SFZ CoWerk

What SFZ CoWerk does

SFZ CoWerk gGmbH is a Chemnitz-based non-profit inclusion company (Inklusionsbetrieb) operating under §§ 215 ff. SGB IX and wholly owned by SFZ Förderzentrum gGmbH as part of the broader SFZ Group. The company delivers a diversified portfolio of approximately 11 service categories spanning transportation (Fahrdienst), building and garden services, building cleaning, household management, and office services (bookkeeping, accounting, secretarial work), IT services (maintenance, network administration, software consulting for SMEs and non-profits), institutional meal provision (Kitaessen, Schulessen, Kantinenessen), event catering (under the CookWerk sub-brand), care consulting (Pflegeberatung), and newly the Beratung & Teilhabe department covering job placement, employer consultation, and the EAA Sachsen single point-of-contact service for inclusion hiring. Clients include kindergartens, schools, corporate canteens, SMEs, non-profits, and individuals with disabilities or care needs, all served within the Chemnitz/Saxony region. The business model is primarily fee-based subscription/contract-based for institutional meal services and facility management, with transaction-based pricing for transport and event catering, and free/grant-funded advisory services for inclusion and care consulting. The platform architecture is conventional: an online ordering system accessible via mobile for school meal adjustments, automated customer surveys, digital invoicing, and standard digital workflows with no proprietary AI/ML components. The company holds multiple compliance certifications including AZAV for placement services, BFSG accessibility compliance (2025), and LkSG supply chain due diligence, and is led by Managing Directors Axel Brückkom and Dirk Glowka with authorized officers Katrin Arnold and Ivo Dehmel.

Name

SFZ CoWerk

Legal name

SFZ CoWerk gGmbH

Website

https://cowerk.de

Company type

Private

Founded year

2000

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

SFZ CoWerk gGmbH is a non-profit Chemnitz-based inclusion company operating 11 service lines including institutional catering, IT, cleaning, transportation, care consulting, and disability employment placement for schools, kindergartens, SMEs, and individuals across Saxony.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Chemnitz

HQ country

Germany

HQ region

Europe

Offices4 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Transportation Services (Fahrdienst): Taxi and rental car transportation services with pricing per person including one suitcase and hand luggage.
2. Catering and Meal Services: Provision of meals to kindergartens, schools, and company canteens. Includes breakfast, fruit meals, lunch, snacks, and beverages.
3. Building and Facility Management: Building cleaning, garden and landscape maintenance, household services, and janitorial work under service contracts.
4. IT Services: IT maintenance, support, infrastructure planning, and network administration for SMEs, micro-enterprises, and non-profit institutions.
5. Office Services: Backoffice services including bookkeeping, accounting, secretarial services, and dispatching for business customers.
6. Care Consulting and Job Placement: Free care consulting, care advice, care-grade assessment support, and job placement services for people with disabilities.
7. CookWerk Catering and Events: Premium catering for events including company parties, weddings, and private events under the CookWerk brand. Includes barrier-free venue access.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

SFZ CoWerk gGmbH is a recognized inclusion company (Inklusionsbetrieb) based in Chemnitz, Germany, providing a diversified portfolio of regional personal and business services. Its offerings span transportation (Fahrdienst), garden and landscape maintenance, building cleaning, household services, office/back-office services, IT services, and meal provision for kindergartens, schools, and corporate canteens, as well as care consulting and disability employment placement services under the Beratung & Teilhabe department. The company operates under the nonprofit SFZ Group with a social mission to integrate people with and without disabilities into the workforce.

