The WFG

What The WFG does

The WFG (wfg Wirtschaftsförderung Kreis Soest GmbH) is the publicly mandated regional economic development agency for Kreis Soest in North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany. Founded in 2008 and headquartered in Soest, the GmbH operates as a wholly-owned vehicle of Kreis Soest, delivering free (kostenfrei) consulting, funding advisory, digitalization, cybersecurity, and sustainability services to local small and medium-sized enterprises, startups, founders, municipalities, schools, and healthcare providers. Its service portfolio spans structured programs including ÖKOPROFIT (resource efficiency), CE:FIRE (compliance/emergency), Wasserstoffallianz (hydrogen economy networking), MINT-Schulnetzwerk (STEM schools network), and Mittelstandsinkubator NRW (SME incubator), supported by partner networks such as zdi.NRW, FH Südwestfalen, Effizienz-Agentur NRW, and the CII cyberintelligence.institute.

The agency's proprietary technology products include the wfg.IOT-BOX, an IoT sensor kit deployed on industrial machinery for condition monitoring and anomaly detection, and the wfg.DEFENDERBOX, a structured cybersecurity potential-analysis methodology applied to roughly 25 SMEs and now embedded in the RKC Westfalen regional hub launched in 2026. It also integrates ecocockpit sustainability reporting tooling and coordinates cross-stakeholder digital projects such as KI-gestützte Dokumentation in regional care facilities and VR-based training at Klinikum Lippstadt. Leadership is anchored by managing directors Markus Helms and Peter Franken, with Christoph Wimmeler serving as Chairman of the Supervisory Board.

The business model is a public-sector funding model rather than a commercial revenue model. The agency is financed by its sole shareholder Kreis Soest, supplemented by project-based grants from EU programs (EFRE/JTF), the state of North Rhine-Westphalia (ministries and NRW.BANK), and federal programs (e.g., BMWi/DIHK initiatives). Services to end users are free of charge, and there is no disclosed commercial pricing or ARR. Revenue is therefore a function of annual appropriations and grant-program cycles rather than customer subscriptions, with FY2026 representing an active expansion year driven by multiple new program launches.

Name

The WFG

Legal name

wfg Wirtschaftsförderung Kreis Soest GmbH

Website

https://wfg-kreis-soest.de

Company type

Private

Founded year

2008

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Publicly mandated regional economic development agency for Kreis Soest in North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany, providing free funding, digitalization, cybersecurity, and sustainability advisory to local SMEs, startups, municipalities, and schools, financed via shareholder and EU/state grants.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Soest

HQ country

Netherlands

HQ region

Europe

Offices3 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Public-sector economic development funding: Primary revenue comes from public funding via shareholders (Kreis Soest), EU programs (EFRE/JTF), and state programs (NRW ministries) for operating costs and project execution; not a commercial revenue model.
2. Project grants (EU / state-funded programs): Project-based funding from programs such as Mittelstandsinkubator NRW (NRW.BANK), CE:FIRE (EU + NRW), RKC Westfalen (BMI/BMWi initiative), and PDS+ for discrete innovation, cybersecurity, and digitalization projects.
3. Free advisory services (cost-recovery via public mandate): Cost-free consulting, workshop delivery, and qualification programs funded via public mandate; co-financed through EU/NRW programs (e.g., EFRE, AK Wirtschaft-Industrie-Klimaschutz).

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

The WFG is a publicly funded regional economic development agency that delivers free consulting, funding brokering, digitalization, cybersecurity, sustainability, innovation and qualification programs to SMEs, startups, municipalities, healthcare providers and schools in the Kreis Soest region of North Rhine-Westphalia. It acts as an intermediary between regional stakeholders and municipal, state, federal, and EU funding programs, and runs purpose-built diagnostic tools such as the wfg.IOT-BOX and wfg.DEFENDERBOX.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• wfg.KREATIVRAUM: A creative workspace facility offered by wfg Wirtschaftsförderung Kreis Soest GmbH for booking.
• wfg.IOT-BOX
• wfg.DEFENDERBOX
• wfg.Gesundheit
• wfg.Newsletter
• wfg.Unternehmerlunch

Products and services

• Fördermittelberatung (Funding Advisory)

Quantifiable outcome

• More than 25 SMEs supported with wfg.DEFENDERBOX cybersecurity analyses
• +4 more outcomes

Named customers10 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration3 records

AI capability10 records

Feature4 records

Partnerships

22 partnerships are on record, tiered flagship, core and minor.

