, and assistive services are covered by the Landschaftsverband Rheinland (LVR), municipal social and youth welfare offices, and health insurers. Services are largely provided at no direct cost to clients.
2. Donations and Charitable Grants: Franz Sales Haus receives donations from individuals, companies, and charitable foundations. Fundraising activities include online donations via the FundraisingBox platform, direct bank transfers, and grant funding from organizations such as Aktion Mensch and Sozialstiftung NRW.
3. Commercial Services and Products: Revenue-generating commercial activities include: the Hotel Franz (4-star inclusive hotel and event venue), in time gGmbH (landscaping and building cleaning services), Franz Sales Werkstätten (contract manufacturing, bakery, laundry, printing, carpentry, metalwork), Klosterberghof organic farm shop, candle manufactory, and therapeutic riding services. These are social businesses employing people with disabilities alongside others.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels7 records

Marketing channels12 records

Core offering

Franz Sales Haus is a non-profit social services organization that provides comprehensive support for people with intellectual, psychological, and multiple disabilities across housing, education, work, sports, health, and leisure. In addition to traditional welfare offerings, it operates inclusive commercial enterprises (notably Hotel Franz as a hospitality and event venue) and a personnel services subsidiary (in time gGmbH) that helps supported employees enter the general labor market.

Product overview

Franz Sales Haus is a comprehensive social services organization providing support for people with intellectual, psychological, and multiple disabilities across nearly all life areas. The organization operates a modular portfolio of interconnected services organized into six core pillars: Wohnen (Residential Living) offering housing, short-term care, and inclusion assistance; Bildung (Education) comprising a special school, vocational college, and academy; Arbeit (Work) including vocational workshops, inclusive enterprises, and labor market integration; Sport (Sports) through the SportZentrum Ruhr and sports courses; Gesundheit (Health) providing medical treatment, counseling, and therapy services; and Freizeit (Leisure) offering cultural courses, day structure programs, and the digital platform Franz guckt. Key facilities include the Klosterberghof organic farm, Hotel Franz and Hotel Claudius inclusive hotels, in time gGmbH service companies, the BUKomm communication counseling center, and the MZEB medical treatment center. The organization serves clients at over 40 locations in the Essen area and employs approximately 2,000 professionals.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Franz Sales Haus: Comprehensive social services provider for people with disabilities offering housing, employment, education, sports, health, and leisure services.
• Franz Sales Werkstätten
• Klosterberghof Bioland-Bauernhof
• Hotel Franz
• Hotel Claudius
• Hofladen Klosterberghof
• in time gGmbH
• BUKomm
• MZEB Essen
• Franzguckt

Products and services

• Residential housing services
• Special education and schooling
• Sheltered workshops (Werkstätten)
• Sports, health, and leisure programs
• Hotel Franz
• in time gGmbH personnel services

Quantifiable outcome

• Over 1,000 visitors attended the 2026 school musical over one week (10 performances), demonstrating impact on cultural participation and personal development of students with disabilities.
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers6 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

Feature4 records

Partnerships

Eight partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Stiftung AuszeitcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 September 2024Stiftung Auszeit is a charitable foundation that co-founded and co-funds the Auszeit Bochum short-term residential care facility for children and youth with disabilities. The foundation works in close collaboration with Franz Sales Haus to operate the 16-place facility opened in autumn 2024.
• Bioland e.V.coreOthers · 1 January 1992Bioland is Germany's largest organic farming association. The Klosterberghof has been certified under Bioland standards since 1992, governing all agricultural production (vegetables, grains, livestock). The Bioland label is a quality differentiator for farm products sold at the Hofladen. Bioland represents over 8,500 members and more than 1,300 trading and gastronomy partners.
• Verein Menschen(s)kinderminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerA Bochum-based association (menschenskinderbochum.de) providing leisure activities for children and youth with disabilities. The organization cooperates with Auszeit Bochum, offering joint leisure activities for guests.
• becuraminorOthersbecura is referenced as a cooperation partner of Auszeit Bochum. The nature of the partnership appears to be related to the operation or support of the short-term care facility.
• Landschaftsverband Rheinland (LVR)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe LVR is the regional authority responsible for disability services in the Rhineland. It is the primary public funder of Franz Sales Haus services, including the KoKoBe counseling center and most residential, educational, and employment services. The relationship is both regulatory and financial — LVR determines eligibility and covers costs under SGB IX.
• Bio-Fleischerei Bernd BurchhardtminorOthersA partner organic butcher supplying meat products to the Klosterberghof farm shop, complementing the farm's own produce with additional organic meat products.
• Hutzel — Die Bio-BäckereiminorOthersAn organic bakery supplying fresh baked goods for sale at the Klosterberghof farm shop, complementing the farm's own agricultural products.
• Der SchultenhofminorOthersA partner farm supplying additional organic products to the Klosterberghof farm shop, as not all products can be produced on-site at the Klosterberghof.