Product overview

SFZ CoWerk is an inclusion company (Inklusionsbetrieb) based in Chemnitz, Germany, offering a diversified portfolio of personal and business services. The company operates as a single integrated service provider rather than a platform with modules. The service portfolio includes: IT-Service (IT support, infrastructure, and software development), food services (Kitaessen, Schulessen, Kantinenessen), transportation (Fahrdienst), building and household services (Gebäudereinigung, Hauswirtschaft, Garten- & Landschaftsbau), office services (Büroservice), care consultation (Pflegeberatung), and counseling/participation services (Beratung & Teilhabe) including job placement and employer consultation. Under the sub-brand CookWerk, the company also offers event catering. The services target individuals with support needs, families, businesses, schools, kindergartens, and companies in the Chemnitz region.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• CookWerk: Catering brand offering event catering services including candy bars, finger food, and grill specialties for corporate events, weddings, and private parties.
• Inklusion-geht-gemeinsam.de
• DAS.NETZWERK

Products and services

• Fahrdienst (Transportation Service) Passenger transportation services provided with taxis and rental vehicles, including pickup and drop-off at designated addresses with luggage. Pricing is per person and includes one suitcase and hand luggage.
• Garten- & Landschaftsbau (Garden & Landscape Services) Garden and landscaping services for residential and commercial properties in the Chemnitz region.
• Gebäudereinigung (Building Cleaning) Professional building cleaning services including maintenance cleaning, commercial cleaning, and housekeeper services delivered under recurring service contracts.
• Hauswirtschaft (Household Services) Household management and domestic services for private households and care recipients.
• Büroservice (Office Service) Office administrative and back-office services including bookkeeping, accounting, secretarial tasks, and dispatching for business customers.
• IT-Service Comprehensive IT services including maintenance, support, network planning and administration, software consulting, and infrastructure services for small businesses, nonprofits, and organizations.
• Kantinenessen (Cafeteria Food Service) Catering and cafeteria services for businesses, including on-site company cafeterias and two public canteen locations in Chemnitz (Die Kantine at the city center Rathaus and a canteen at Bornaer Str. 205 in the A4 business park).
• Kitaessen (Kindergarten Food Service) Catering services for kindergartens providing breakfast, fruit meals, lunch, snacks, and beverages following Deutsche Gesellschaft für Ernährung (DGE) nutrition guidelines.
• Schulessen (School Food Service) Catering services for schools providing freshly prepared daily meals with multiple menu options, including vegetarian options, with online ordering accessible via mobile devices.
• Pflegeberatung (Care Consultation) Free care consultation for persons with existing care levels, offering guidance on care grades, relief services, aids, applications, and daily support options.
• Beratung & Teilhabe (Counseling & Participation) Person-centered counseling services for people with disabilities covering job placement, workplace integration, leisure activities, and employer consultation on inclusion and accessibility, delivered from the Bahnhofstraße 54 office in Chemnitz.
• CookWerk Catering Premium event catering brand for company celebrations, weddings, and private parties, offering candy bars, finger food, and grill specialties with barrier-free venue options.
• EAA – Einheitliche Ansprechstelle für Arbeitgeber Single point of contact for employers providing free consultation on training, hiring, and employment of severely disabled people, operating as a regionally networked partner.

Quantifiable outcome

• School meal customer satisfaction rating improved from 2.25 to 2.1 in taste, variety, presentation, and service friendliness

Named customers3 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles6 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature2 records

Partnerships

Nine partnerships are on record, tiered core, strategic and minor.