• cyberintelligence.institute (CII) GmbHflagshipStrategic or Co-development PartnerJoint operator of the 'Regionale KompetenzHubs Cybersicherheit und Resilienz (RKC)' initiative, with the RKC Westfalen hub located in Kreis Soest. The cooperation is described by wfg as 'einzigartig in Westfalen' and combines wfg's regional reach with CII's cybersecurity expertise; webinar series on CRA, crisis communication, and practical cyberattack handling.
• Effizienz-Agentur NRW (efa)coreImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerCo-delivers the resource-efficiency consulting offer (Ressourceneffizienzberatung) and the ÖKOPROFIT Kreis Soest program, including access to the 'ecocockpit' tool for company CO2 accounting.
• zdi.NRW (Zukunft durch Innovation NRW)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerState initiative under which wfg coordinates the MINT-Schulnetzwerk Kreis Soest, including the annual Praxistag MINT & Gesundheit and MINT-Schulnetzwerk Jahrestreffen.
• FH Südwestfalen (Fachhochschule Südwestfalen)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerResearch partner for innovation pitches, sustainability workshops (DIN ISO 53001), and applied R&D matchmaking (e.g., Wilhelm Humpert robotic tube-processing line with Prof. Dr.-Ing. Matthias Hermes; Prof. Dr.-Ing. Christian Goldscheid leads ISO 53001 workshops).
• Hochschule Hamm-Lippstadt (HHL)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerAcademic partner providing speakers (e.g., Prof. Dr. Gregor Hohenberg for AI-supported documentation in care) and applied-research collaboration.
• Klinikum LippstadtcoreImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerFirst innovation site for virtual-reality simulation in nursing care; co-developed within the 'Transformation in der Pflegewirtschaft Südwestfalen' project implemented by wfg.
• Competentia Hellweg-HochsauerlandminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCo-branding partner for the 'NextGen Women – Von Azubine zu Azubine' mentoring program supporting female apprentices.
• owl maschinenbau e.V.minorGTM or Marketing PartnerCo-host of the 'Transparente Lieferketten im Maschinenbau: Scope 3 strategisch nutzen' webinar (with IntegrityNext and DMG MORI), executed within the CE:FIRE project.
• Hochsauerlandkreis (HSK)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerJoint organizer of cross-district ÖKOPROFIT Soest-Sauerland rounds; wfg runs the program together with HSK under MUNV NRW funding.
• Kreisverwaltung SoestflagshipStrategic or Co-development PartnerCo-organizer of the 'Wasserstoffallianz Kreis Soest' together with the district administration (Frank Hockelmann as Klimaschutzmanager); wfg is the operative Wirtschaftsförderung.
• Transferverbund SüdwestfalencoreStrategic or Co-development Partnerwfg is a founding member of the Transferverbund Südwestfalen, a 15-year-old platform (since 2010) connecting regional companies with universities for joint innovation; ~100 attendees at the Innovationskongress Transfer X Change.
• Wirtschaftsförderung Lippstadt GmbHminorGTM or Marketing PartnerCo-event partner for the 'Kreislaufwirtschaft konkret' workshop featuring C2C NGO and Weidmüller speakers.
• Deutschland sicher im Netz e.V. (DsiN)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerProject partner for the 'FitNIS-2-Navigator' webinar, funded by the Bundesministerium für Wirtschaft und Energie (BMWi) under 'IT-Sicherheit in der Wirtschaft'.
• Wuppertal Institut für Klima, Umwelt, Energie gGmbHcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerResearch partner developing the CE:FIRE developmental model (Frugal Innovation Journey) tested with companies in OWL, SW, BD industrial network.
• Mani-PflegecoreImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerCo-host of the joint qualification series 'Künstliche Intelligenz und neue Technologien in der Pflege' (digital acceptance, robotics, AI documentation); co-branded by wfg and Mani-Pflege.
• NRW.energy4climate (Landesagentur)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerSpeaker contribution by Tanja Lovric at the 4th ÖKOPROFIT workshop on renewable-energy generation, storage, and use in a corporate context.
• B.A.U.M. ConsultminorImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerWorkshop facilitation partner for ÖKOPROFIT Kreis Soest on energy data, climate balance (Scope 1-3), and strategy; presented by Dorothee Meier.
• Universität Bielefeld (AG Interaktive Robotik in Medizin und Pflege)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerSpeaker contribution by Prof. Dr.-Ing. Anna-Lisa Vollmer for the robotics and assistance-systems workshop at the Zentrum Digitale Pflege.
• Kolping StiftungshochschuleminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerSpeaker contribution by Prof. Dr. Martina Saße for the digital-acceptance workshop in the AI & Care qualification series.
• Universität Paderborn (Kompetenzzentrum für nachhaltige Energietechnik)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerSpeaker contribution by Hennig Meschede for the energy-transformation webinar in the Energie- und Wärmewende series.
• INFO GmbHminorImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerWorkshop facilitation partner for 'Zukunftswerkstatt Arbeitgeberattraktivität' modules on Employee Life Cycle and Gen Z leadership (Nadja Schneider, Sandra Willis).
• studiohub SoestminorImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerWorkshop facilitation partner for the Social Media workshop modules in the 'Zukunftswerkstatt Arbeitgeberattraktivität 2026' series.

