Stiftung arwole Arbeits , Wohn und Lebensraum für Menschen mit

What Stiftung arwole Arbeits , Wohn und Lebensraum für Menschen mit does

Stiftung arwole is a Swiss non-profit foundation headquartered in Sargans, Canton St. Gallen, that provides integrated residential, employment, and educational services for adults with intellectual, psychological, and learning disabilities. Originally founded in 1971 as Verein Eingliederungsstätte der Bezirke Werdenberg und Sargans, it was reconstituted as a Stiftung on 1 January 2001. The organization is ISO 9001:2015 certified (Swiss Safety Center, valid 2025–2028) and operates as an approved implementation body for Swiss disability insurance (IV) integration and vocational rehabilitation measures. Service delivery spans approximately eight production and service locations plus seven residential groups across Sargans, Vilters, Wangs, and Heiligkreuz (Mels).

The foundation operates six core production and service divisions: Industrie/Mailing (assembly, cable manufacturing, packaging, mailing, shipping for B2B customers); Velo workshop (bicycle repair, restoration, and the Sommer-Wind-Velo line, in partnership with Velafrica); Garten group (garden and landscaping services); and four Ateliers (Art, Wood, Textiles, Clay) producing handcrafted goods. B2B customers include CH Würth International AG (25-year partnership celebrated in 2025), BD (Becton Dickinson), Hoval, Stäubli, INFICON, Oekosolve, ELESTA, böörds, and Grischa-Plast. The Ateliers also feed the JAUND? brand — a handcrafted lifestyle line (accessories, fashion, kitchen goods) sold through the foundation's online stores (jaund.ch, shop.arwole.ch), the physical arwole Laden in Sargans, and major retail partners including Coop Center Sargans.

Revenue is multi-stream and tied to the foundation's social mission. The primary funding source is IV (Invalidenversicherung) disability pensions and Ergänzungsleistungen (supplementary benefits), set by each resident's home canton. Additional streams include contract fees from B2B workshop services, retail sales of branded and unbranded handicraft products, and donations acknowledged in the annual Punkt magazine for contributions of CHF 100 or more. The foundation is governed by a five-member Stiftungsrat led by co-presidents Ursina Jenny and Bianca Köller Looser, with operational leadership under CEO Anne van Berkel Meier. No proprietary technology platform exists; the operating model is people-intensive social-service delivery rather than technology-enabled.

Name

Stiftung arwole Arbeits , Wohn und Lebensraum für Menschen mit

Legal name

Stiftung arwole – Arbeits-, Wohn- und Lebens·raum

Website

https://arwole.ch

Company type

Private

Founded year

1971

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Stiftung arwole is a Swiss non-profit foundation in Sargans providing residential care, sheltered employment, and vocational training for adults with intellectual, psychological, and learning disabilities. Founded in 1971, it operates multiple living groups and production workshops funded primarily by Swiss IV disability insurance.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Disability Services and Sheltered Employment

NAICS

Residential Intellectual and Developmental Disability Facilities (62321)

akta.pro industry

PRIMARYEDAIAGAK

Work Exchange & Farmstay Programs (WWOOF/HelpX-Style)

Education/International Education & Study Abroad/International Service Learning, Volunteering & Gap Year Programs

SECONDARYCRAMAHAG

Kids’ & Family Bike Retail (Youth, Trailers, Seats)

Consumer Products & Retail/Sporting Goods & Outdoor Retail/Cycling & Bike Retail

Keywords

• Sheltered employment services
• Disability residential care
• Vocational training programs
• Social enterprise workshops
• Community integration services

Headquarters

HQ city

Sargans

HQ country

Switzerland

HQ region

Europe

Offices8 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Others

Revenue model

1. Government funding (IV & Social Insurance): The primary funding source is IV (Invalidenversicherung/disability insurance) pensions and supplementary benefits (Ergänzungsleistungen) paid by social insurance for residents and workers at the foundation.
2. Donations and legacies: The foundation receives donations from individuals, organizations, and through bequests. Donations of CHF 100 or more are acknowledged in the annual Punkt magazine unless otherwise requested.
3. Product and service sales: Revenue is generated from the sale of products manufactured in the foundation's workshops (industry, mailing, velo repair, garden services, textiles, wood, art, clay), including the branded JAUND? product line sold through the arwole shop, JAUND? online store, and retail partners.
4. Workshop services (Lohnarbeit): Industrial and workshop services are provided to commercial customers (assembly, cable manufacturing, packaging, mailing, shipping) for a fee, generating contract-based service revenue.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

