Baltic Environmental Forum Deutschland e. V.

What Baltic Environmental Forum Deutschland e. V. does

Since 1995, Baltic Environmental Forum Deutschland e.V. (BEF Germany) has operated as a Hamburg-based, registered non-profit association (eingetragener Verein) delivering environmental management, chemicals management, circular economy, climate adaptation, biodiversity, and marine protection programs across the Baltic Sea Region and Central, Eastern, and Southern Europe. The organization is the German entity of the wider BEF Group, which includes sister organizations in Lithuania, Estonia, and Latvia, and has implemented more than 220 projects, attracting roughly €50 million in grant funding over its history, with 35 projects in Germany since 2003.

BEF Germany's core product surface is a portfolio of digital tools and frameworks developed inside EU-funded consortia projects. These include the CheckED app for endocrine-disrupting chemical exposure assessment, the BALTIPLAST Plastic Inventory Tool for organizational plastic tracking, the CCC Navigator for sustainable public procurement, and the KNOWING Climate suite (Decision Support Service, Knowledge Base, Climate Impact Coping Typology, Playful Trainings, "Shape Your Future" app, Stakeholder Engagement Blueprint, infographics). The organization does not operate a unified software platform; instead, it delivers services through project-based tools, advisory work, educational workshops, FÖJ/Bufdi volunteer programs, and the JUTE youth program.

Commercially, BEF Germany is grant-funded rather than revenue-funded: it earns through competitive EU programme grants (Interreg Baltic Sea Region, Horizon Europe, LIFE, Erasmus+) by acting as project coordinator, partner, or implementing organization for municipalities, government ministries, and international bodies. Most outputs (digital tools, workshops, advisory) are provided free of charge to end users, with supplementary income from tax-deductible private donations via Betterplace.org and direct bank transfer. Customer segments are diverse and project-driven: municipalities and public authorities (primary), pregnant women and healthcare professionals via LIFE MUMs, farmers in regions like Herzogtum Lauenburg via KNOWING Climate, SMEs/schools/event organizers via BALTIPLAST, and civil-society volunteers. Go-to-market is event- and partnership-driven through workshops, conferences, and multi-country project consortia rather than traditional sales channels.

Name

Baltic Environmental Forum Deutschland e. V.

Legal name

Baltic Environmental Forum Deutschland e.V.

Website

https://bef-de.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1995

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Baltic Environmental Forum Deutschland e.V. is a Hamburg-based non-profit environmental association, founded 1995, that develops and manages EU-funded environmental projects across the Baltic Sea Region, delivering digital tools, advisory services, and educational programs to municipalities, healthcare professionals, farmers, SMEs, and civil society.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Environmental Consulting and Project Management Services

NAICS

Environmental Consulting Services (54162), Social Advocacy Organizations (8133)

SIC

Services-Membership Organizations (8600)

akta.pro primary industry

Climate Change Mitigation & Adaptation (BPAGAGAF)

akta.pro secondary industries

Circular Economy & Resource Efficiency (BPADALAM), Climate Change Mitigation, Adaptation & Resilience Programs (BPAIAMAD), Environmental, Climate & Sustainability Standards & Reporting Cooperation (BPADANAI), Oceans, Coastal & Marine Resource Management (BPADALAI)

Keywords

• Environmental project management
• Sustainable procurement consulting
• Chemicals management services
• Climate adaptation advisory
• Circular economy consulting

Headquarters

HQ city

Hamburg

HQ country

Germany

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. EU Project Funding: Primary revenue source through competitive grants from EU funding programmes including Interreg Baltic Sea Region, Horizon Europe, LIFE Programme, and Erasmus+. BEF develops and manages environmental projects funded by these programmes.
2. Private Donations: Private donations accepted via Betterplace.org platform and direct bank transfer (GLS Gemeinschaftsbank) to support daily environmental and climate protection work. Donations are tax-deductible.
3. Project Implementation Services: BEF acts as project coordinator, partner, or implementing organization for environmental projects commissioned by municipalities, government ministries, and international bodies. 50 million euros of granted financial support managed historically.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

Baltic Environmental Forum Deutschland e.V. is a non-profit association that develops, coordinates, and implements international environmental projects across chemicals management, circular economy, energy and climate change, biodiversity, and marine protection. It delivers consulting, training, digital tools (CheckED app, BALTIPLAST Plastic Inventory Tool, CCC Navigator, KNOWING Climate suite), and educational programs to municipalities, governments, healthcare professionals, farmers, SMEs, and civil society across the Baltic Sea Region and Europe, primarily funded through EU grants.

Product overview

Baltic Environmental Forum Deutschland e.V. (BEF Germany) is a non-governmental organization operating in the environmental sector, offering a portfolio of environmental management programs, digital tools, educational formats, and advisory services. The core offering is organized around thematic areas: Chemicals Management, Circular Economy, Energy and Climate Change, Sustainable Mobility, Nature Conservation and Biodiversity, and Water Management and Marine Conservation. Key digital products include the CheckED app (for identifying endocrine-disrupting chemicals) and the BALTIPLAST Plastic Inventory Tool (for tracking and reducing plastic consumption). Within the EU-funded KNOWING Climate project, BEF Germany offers a suite of climate adaptation tools including the Decision Support Service, Knowledge Base, Questionnaires, Climate Impact Coping Typology, Playful Trainings, the 'Shape Your Future' app, Stakeholder Engagement Blueprint, and Infographics. The CCC Navigator supports sustainable public procurement. Educational programs such as the Short Training (Kurzausbildung) and volunteer programs complement the offering. The organization does not operate a unified software platform but delivers services through project-based tools, workshops, and consultancy.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• CheckED (Check for Endocrine Disruptors) A digital tool that guides users step-by-step with personalized recommendations toward a lower-chemical daily life and assesses exposure risk to endocrine-disrupting chemicals (EDCs). Developed and enhanced within the LIFE MUMs project.