Scale indicators8 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Broad incumbents

• IHK Arnsberg, Hellweg-Sauerland: Chamber of Industry and Commerce for the Hellweg-Sauerland region (which includes Kreis Soest). Adjacent public-mandate institution with overlapping services (consulting, qualification, export support) but a broader statutory remit beyond economic development.

Direct peers

• Wirtschaftsförderung Bielefeld GmbH: Economic development company for the City of Bielefeld in NRW. Direct peer in service mix (funding consulting, digitalization, innovation, internationalization) and corporate form (GmbH).
• Wirtschaftsförderung Münster GmbH: Regional economic development entity for the City/Region of Münster, NRW. Closely analogous to wfg Kreis Soest in mandate, funding-model and service portfolio (SME consulting, innovation, location marketing).
• Wirtschaftsförderung Dortmund: Municipal economic development agency for the City of Dortmund in NRW. Directly comparable as another publicly mandated Wirtschaftsförderung in the same federal state, delivering funding advice, digitalization, and SME qualification services to regional companies.
• Wirtschaftsförderung Paderborn: Regional economic development agency for the City of Paderborn, NRW. Closely comparable in mandate (SME funding advice, start-up support, location marketing) and in geographic proximity (Ostwestfalen/Südwestfalen).
• HagenAgentur GmbH: Municipal economic development agency for the City of Hagen, Südwestfalen. Comparable to wfg Kreis Soest as a regional NRW Wirtschaftsförderung delivering SME funding advisory, digitalization and innovation programs.
• Bochum Wirtschaftsentwicklung: Municipal economic development company for the City of Bochum in the Ruhr/Westfalen region. Comparable to wfg as another NRW Wirtschaftsförderung GmbH delivering funding advisory, innovation programs and SME support.

Others

• Effizienz-Agentur NRW (efa): NRW state-level resource-efficiency agency already partnering with wfg on Ressourceneffizienzberatung, ÖKOPROFIT and the ecocockpit tool. Comparable as a publicly funded NRW consulting entity addressing the same SME sustainability agenda.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/WirtschaftsforderungKreisSoest
• LinkedInde.linkedin.com/company/wfg-wirtschaftsf%C3%B6rderung-kreis-soest-gmbh
• Instagraminstagram.com/wfgkreissoest
• Xx.com/wfg_kreis_soest

Compliance4 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles14 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 The WFG