B.&S.U.

What B.&S.U. does

B.&S.U. Beratungs- und Service-Gesellschaft Umwelt mbH is a Berlin-based independent environmental consulting firm founded in 1991, specializing in sustainable development, climate protection, and climate adaptation. The firm employs 11–50 people and operates across municipal, national, and European levels.

Its core offerings are organized around three pillars. First, B.&S.U. is the designated Programmträger (program trustee) for public funding programs, most notably the Berlin Program for Sustainable Development (BENE, 2015–2023, €330M+ in expenditure volume) and its successor BENE 2 (2022–2029, €525M), both co-financed by the European Regional Development Fund (EFRE). In this role it handles applicant consulting, approval preparation, continuous budget monitoring, and verification of completed projects. Second, the firm developed and owns the European Energy Award (eea, since 2000) and the European Climate Adaptation Award (eca, since 2010) — proprietary quality management and certification instruments for municipal climate protection and adaptation, used by over 1,750 municipalities in more than 17 countries (300+ in Germany), with eca operating on a 4-year certification cycle across six action areas and 45 measure categories. Third, B.&S.U. participates in Horizon 2020 and other research projects (e.g., SHAREs, FUBIC, 3% Plus, ManagEnergy, Implement/CoME EASY) and produces applied tools such as the energy-efficient renovation roadmap for municipal districts (SFQ) and the Brandenburg climate adaptation checklist.

Revenue is generated through professional services and managed-services fees from public-sector clients, with the Berlin Senate Administration for Mobility, Transport, Climate Protection and Environment as the single largest customer (BENE/BENE 2), supplemented by fees from EU agencies (CINEA, EASME), state ministries (Brandenburg), research institutions (Freie Universität Berlin), and technology-park operators (WISTA Management GmbH). The company is privately held, with Managing Directors Ilga Schwidder and André Butz, and shows no evidence of external investors or parent-company ownership.

Name

B.&S.U.

Legal name

B.&S.U. Beratungs- und Service-Gesellschaft Umwelt mbH

Website

https://bsu-berlin.de

Company type

Private

Founded year

1991

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

B.&S.U. is a Berlin-based environmental consulting firm (est. 1991) that serves as the designated program manager for major EU- and EFRE-funded climate and sustainability programs (notably Berlin's BENE/BENE 2) and develops the European Energy Award and European Climate Adaptation Award certification programs used by over 1,750 municipalities across 17+ countries.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Environmental Consulting Services

NAICS

Environmental Consulting Services (54162), Environmental Consulting Services (541620), Management Consulting Services (54161), Administration of Environmental Quality Programs (924)

SIC

Services-Management Consulting Services (8742), Services-Engineering, Accounting, Research, Management (8700)

akta.pro primary industry

Sustainability, ESG & Climate Risk Advisory (BPAHAJAH)

akta.pro secondary industries

Sustainability & ESG Consulting (BPAHACAK), EHS Management Systems & ISO Consulting (ISO 14001/45001) (BPAHAJAF), Certification Support (Stage 1/2) & External Audit сопровождение (EUAHAIAF)

Keywords

• Environmental consulting services
• Climate protection consulting
• Public funding program management
• Municipal sustainability certification
• Climate adaptation advisory

Headquarters

HQ city

Berlin

HQ country

Germany

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Program Management Services (Programmträgerschaft): B.&S.U. serves as program manager for public funding programs, providing services including applicant consulting, approval preparation, continuous budget monitoring, and verification of completed projects. They charge fees for managing European-funded programs.
2. European Regional Development Fund (EFRE) Program Management: Managing the Berlin Program for Sustainable Development (BENE/BENE 2), which distributes EFRE funds to climate and environmental projects. The company manages program budgets of up to 525 million euros (BENE 2) and charges management fees for program administration.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels2 records

Core offering

B.&S.U. is an independent environmental consulting firm that manages public funding programs (Programmträgerschaft) for German and European public sector clients, including the Berlin Program for Sustainable Development (BENE/BENE 2) co-financed by the European Regional Development Fund. It also develops and operates proprietary municipal certification and quality management systems, notably the European Energy Award (eea) and European Climate Adaptation Award (eca), used by over 1,750 municipalities across more than 17 countries. Its services span program management, evaluation, applicant consulting, audit, and conception of climate protection and adaptation measures.