Scale indicators8 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Broad incumbents

• Diakonie Deutschland: Diakonie is the Protestant counterpart to Caritas and one of the largest social welfare umbrella organizations in Germany, operating extensive disability services, workshops (Werkstätten), housing, healthcare, and inclusion assistance. Comparable to Franz Sales Haus in mission and statutory service delivery under SGB IX/SGB V, but nationwide in scope.
• Caritas Deutschland: Caritas is Germany's largest Catholic social welfare organization, operating a nationwide network of disability services, housing, healthcare, and social enterprises. It is comparable to Franz Sales Haus as a Catholic Träger providing integrated disability inclusion assistance under SGB IX, though at a vastly larger national scale.

Direct peers

• Lebenshilfe (Bundesvereinigung Lebenshilfe): Lebenshilfe is a nationwide association specifically focused on people with intellectual disabilities, operating Werkstätten, housing, early intervention, schools, and family services across Germany. It is the most direct peer to Franz Sales Haus's core disability-services portfolio, operating under the same SGB IX framework and serving a near-identical client population.
• Evangelische Stiftung Volmarstein: Volmarstein is a Protestant non-profit foundation in NRW providing disability services, Werkstätten, schools, hospitals, and rehabilitation. Directly comparable to Franz Sales Haus as a regional NRW integrated provider with Werkstätten, special education, and healthcare under SGB IX/V frameworks.
• Hephata Hessisches Diakoniezentrum: Hephata is a comprehensive Protestant social services provider in Hessen offering disability services, Werkstätten, schools, psychiatric care, and inclusive employment. Comparable to Franz Sales Haus as an integrated, faith-based Träger delivering the full range of SGB IX services plus commercial social enterprises.
• Von Bodelschwinghsche Stiftungen Bethel: Bethel is one of Germany's largest Protestant non-profit providers of disability, psychiatric, and social services, operating across multiple federal states with hospitals, Werkstätten, housing, schools, and inclusive enterprises. Comparable to Franz Sales Haus as an integrated, multi-pillar regional provider with comprehensive life-stage coverage.
• Stiftung Liebenau: Stiftung Liebenau is a Catholic non-profit foundation in Baden-Württemberg providing disability services, housing, Werkstätten, education, and healthcare across the full life span. Comparable to Franz Sales Haus as an integrated Catholic Träger with regional concentration and a similar full-pillar service model.
• Josefsheim Bigge: Josefsheim Bigge is a Catholic non-profit provider in the Sauerland region of NRW offering housing, Werkstätten, schools, and inclusion services for people with intellectual disabilities. Comparable to Franz Sales Haus as a regional Catholic Träger operating under identical statutory frameworks.
• Nieder-Ramstädter Diakonie (NRD): NRD is a major Protestant disability services provider in Hessen operating housing, Werkstätten, schools, and inclusive businesses. Comparable to Franz Sales Haus in scale (~2,000+ employees) and integrated service model under SGB IX, with similar reliance on public funding plus commercial social enterprises.

Others

• Aktion Mensch: Aktion Mensch is Germany's largest social lottery and funding foundation supporting inclusion projects for people with disabilities. It is a financial partner and funder of Franz Sales Haus (notably BUKomm) rather than a direct competitor, but is included as a key ecosystem player shaping the German disability-services funding landscape.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat6 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UC04n8Hx87KXt3DkxkjFzUMg
• Facebookde-de.facebook.com/franzsaleshaus
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/franz-sales-haus
• Instagraminstagram.com/franz_sales_haus_essen

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Subsidiaries6 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 Franz Sales Haus