Bfw Friedehorst

What Bfw Friedehorst does

Berufsförderungswerk Friedehorst gemeinnützige GmbH (BFW Friedehorst) is a non-profit vocational rehabilitation and continuing education provider headquartered in Bremen-Lesum, Germany. It operates 13 locations across Bremen and Lower Saxony and has been active in the region for more than 60 years as the vocational rehabilitation arm of Stiftung Friedehorst, a 75+ year-old charitable foundation. Its mission is to return people with physical, psychological, or age-related health impairments to sustainable employment through a structured four-step pathway: assessments, vocational training, retraining/continuing education, and supported job placement. Specialized programs include iPunkt (integration), PAS (psychological impairments), FTA (Friedehorst Teilhabe Arbeit, for people underchallenged in workshops for the disabled), IFD (integration specialist service in Cuxhaven/Osterholz), and VIA (single parents in Bremen-Nord). The organization reports that 80% of program completers find employment.

BFW Friedehorst's core technology is primarily educational and training infrastructure, including a learning management system for Akademie Friedehorst, digital course registration, and the Eye-Able accessibility software (provided by Web Inclusion GmbH via Friedehorst Zentrale Dienste gGmbH). It does not maintain proprietary AI/ML or software products; its technical footprint is operational rather than product-led. The underlying platform architecture is a multi-site in-person delivery model with supporting digital tools, not a technology business.

The business model is two-stream. The dominant stream is publicly funded vocational rehabilitation: participants apply through Leistungsträger such as Deutsche Rentenversicherung and Bundesagentur für Arbeit, who approve funding under Leistungen zur Teilhabe am Arbeitsleben (LTA) and pay BFW as the service provider; participants themselves do not pay. The secondary stream is Akademie Friedehorst's fee-based continuing education and the Pflegeschule Friedehorst nursing school, which invoice course fees separately. Go-to-market is via referrals from rehabilitation counselors, info sessions at 13 sites, employer outreach for internships (betriebliche Phasen), and the Stiftung Friedehorst's central social media channels. Management is led by co-Managing Directors Karsten Armgardt and Oliver Schardt, with Barbara Wurbs chairing the supervisory Kuratorium.

Name

Bfw Friedehorst

Legal name

Berufsförderungswerk Friedehorst gemeinnützige GmbH

Website

https://bfw-friedehorst.de

Company type

Private

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Vocational Rehabilitation Services

NAICS

Vocational Rehabilitation Services (6243), Vocational Rehabilitation Services (62431)

SIC

Services-Social Services (8300), Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro primary industry

Disability Services & Independent Living Support (BPAGAEAG)

akta.pro secondary industries

Disability Case Management, Retention & Student Support (EDALAGAJ), Family & Community Support Services (Case Management, Referrals) (EDAJAIAK)

Keywords

• Vocational rehabilitation services
• Continuing education programs
• Workforce integration services
• Nursing school training
• Disability employment support

Headquarters

HQ city

Bremen-Lesum

HQ country

Germany

HQ region

Europe

Offices13 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Berufliche Rehabilitation (Vocational Rehabilitation Services): Funded through Leistungsträger (rehabilitation funders) such as the Deutsche Rentenversicherung (DRV), the Federal Employment Agency (Bundesagentur für Arbeit), and other disability/pension insurance providers. Individuals apply through these bodies for Leistungen zur Teilhabe am Arbeitsleben (LTA) — services to support participation in working life. BFW Friedehorst acts as the service provider under these public funding arrangements.
2. Akademie Friedehorst — Continuing Education: The Akademie Friedehorst offers fee-based continuing education and nursing school programs (Pflegeschule Friedehorst) open to the general public and companies. Revenue is generated through course fees billed per invoice after enrollment. This stream operates independently of rehabilitation funding.
3. FTA — Friedehorst Teilhabe Arbeit: FTA is funded through Leistungen zur Teilhabe am Arbeitsleben (LTA), persönliches Budget, Budget für Arbeit, and Budget für Ausbildung. Steps 1 (Eingangs-Verfahren) and 2 (Berufs-Bildungs-Bereich) can be funded by LTA or persönliches Budget; Step 3 (Arbeitsbereich) can be funded by persönliches Budget, Budget für Arbeit, or Budget für Ausbildung. Participants themselves do not pay.

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

BFW Friedehorst is a non-profit vocational rehabilitation institution that provides assessments, vocational training, retraining (Umschulungen), continuing education (Fortbildungen), and supported work integration services for individuals with physical, psychological, or age-related health impairments. It operates a structured four-step pathway from career orientation through job placement, with specialized programs such as PAS (for psychological impairments), FTA (for people underchallenged in workshops for disabled persons), IFD (integration specialist service), and VIA (for single parents). The Akademie Friedehorst subsidiary additionally offers a nursing school (Pflegeschule) and continuing education courses for healthcare professionals.