Product overview

B.&S.U. is an environmental consulting and service company that operates as a program manager and project developer rather than a traditional software product company. Their portfolio consists of advisory services, program management, and certification programs focused on climate protection and climate change adaptation. The core offerings include two major funding programs (BENE and BENE 2 for Berlin), two certification programs (European Energy Award and European Climate Adaptation Award), and various project-based services. The European Energy Award and European Climate Adaptation Award are quality management and certification instruments for municipalities, while BENE/BENE 2 are EU-funded development programs for sustainable development. Additional offerings include specialized tools like the Sanierungsfahrplan (renovation roadmap) for municipal neighborhoods, the Brandenburg climate adaptation checklist, the SHAREs energy community platform, and various research and evaluation projects on energy efficiency and climate protection.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• European Energy Award (eea): A quality management and certification program for municipalities for climate protection developed by B&SU
• European Climate Adaptation Award (eca)
• Berliner Programm für Nachhaltige Entwicklung (BENE)
• BENE 2

Products and services

• Berliner Programm für Nachhaltige Entwicklung (BENE) 2 — Program Management Program management (Programmträgerschaft) for BENE 2, a Berlin funding program co-financed by the European Regional Development Fund (EFRE) for the EU funding period 2021-2027, supporting climate-neutral and environmentally friendly Berlin through clean energy, green investments, and climate change adaptation.
• Berliner Programm für Nachhaltige Entwicklung (BENE) — Program Management Program management for BENE, a Berlin sustainable development funding program co-financed by the European Regional Development Fund (EFRE), running 2015-2023 with over 330 million euros in expenditure volume.
• European Energy Award (eea) International quality management and certification instrument for municipal climate protection, used by over 1,750 municipalities in more than 17 countries (over 300 in Germany). B&SU serves as the German federal office.
• European Climate Adaptation Award (eca) Quality management and certification program for municipalities for climate change adaptation, featuring a comprehensive catalog of measures with six action areas and 45 measure categories, managed by climate teams in municipalities with a 4-year certification cycle.
• Climate Adaptation Checklist for Small Municipalities in Brandenburg Checklist tool developed for small municipalities in Brandenburg to facilitate entry into climate adaptation, enabling systematic assessment of vulnerability to climate change and risk estimation, prioritizing measures, planning, and implementation.
• Energy-Efficient Renovation Roadmap for Municipal Districts (SFQ) Tool for municipal administrations to motivate and inform private building owners about energy-efficient renovation, including action guidelines, measure catalogs, information campaigns, and participation formats targeting various property owner groups, from homeowners to rental apartments.
• SHAREs - Empowering Communities HORIZON 2020 project supporting the establishment and expansion of energy communities, providing a country-specific implementation toolkit with legal frameworks, technical and IT solutions, business models, and customized communication campaign modules, plus an international platform serving as a central hub for information and tools.
• FUBIC - Blueprint for Future Technology Quarters Research project for the technology quarter next to Freie Universität Berlin, supporting climate-neutral all-electric operation through workshops, expert discussions, construction site tours, neighborhood walks, and future workshops to identify future startup needs and align them with climate-neutral conversion.
• Resource Efficiency and Behavioral Change Competitions Competitions for resource efficiency through behavioral change, including initiatives such as 'energy neighbourhoods' between municipalities and citizens, 'save at work' between administrative buildings, and 'energy trophy' between administrative buildings in companies, achieving average energy savings of over 10% through behavioral change.
• Implement and CoME EASY European Projects European projects for municipal climate protection: Implement transferred knowledge and experience with the European Energy Award to Belgium, Greece, Croatia, and Poland; CoME EASY bundled strengths of national and European recognized instruments for municipal climate protection to increase synergies between tools and initiatives.
• ManagEnergy Evaluation Evaluation of the ManagEnergy initiative, an EU program supporting energy agencies and actors at local and regional level in Europe, including development of evaluation concepts covering quality and impact monitoring and participant satisfaction analysis to improve curricula, training concepts, and events.
• Energy Efficiency and Climate Protection in Technology Quarter Adlershof Project supporting WISTA MANAGEMENT GMBH in energy research projects at the Adlershof Technology Quarter, aiming to save 30% primary energy in new construction, with concept development, non-technical efficiency measures evaluation, stakeholder participation formats, and user training for energy efficiency and climate protection.

Quantifiable outcome

• Over 60,000 tonnes of CO2 emissions saved annually through funded projects
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers5 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