Stiftung arwole operates a sheltered ecosystem combining residential care and protected employment for adults with intellectual, psychological, and learning disabilities in the Rhein valley of Canton St. Gallen, Switzerland. It runs four internal residential groups (Wohnhaus Castelsriet) and three external residential groups (Bernstein, Jade, Kristall, Mondstein) alongside six production/service workshops: Industrie/Mailing, Velo-Werkstatt (bicycle workshop), Gartengruppe (garden services), and Ateliers (Art, Wood, Textile, Clay). The Ateliers produce a branded handcrafted lifestyle product line called JA\UND? sold through retail stores, online shops, and partners such as Coop.

Product overview

Stiftung arwole is a Swiss foundation providing living, working, and learning spaces for people with intellectual, psychological, and learning disabilities. The organization operates as a dual offering: (1) residential care with four internal living groups (Wohnhaus Castelsriet with four apartments: Citrin, Rubin, Saphir, Smaragd) and three external residential groups (Bernstein, Jade, Kristall, Mondstein) serving approximately 31+ residents; and (2) a sheltered employment program with six core production/service divisions — Industrie/Mailing, Velo·werkstatt (Bicycle Workshop), Garten·gruppe (Garden Group), and Ateliers (Workshops in Art, Wood, Textiles, and Clay). The Ateliers produce a branded product line called JA\UND? (meaning 'I am different from you — yes and?'), encompassing handcrafted accessories, fashion items, and kitchen goods sold through the arwole store, the jaund.ch online shop, and in major retail chains. The arwole Laden is the physical retail location. The organization is certified to ISO 9001:2015 and has been operating since 1971, having grown from a workshop for 5 people to a comprehensive disability services institution.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• JA\UND?: A product brand created in 2010 representing the foundation's artisanal products made by people with disabilities. The brand name means 'I am different from you – yes and?' representing tolerance, acceptance, and equality for people with disabilities. Products include accessories, fashion items, and kitchen goods sold through retail stores and online.

Products and services

• Residential Care (Wohnen) Sheltered residential care for adults with intellectual, psychological, and learning disabilities, comprising Wohnhaus Castelsriet with four apartments (Citrin, Rubin, Saphir, Smaragd, each housing 7 residents) and three external residential groups (Bernstein, Jade, Kristall, Mondstein). Funded by IV disability insurance and supplementary benefits.
• Sheltered Employment (Arbeiten) Protected employment program for adults with disabilities operating through six production/service divisions (Industrie/Mailing, Velo-Werkstatt, Gartengruppe, and Ateliers in Art, Wood, Textile, and Clay). Includes PrA vocational training (Praktische Ausbildung nach INSOS) and IV measures.
• Industrie / Mailing Services Industrial and mailing services including assembly, cable manufacturing, packaging, shipping, and material procurement, serving B2B customers in industry, trade, and commerce (e.g., Würth, BD, Hoval, Stäubli, INFICON, Oekosolve, ELESTA, böörds, Grischa-Plast).
• Velo-Werkstatt (Bicycle Workshop) Bicycle repair, restoration, and sale of refurbished and custom-built Summer-Wind bicycles at Pizolstrasse 8 in Sargans. Participates in the Velafrica program, repairing bicycles for shipment to Africa to support education and healthcare transportation.
• Gartengruppe (Garden Group) Garden and landscaping services including planting, pruning, lawn care, fencing, and garden construction, serving regional clients. Located at Grabenstrasse 3 in Vilters.
• Ateliers (Art, Wood, Textile, Clay Workshops) Handicraft workshops in four areas — Art (paper, cardboard), Wood, Textiles (fabric, leather), and Clay — producing handmade gift and decorative products sold under the JA\UND? brand. Located at Grossfeldstrasse 14, Sargans.
• JA\UND? Lifestyle Brand A handcrafted lifestyle brand producing accessories, fashion items, and kitchen products (keychains, bags, cutting boards, aprons) made by people with disabilities at the foundation's Ateliers. Sold through jaund.ch online store, arwole Laden, and in major retail stores including Coop Center Sargans. The brand name means "I am different from you — yes and?" representing tolerance, acceptance, and equality.
• arwole Handicraft Products Handmade handicraft goods produced in the foundation's workshops including greeting cards, wood products (wine boxes, raclette accessories, meat slicers), textile items, and clay sculptures, available for purchase at the arwole store or online shop.
• arwole Laden (Retail Store) Physical retail store selling handmade products produced by people with disabilities at the foundation, located at Pizolstrasse 8 in Sargans, open Wednesday afternoons from 13:00 to 17:30 starting January 2026.