Product overview

Berufsförderungswerk Friedehorst (BFW Friedehorst) operates as a multi-service vocational rehabilitation and training platform offering services across the entire employment integration spectrum. The organization provides a structured four-step pathway: (1) Assessments including BeO, BEDIOR, iPunkt 1, MOIN, MOVE, PSU, and TOP for vocational orientation; (2) Berufliches Training with commercial-administrative, trade-technical, and open training areas; (3) Umschulungen (retraining) and Fortbildungen (continuing education) in healthcare, business administration, e-commerce, technical design, construction, electrical, trade, and logistics fields; and (4) Integration programs including iPunkt 2, PAS, FTA (Friedehorst Teilhabe Arbeit), IFD, and VIA. The organization also operates the Akademie Friedehorst which includes a Pflegeschule (nursing school) and continuing education programs. With 13 locations across Bremen and Lower Saxony, BFW Friedehorst supports individuals with health limitations in returning to work, achieving an 80% success rate in job placement.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Akademie Friedehorst: Continuing education and professional development offerings including a nursing school and health sector courses, operated as part of BFW Friedehorst.
• VIA
• IFD – Integrationsfachdienst
• Friedehorst Teilhabe Arbeit (FTA)
• Pflegeschule Friedehorst

Products and services

• Assessments (Berufliche Orientierung) Vocational assessment services including BeO (Berufliche Orientierung), BEDIOR (Berufsdiagnostik und Berufsorientierung), Berufsfindung, EA/AP (Eignungsabklärung und Arbeitserprobung), iPunkt 1, MOIN, MOVE I & II, PSU (Psychologische Eignungsuntersuchung), and TOP (Training Orientierung Praxis) to help individuals identify suitable career paths.
• Berufliches Training Vocational training programs including commercial-administrative (kaufmännisch-verwaltender), trade-technical (gewerblich-technischer), and open training areas (offener Trainingsbereich) to prepare participants for the workforce.
• Umschulungen (Retraining Programs) Vocational retraining programs including Kaufmann/-frau im Gesundheitswesen, Kaufmann/-frau für Büromanagement, Kaufmann/-frau im E-Commerce, Technische:r Produktdesigner:in, Bauzeichner:in, Industrieelektriker:in, Kaufmann/-frau im Außenhandelsmanagement, Kaufmann/-frau im Großhandelsmanagement, and Kaufmann/-frau für Spedition und Logistikdienstleistung.
• Fortbildungen (Continuing Education) Continuing education programs including Verwaltungskraft für Büromanagement, CAD-Fortbildung mit AutoCAD/Inventor, Verwaltungskraft im Gesundheitswesen, and Elektrofachkraft in der Industrie.
• iPunkt 2 - Integration in Arbeit Integration program 'Integration auf den Punkt gebracht' that helps individuals transition to work through workplace assessments and employer matching, typically following iPunkt 1 completion.
• PAS - Projekt Arbeit für Menschen mit seelischen Beeinträchtigungen Integration project for people with psychological impairments, providing practical work experience in businesses along with qualification and ongoing support, with programs lasting up to 12 months and follow-up support for up to 6 months after placement.
• Friedehorst Teilhabe Arbeit (FTA) Work integration program for people with disabilities who are underchallenged in workshops for disabled persons (WfbM), offering a path to the primary or secondary labor market through vocational training in four occupational fields: household/kitchen, wood/metal trades, warehouse logistics/facility services, and commercial occupations.
• Integrationsfachdienst (IFD) Integration specialist service providing counseling for people with (threatened) severe disabilities and their employers, located in the Cuxhaven and Osterholz regions.
• VIA - Alleinerziehende in Arbeit Program specifically for single parents in Bremen-Nord, providing placement and integration services to help single parents enter the workforce, accommodating childcare constraints.
• Akademie Friedehorst - Pflegeschule Nursing school offering full-time and part-time training programs to become a certified nursing professional (Pflegefachkraft), with approximately 70 students beginning their training each year.
• Akademie Friedehorst - Fort- und Weiterbildungen Continuing education and professional development offerings including refresher courses and competency maintenance programs (Refresher und Kompetenzerhalt) for healthcare and nursing professionals.

