IBF Institut fur Betriebsfuhrung AG

What IBF Institut fur Betriebsfuhrung AG does

IBF Institut für Betriebsführung AG is a privately held, family-owned management consulting firm founded in 1965 by Paul Ernst Felder in Düsseldorf and now headquartered in Liestal, in the Swiss canton of Basel-Landschaft. The company serves small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) of typically 5 to 50 employees, with a focus on craft, trade, and Mittelstand businesses in Germany and Switzerland, providing multi-disciplinary advisory across Unternehmensführung (business management), Marketing, Personal (HR), Finanzen (finance including subsidy consulting), Unternehmenssicherung (business continuity, emergency planning, succession, insurance), and Rechtsinformationen (legal information).

The firm operates on two complementary revenue models. The first is the Partnerschaftsvertrag, an ongoing partnership contract priced as a fixed monthly flat-rate (Monatspauschale) that gives clients unlimited access to a team of specialists; pricing is set at the start of the engagement based on agreed scope. The second is Projektberatung, project-based consulting delivered on-site for discrete initiatives such as investment planning, marketing analysis, succession planning, process optimization, and bank document preparation. Underlying service delivery is a human expert network supported by proprietary content assets — including a Vertraulicher Unternehmerbrief newsletter, Mustervorlagen/templates, checklists, and a free Fördermittel-Check subsidy eligibility tool — and partnership-led distribution through Kärcher's dealer network, the interkey European trade association, regional guilds (Innungen), chambers, and banks. Project consulting for qualifying German SMEs is partially subsidized (up to 50%, capped at €1,500) through BAFA.

The firm has been family-led across three generations of the Felder family; Lars Bodo Felder has held the supervisory board presidency since 2015, with Andreas Dufner (Managing Director since 2012) and Bernd Leitzbach running operations. In 2017 the company established a wholly owned subsidiary, IBF-Akademie + Projekt AG, to deliver restructuring and turnaround consulting. Across its history IBF has processed more than 800 BAFA subsidy applications and served several thousand client companies.

Name

IBF Institut fur Betriebsfuhrung AG

Legal name

IBF - Institut für Betriebsführung AG

Website

https://ibf.ch

Company type

Private

Founded year

1965

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

IBF Institut für Betriebsführung AG is a Swiss-based, family-owned management consulting firm founded in 1965 that serves German and Swiss SMEs via a fixed monthly flat-rate subscription (Partnerschaftsvertrag) and on-site project consulting across finance, HR, marketing, and succession planning.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Management Consulting

NAICS

Management Consulting Services (54161), Management, Scientific, and Technical Consulting Services (5416)

SIC

Services-Management Consulting Services (8742)

akta.pro industry

PRIMARYBPAHAOAG

Corporate Development & Strategic Partnerships Advisory (JVs, Alliances, Carve-outs)

Business & Public Services/Professional Services (Legal, Accounting, Consulting)/M&A, Transaction & Restructuring Advisory

Keywords

• SME business consulting
• Management advisory services
• Business succession planning
• Subsidy application consulting
• Craft and trade consulting

Headquarters

HQ city

Basel

HQ country

Switzerland

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Monthly Flat-Rate Advisory Services: IBF charges a fixed monthly flat-rate (Monatspauschale) for ongoing advisory services under partnership contracts. This replaces traditional daily or hourly billing, providing clients with predictable costs and unlimited access to expert consultations.
2. Project-Based Consulting: One-time project engagements for specific business needs such as investment projects, marketing analysis, succession planning, process optimization, bank concepts, and operational checks. Projects are typically delivered on-site.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

IBF is a management consulting firm that provides small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) with access to a multidisciplinary team of specialists across business management, marketing, HR, finance, and business security. The firm operates on two engagement models: a Partnerschaftsvertrag (Partnership Contract) offering ongoing advisory access for a fixed monthly flat-rate fee, and Projektberatung (Project Consulting) for discrete intensive projects such as investment planning, succession, bank negotiations, and process optimization delivered on-site at the client.