15 partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• FEDARENE (European Federation of Agencies and Regions for Energy and Environment)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerB.&S.U. is an active member of FEDARENE, which is based in Brussels. This membership provides access to a European network of energy and environmental agencies and supports international knowledge exchange and project collaboration.
• Limerick Institute of Technology (LIT)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner in the ManagEnergy evaluation project. LIT collaborated with B.&S.U. and other partners in evaluating and strengthening the competencies of energy agencies through training and workshops.
• North West Croatia Energy Agency (REGEA)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner in the ManagEnergy evaluation project, contributing to training and capacity building for energy agencies in Europe.
• OÖ Energiesparverband (ESV)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner in the ManagEnergy evaluation project, contributing to the European network of energy agencies.
• Tipperary Energy Agency (TEA)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner in the ManagEnergy evaluation project, contributing to the European network of energy agencies.
• Berlin Energy AgencyminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner in the ManagEnergy evaluation project, contributing to the European network of energy agencies.
• Freie Universität Berlin (FUB)coreImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerB.&S.U. supports the Energy and Sustainability unit of Freie Universität Berlin in the FUBIC project, helping to identify the needs of future start-ups and align them with climate-neutral renovation. B.&S.U. conducts workshops, expert discussions, construction site tours, and citizen participation activities.
• WISTA MANAGEMENT GMBHcoreImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerB.&S.U. has worked with WISTA MANAGEMENT GMBH since 2011 on energy research projects in the Adlershof technology quarter, evaluating non-technical measures for energy efficiency and supporting communication with stakeholders.
• Ministerium für Landwirtschaft, Umwelt und Klimaschutz des Landes BrandenburgcoreImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerB.&S.U. developed a climate adaptation checklist for municipalities in Brandenburg on behalf of and in close cooperation with the state ministry, enabling municipalities to assess their vulnerability to climate change.
• Österreichische Energieagentur (Austrian Energy Agency)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCoordinator of the SHAREs EU project. B.&S.U. is a partner in this Horizon 2020 project that supports local actors in building and expanding energy communities.
• Bundesgeschäftsstelle Energiegenossenschaften beim DGRV (Deutscher Genossenschafts- und Raiffeisenverband e.V.)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner in the SHAREs project, contributing to the support of citizen energy cooperatives in Germany.
• WIP Wirtschaft und Infrastruktur GmbH & Co Planungs-KG (WIP Renewable Energies)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner in the SHAREs project, contributing to the implementation of citizen energy community support activities.
• Deutscher Verband für Wohnungswesen (DV)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner in the 3% and 3% Plus research projects for energy-efficient building renovation roadmaps for municipal districts, funded by the Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Energy.
• Hochschule für Technik Stuttgart (HfT)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner in the 3% and 3% Plus research projects, contributing expertise in energy supply and renewable energy solutions for municipal districts.
• European Climate, Infrastructure and Environment Executive Agency (CINEA)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCINEA is the EU funding agency for the European Energy Award, Implement, CoME EASY, and SHAREs projects in which B.&S.U. participates. These projects are funded under the Horizon 2020 research and innovation programme.

Scale indicators7 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Prognos AG: German research-based consultancy providing energy, climate, and sustainability research and policy advisory to public-sector and EU clients. Overlaps with B.&S.U. in climate policy, energy transition, and municipal climate-action research mandates.
• VDI/VDE Innovation + Technik GmbH (VDI/VDE-IT): Major German program-management (Programmträger) organization managing federal and EU R&D/energy/climate funding programs. Direct competitor for mandates like BENE/BENE 2 and equivalent EU program-trustee contracts.
• adelphi research: Berlin-based think tank and consultancy on climate, environment, and sustainable development. Comparable as a Berlin-headquartered sustainability/climate consultancy serving EU and German public-sector clients with advisory and project management services.
• Projektträger Jülich (PtJ): German federal program-management entity within the Forschungszentrum Jülich, managing large-scale climate, energy, and sustainability programs. Comparable in business model (government-mandated program management), customer set (federal ministries, EU), and scale of funds administered.
• Klimabündnis / Climate Alliance: European network of municipalities focused on climate protection and adaptation, operating a parallel municipal certification/governance model. Highly comparable to B.&S.U.'s eea/eca franchise in mission, customer base (European municipalities), and methodology-driven offerings.
• ICLEI Europe: European office of ICLEI (Local Governments for Sustainability), running municipal sustainability and climate programs across Europe. Comparable as a peer organization serving European municipalities with certification, methodology, and capacity-building services.
• Österreichische Energieagentur (Austrian Energy Agency): National energy agency that co-developed the European Energy Award alongside B.&S.U. and acts as coordinator of the SHAREs EU project. Closest direct functional peer in program management, energy community support, and municipal energy certification.

Broad incumbents

• Ramboll Group: Global engineering, design, and sustainability consultancy with deep presence in EU climate policy, sustainable cities, and program management. Comparable at the EU-program and municipal climate-advisory layer, but with much broader portfolio and larger scale.
• Fraunhofer Institute for Systems and Innovation Research (ISI): German applied research institute conducting climate, energy, and sustainability research for federal and EU clients. Comparable in serving the same public-sector R&D funding ecosystem (especially Bundesministerium für Wirtschaft und Energie projects) but at significantly larger scale.

Regional players

• Sächsische Energieagentur (SAENA): Saxon state energy agency providing municipal climate and energy advisory. Comparable in operating model (state-level energy agency working with municipalities on climate programs) and overlapping on the eea/eca network side, though regionally scoped to Saxony.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about B.&S.U.