Quantifiable outcome

• 220+ projects developed and implemented since 1995; 50 million euros of granted financial support attracted for environmental initiatives
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers5 records

Segments6 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Ten partnerships are on record, tiered minor and core.

• Stockholm Environment Institute (SEI) Tallinn CentreminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 June 2025Expert contribution to the Green Governance Day 2025 in Vilnius on sustainable public procurement and environmental governance.
• Fachhochschule Turku (Turku University of Applied Sciences)minorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 June 2025Expert contribution to the Green Governance Day 2025 in Vilnius on sustainable public procurement.
• City of VilniusminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 June 2025Co-organizer of the Green Governance Day 2025 event with ChemClimCircle-2 and NonHazCity-3 projects.
• 9 European Organizations (Germany, Austria, Poland, Portugal, Czech Republic, France, Greece, Latvia) — LIFE MUMs ConsortiumcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2025LIFE MUMs project brings together 9 organizations across 8 European countries to increase awareness of endocrine-disrupting chemicals and develop practical solutions for reducing everyday exposure, targeting pregnant people, families, and healthcare professionals.
• World Future CouncilminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2025World Future Council is a project partner in the NonHazCity 3 EU-INTERREG project and organizes the NonHazCity Building Policy Award to be presented at the Green Governance Day in Vilnius.
• External Energy Law Experts (for Baltic Sea2Land legal opinion)minorImplementation/ SI/ Consulting Partner · 1 January 2024Commissioned external energy law experts to produce a comprehensive legal opinion on direct supply of wind power to consumers on Fehmarn island.
• HAW Hamburg (Hochschule für Angewandte Wissenschaften Hamburg)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2023Strong partnership with HAW Hamburg in the BALTIPLAST project to develop and test plastic reduction tools and approaches, including monthly coaching sessions for organizations navigating the inventory process.
• Bergedorf District Office (Bezirksamt Bergedorf)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2023Collaboration with Bergedorf District Office in the BALTIPLAST project during Bergedorf Climate Week, school activities, and clean-up actions.
• KuBus e.V., Initiative Plastic-Free CityminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2023Partnership with local initiative Plastic-Free City for joint activities in the BALTIPLAST project promoting plastic reduction in Hamburg.
• BEF Group / Baltic Environmental Forum Network (BEF Lithuania, BEF Estonia, BEF Latvia)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 1995BEF Germany is part of the wider BEF Group network including sister organizations in Lithuania, Estonia, and Latvia, collaborating on cross-border environmental protection in the Baltic Sea Region for over 25 years.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Baltic Environmental Forum Lithuania: Sister organization within the BEF Group network, focused on the same environmental themes (chemicals, circular economy, climate, marine) in the Baltic Sea Region. Operates under identical NGO model with EU project funding as primary revenue.
• Adelphi Research: Berlin-based independent think tank and consultancy working on climate, environment, and sustainable development. Comparable as a German-headquartered, EU-grant-funded environmental policy and project implementation organization frequently competing for similar INTERREG and Horizon Europe funding.
• Germanwatch: Bonn-based environmental and development NGO focused on climate, sustainable consumption, and global equity. BEF's Damian Arikas previously worked at Germanwatch as a campaigner; both operate as project-driven NGOs engaging in policy advocacy and EU-funded initiatives.
• Baltic Environmental Forum Estonia: Estonian sister organization of BEF Germany within the BEF Group, delivering identical environmental NGO services and EU-funded projects in Estonia. Direct structural and operational peer.
• Ecologic Institute: Berlin-based environmental policy think tank working on EU chemicals, climate, circular economy, and marine policy. Comparable as a Germany-based NGO that bridges research, policy advice, and EU project implementation, often competing for the same INTERREG and Horizon Europe grants.
• Stockholm Environment Institute (SEI) Tallinn Centre: SEI Tallinn is a research partner contributing to BEF's Green Governance Day 2025. SEI is an independent environmental research institute working on policy, climate adaptation, and sustainability across the Baltic Sea Region, with comparable EU project funding structure and thematic focus.
• Baltic Environmental Forum Latvia: Latvian sister organization of BEF Germany, jointly working on cross-border environmental projects across the Baltic Sea Region under the same funding model and thematic focus areas.

Broad incumbents

• NABU (Naturschutzbund Deutschland): Largest German environmental NGO with ~875,000 members, working on biodiversity, climate, and resource conservation. Overlaps with BEF on chemicals policy, circular economy, and marine protection, but operates at significantly larger scale and broader thematic scope.
• European Environmental Bureau (EEB): EU-level federation of 180+ environmental citizens' organizations working on chemicals (REACH), circular economy, and climate policy. Operates at EU-wide scale with BEF-aligned thematic priorities; BEF participates in similar LIFE and INTERREG projects as a member of the broader EEB ecosystem.
• BUND (Bund für Umwelt und Naturschutz Deutschland): Major German environmental NGO active in chemicals policy, climate, and marine protection. Damian Arikas previously campaigned at BUND. Comparable mission and advocacy model but materially larger membership and institutional footprint than BEF.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks2 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/@balticenvironmentalforumd9446
• Facebookfacebook.com/befgermany
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/bef-deutschland
• Instagraminstagram.com/bef_germany

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles16 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 Baltic Environmental Forum Deutschland e. V.