Product overview

IBF Institut für Betriebsführung AG is a business consulting firm that has served small and medium-sized enterprises for over 50 years. The company operates on a subscription-based model with two core offerings: the Partnerschaftsvertrag (Partnership Contract) providing ongoing access to a team of experts for a fixed monthly fee, and Projektberatung (Project Consulting) for specific business objectives delivered on-site. These core products are supported by specialized service modules covering Unternehmensführung (Business Management), Marketing, Personal (HR), Finanzen (Finance), and Unternehmenssicherung (Business Security), which include sub-products such as Notfallplanung (Emergency Planning), Nachfolgeplanung (Succession Planning), and Versicherung/Vorsorge (Insurance Services). Additional services include a Vertraulicher Unternehmerbrief newsletter, a Fördermittel-Check subsidy assessment tool, and Fachvorträge expert lectures. The company operates through a network of specialized cooperation partners and is headquartered in Liestal, Switzerland, with operations across Germany.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• IBF-Akademie + Projekt AG: A subsidiary providing seminars, corporate training, and consulting specifically in the area of business rehabilitation and restructuring for SMEs.

Products and services

• Partnerschaftsvertrag (Partnership Contract)
• Projektberatung (Project Consulting)

Quantifiable outcome

• 800+ BAFA subsidy applications submitted successfully
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers9 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Four partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• KärchercoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorSince 2014, IBF has been the nationwide consulting partner (Beratungspartner) for Kärcher centers and Kärcher dealers throughout Germany. IBF provides comprehensive business management consulting services to Kärcher's dealer network.
• interkey (Fachverband Europäischer Sicherheits- und Schlüsselfachgeschäfte e.V.)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerSince 2013, IBF has been a consulting partner of interkey, the European Association of Security and Key Businesses. IBF provides consulting services to member businesses of the association.
• FS Finanzservice GmbHminorImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerFS Finanzservice GmbH is an independent insurance broker (Versicherungsmakler) partnered with IBF to provide insurance advisory services to IBF clients. IBF stopped offering direct insurance consulting due to regulatory changes and recommends this partner who offers special discounts to IBF customers.
• IBF-Akademie + Projekt AGcoreOthersSince 2017, IBF offers consulting services in the areas of restructuring and turnaround through its subsidiary IBF-Akademie + Projekt AG, expanding the service portfolio to include business rehabilitation consulting.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves14 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• ifb Institut für Betriebswirtschaftliche Beratung: Operating name confusion aside, several independent German institutes offer comparable Betriebsführung and SME management advisory services. Closest direct peer in the SME business-management consulting niche, with similar target customers (craft trades, family businesses) and overlapping service modules.

Broad incumbents

• RKW Kompetenzzentrum: Germany's national competence center for SME consulting and innovation, providing management advisory to Mittelstand clients across Germany. Highly comparable to IBF in target market and service mix, but operates as a non-profit consortium with public funding rather than a private subscription model.
• MLP SE: German financial advisory and wealth management firm serving professionals, family businesses, and SMEs with consulting and financial planning services. Comparable in targeting German Mittelstand with multi-disciplinary advisory, though MLP's focus is more heavily weighted to financial planning and insurance than general management.
• Haufe Group: Large German B2B information and advisory platform serving SMEs and tax/accounting professionals with consulting, software, and content. Comparable in SME customer focus and subscription-driven revenue model, but at significantly larger scale and with integrated software products IBF lacks.
• DATEV eG: German cooperative providing software and consulting services to tax advisors, auditors, and SME clients. Comparable in serving German Mittelstand with technology-enabled advisory, though DATEV's core is accounting software rather than general business consulting.
• B. Metzler seel. Sohn & Co. Long-established German private bank and wealth manager with strong family-business and Mittelstand advisory franchise. Comparable in serving German family-owned SMEs with succession planning and corporate finance advisory, though at higher-end and larger-company focus than IBF.

Emerging players

• Allgeier SE: German consulting and IT services group with SME-facing advisory capabilities. Comparable in providing business consulting to German Mittelstand, though Allgeier's primary focus is IT services and digital transformation rather than general management advisory.
• UnternehmerTUM: Munich-based entrepreneurship and SME innovation center providing advisory, training, and growth-stage consulting to German Mittelstand founders. Comparable in serving SME founders with management advisory and growth support, but operates with a tech/startup tilt rather than traditional Handwerk focus.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/embed/4C0O5JpIOPA
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/ibf-ag

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles3 records

Subsidiaries2 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 IBF Institut fur Betriebsfuhrung AG