• SFZ Förderzentrum gGmbHcoreOthersSFZ Förderzentrum gGmbH is the sole shareholder of SFZ CoWerk gGmbH. As the parent entity of the SFZ Group, it provides governance and strategic direction, with the SFZ Group comprising multiple entities focused on education, living, medical care, and employment for people with disabilities.
• BAG IF (Bundesarbeitsgemeinschaft Inklusionsfirmen)strategicOthersNational umbrella organization for inclusion companies in Germany. SFZ CoWerk is a member and displays the BAG IF logo as a partner, indicating alignment with national inclusion company standards and advocacy.
• LAG IF Sachsen (Landesarbeitsgemeinschaft Inklusionsfirmen Sachsen)strategicOthersState-level umbrella organization for inclusion companies in Saxony. SFZ CoWerk partners with LAG IF Sachsen to network with other regional inclusion companies and participate in state-level initiatives.
• Die Werkstatt (SFZ Chemnitz Werkstatt)strategicStrategic or Co-development PartnerAffiliated entity within the SFZ Group providing vocational training and employment for people with disabilities. The partnership enables pathway development and coordination of inclusion employment programs.
• Aktion MenschminorOthersLarge German social sponsorship organization supporting social projects. SFZ CoWerk partners with Aktion Mensch, likely for funding or co-financing of social inclusion programs.
• KSV Sachsen (Kommunaler Sozialverband Sachsen)minorOthersMunicipal Social Association of Saxony, a public-law body. SFZ CoWerk collaborates with KSV Sachsen on matters related to disability services and social welfare in Saxony.
• Chemnitzer Ballspiel Club (CFB)minorOthersLocal sports club partnership for community engagement and regional branding. SFZ CoWerk supports the Chemnitzer Ballspiel Club as part of its community involvement.
• European Union / Erasmus+ ProgrammeminorOthersSFZ CoWerk participates in Erasmus+ European mobility programmes, enabling international exchange and professional development opportunities for employees and people with disabilities.
• EAA Sachsen (Einheitliche Ansprechstelle für Arbeitgeber)strategicStrategic or Co-development PartnerSFZ CoWerk acts as a regional contact point for EAA Sachsen, providing free consultation to employers on hiring and employing people with disabilities. The partnership covers Chemnitz and Dresden locations.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights12 records

Broad incumbents

• Sodexo Germany: Sodexo operates food services, facility management, and benefits/wellness programs across Germany. Overlaps directly with CoWerk's canteen and meal services plus facility management, though Sodexo serves a much larger enterprise client base.
• Diakonie Deutschland: Diakonie is one of Germany's largest welfare organizations providing disability, care, and social-employment services. Overlaps with CoWerk's care consulting, inclusion employment, and counseling services, with a national federation structure similar in spirit to the SFZ Group umbrella.
• Lebenshilfe Werkstätten: Lebenshilfe is a major German federation of inclusion companies and disability service providers. Comparable to CoWerk's job placement, care consulting, and inclusive employment model, with a national footprint spanning multiple service categories.
• Caritas Deutschland: Caritas is Germany's largest social welfare organization, providing care consulting, disability services, and social employment programs. Comparable to CoWerk's Pflegeberatung and Beratung & Teilhabe offerings, though at far greater national scale.
• Dussmann Group: Dussmann is one of Germany's largest facility services groups, covering cleaning, catering, security, and building management. Comparable to SFZ CoWerk's Gebäudereinigung, Hauswirtschaft, and food service lines, but at vastly greater scale and as part of a diversified portfolio.
• ISS A/S Germany: ISS is a global facility services company with broad German operations across cleaning, catering, and property services. Comparable to CoWerk's facility management and meal services, though at enterprise scale with multinational clients.

Direct peers

• Apetito AG: Apetito is a leading German catering and meal-service provider serving schools, kindergartens, hospitals, and corporate canteens. Directly comparable to SFZ CoWerk's Schulessen, Kitaessen, and Kantinenessen lines, with a national distribution footprint that dwarfs CoWerk's regional reach.

Regional players

• Menüpartner GmbH: Menüpartner is a German school and kindergarten meal caterer with strong regional networks. Most directly comparable to CoWerk's Schulessen and Kitaessen business, competing for the same public-sector institutional meal contracts.
• Stiftung ICP München: Stiftung ICP München is a Bavarian inclusion-company network employing people with disabilities across service lines. Closely comparable to SFZ CoWerk's social-enterprise model under §§ 215 ff. SGB IX, though operating in a different German region.
• Gegenbauer Service GmbH: Gegenbauer is a major German facility services provider with strong presence in eastern Germany including Saxony. Comparable to CoWerk's building cleaning, garden/landscape, and household services, with overlapping regional coverage in Chemnitz's broader market.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UCpKQE3DZU-6UxjCeKg-SE5A
• Facebookfacebook.com/sfzcowerk
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/sfzgruppe
• Instagraminstagram.com/cowerk.de

Compliance1 record

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 SFZ CoWerk