Quantifiable outcome

• 80% of participants who complete orientation, training, and retraining programs at BFW Friedehorst find employment (finden 80% ihren Weg in eine Beschäftigung)
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers1 record

Segments7 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Seven partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Stiftung Friedehorst (Friedehorst Foundation)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerBFW Friedehorst is a wholly owned subsidiary (gGmbH) of Stiftung Friedehorst, a 75+ year-old social foundation providing services across children, youth, and adult support. BFW operates as the vocational rehabilitation arm of the foundation, benefiting from shared infrastructure, brand recognition, and cross-referrals across the foundation's other service lines.
• Friedehorst Zentrale Dienste gGmbHcoreImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerProvides centralized IT services including website hosting, technical operation, maintenance, accessibility tools (Eye-Able), and job portal hosting for Stiftung Friedehorst and its subsidiaries including BFW Friedehorst. Acts as data processor under DSG-EKD for website operations.
• Deutsche Rentenversicherung (DRV)coreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorThe German Pension Insurance (Deutsche Rentenversicherung) is the primary Leistungsträger (rehabilitation funder) for BFW's vocational rehabilitation programs. It approves and funds client participation through the LTA (Leistungen zur Teilhabe am Arbeitsleben) application process.
• Bundesagentur für Arbeit (Federal Employment Agency)coreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorThe Federal Employment Agency (Agentur für Arbeit) funds vocational rehabilitation measures and refers clients to BFW Friedehorst programs. It is a key Leistungsträger partner.
• Diakonie Bremen (Diakonie in Bremen)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerBFW Friedehorst operates as part of the Diakonie Bremen network, displaying the 'Im Verbund der Diakonie' (Part of the Diakonie Network) logo. This signals alignment with the Protestant church's social welfare network, providing legitimacy and access to church-affiliated employer networks.
• Jade Hochschule (Jade University of Applied Sciences)minorOthersStudents from Jade Hochschule (University of Applied Sciences) conducted an interview with participants in the TOP assessment program at BFW Friedehorst, indicating an academic partnership for research or student engagement.
• Partner companies (employers in Bremen and Lower Saxony)coreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorFTA and iPunkt programs rely on companies across Bremen and Lower Saxony providing betriebliche Phasen (internship) placements. These companies can subsequently hire graduates without paying internship wages (as BFW remains the Maßnahmenträger). The 'Budget für Arbeit' subsidy (up to 75% wage cost subsidy) incentivizes these hiring partnerships.

Scale indicators8 records

Recent moves8 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• DEKRA Akademie: One of Germany's largest private vocational training providers, offering continuing education, retraining, and integration services including programs for the long-term unemployed. Comparable to BFW Friedehorst on retraining and integration breadth, though DEKRA is a for-profit incumbent with broader industry coverage.
• CJD Braunschweig (Christliches Jugenddorfwerk Deutschlands): A CJD center offering vocational rehabilitation, education, and social integration services with a Christian social welfare mission similar to BFW Friedehorst's Diakonie affiliation. Comparable on the integration/employment-services axis for young adults and people with disabilities in Lower Saxony.
• bbw Bildungswerk der Bayerischen Wirtschaft: A major German vocational education and training provider with a broader portfolio spanning commercial training, retraining, and rehabilitation-adjacent programs. Comparable to BFW Friedehorst on continuing education and retraining, though it is a larger, employer-association-affiliated organization rather than a disability-focused nonprofit.
• bfz Bildungszentrum: A national vocational education and training provider (bbw Group) offering retraining, continuing education, and employment-oriented programs across Germany. Comparable on the retraining and employer-services dimensions of BFW Friedehorst's Akademie, but not exclusively disability-focused.

Direct peers

• Berufsförderungswerk Leipzig: Vocational rehabilitation provider in the BFW network delivering assessment, training, retraining, and integration for people with disabilities and chronic illness. Directly comparable in mission and funding model, serving a different German region.
• Berufsförderungswerk Wriezen: Another BFW in the national network providing vocational rehabilitation, retraining, and integration services funded through Leistungsträger. Highly comparable in service mix and operating model, though operating in eastern Germany rather than BFW Friedehorst's Bremen/Lower Saxony footprint.
• Antoniushaus Diakonie: A Diakonie-affiliated vocational rehabilitation and workshop provider serving people with disabilities in northern Germany. Comparable mission, funding model, and population, with a comparable mix of assessment, training, and sheltered-to-primary-labor-market transition programs.
• Berufsförderungswerk Bad Homburg: A sister Berufsförderungswerk in the German vocational rehabilitation network offering LTA-funded assessment, training, retraining, and integration services for people with health impairments. Operates under the same statutory funding framework (DRV, BA) and serves an analogous population, making it the most structurally comparable peer.

Others

• Deutsche Rentenversicherung (DRV): The primary Leistungsträger (funder) for BFW Friedehorst's vocational rehabilitation services. While not a competitor, it is the most consequential counterpart organization — its budget allocations, performance contracts, and referral decisions materially shape BFW Friedehorst's demand and pricing.

Regional players

• Integrationsfachdienst Bayern: A regional Integrationsfachdienst (specialist integration service) operating under the same federal framework as BFW Friedehorst's IFD in Cuxhaven/Osterholz. Direct functional analogue for the employer-facing disability integration service line, serving a different federal state.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/bfw-friedehorst

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles3 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about Bfw Friedehorst