Named customers10 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

Partnerships

Three partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• CH Würth International AGcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 202525-year partnership (celebrated in 2025) with Würth for industrial services including assembly, packaging, and mailing. This long-standing relationship demonstrates successful social integration through employment and is highlighted as a model for inclusion in the workplace.
• VelafricaminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerVelafrica is a Swiss organization that repairs old bicycles and ships them to Africa for use in education and healthcare transportation. arwole's Velo workshop participates by repairing bicycles for the Velafrica program. In Africa, Velafrica supports the construction of bike workshops and provides mechanic training; in Switzerland, it works with social organizations like arwole.
• JAUND? retail partnerscoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorJAUND? branded products (handcrafted accessories, home goods, fashion items) are distributed through major retail chains including Coop Center Sargans, as well as the foundation's own arwole store and online shop (jaund.ch).

Scale indicators8 records

Recent moves8 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Br\u00fchlgut Stiftung: Winterthur-based Swiss foundation providing sheltered employment in workshops and integrated housing for people with disabilities, with long-running B2B and own-brand product lines \u2014 directly comparable in mission, workshop structure, and customer mix.
• Stiftung Wagerenhof: Swiss foundation in Uster operating an integrated campus of sheltered workshops (industry, gardening, ateliers) alongside residential homes for people with disabilities \u2014 the closest functional twin to arwole's Wohnen/Arbeiten model in the same regulatory regime.
• Stiftung Vivendra: Swiss foundation offering living and working spaces for adults with disabilities, including sheltered workshops and residential groups \u2014 highly comparable operating concept under the same Swiss IV and INSOS framework.
• Stiftung Rossfeld: Bern-based Swiss foundation providing residential care, day structures, and vocational measures for people with disabilities, with ISO-certified processes \u2014 a regional peer operating the same integrated care-plus-employment model.
• Camphill Communities: International network of intentional communities where people with and without developmental disabilities live and work together in craft, agriculture, and social enterprises \u2014 comparable mission and workshop-based employment, though structured as community living rather than residential care.

Others

• INSOS Schweiz: National industry association of Swiss social enterprises providing disability services and sheltered employment; not a direct operator, but the body that sets PrA/vocational standards arwole adheres to and the principal ecosystem convener for arwole's peer group.

Broad incumbents

• Bundesvereinigung Lebenshilfe: Large German federation of disability services encompassing sheltered workshops (Werkst\u00e4tten), residential care, and family support across Germany \u2014 a broader, more national-scale incumbent that frames the European reference set for arwole's integrated model.
• L'Arche International: Federation of communities in over 30 countries where people with intellectual disabilities live alongside assistants and share work in craft workshops and service enterprises \u2014 a globally established peer to arwole's workshop-and-residence integration concept.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UCblZpiOpEC1imYCq76ZB_4w
• Facebookfacebook.com/Stiftung-Arwole-158718060822577
• Instagraminstagram.com/stiftungarwole
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/stiftung-arwole-arbeits-wohn-und-lebensraum-f%C3%BCr-menschen-mit

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles6 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about Stiftung arwole Arbeits , Wohn und Lebensraum für Menschen mit