BRSNW

What BRSNW does

BRSNW (Behinderten- und Rehabilitationssportverband Nordrhein-Westfalen e.V.) is a non-profit state sports federation headquartered in Duisburg, North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany, founded in 1953/1954, that serves people with disabilities through three integrated program pillars: Rehabilitationssport (medically prescribed rehabilitation sports under § 64 SGB IX, recognized by health insurers), Breitensport (mass sports across 25+ disciplines such as boccia, wheelchair basketball, Para badminton, and walking football), and Leistungssport (elite Paralympic sport across five priority disciplines: Para Swimming, Para Athletics, Para Table Tennis, Sitting Volleyball, and Para Rowing). The federation operates through a federated network of member clubs (Ordentliche Mitglieder) and five regional offices (Bezirke) in Detmold, Münster, Arnsberg, Düsseldorf, and Köln, with a small central staff of 11-50 employees.

The organization's technology footprint is operational rather than proprietary: an online certification portal (zertifizierung.rehasportzentrale.de) for member clubs, a public Reha-Sportsuche search tool, virtual information sessions, and standard web/social channels (Facebook, Instagram, YouTube). No AI/ML capabilities, software products, or API services are part of the offering. Supporting infrastructure includes the state-funded Paralympicisches Zentrum NRW (since 2017), a Talentscouts program (since 2019, the first state-level dedicated talent scout in Germany, funded by Sportstiftung NRW), the mobile outreach vehicle Aktiv-dabei-Mobil, and qualification programs including SPORTCOACH and Inklusionscoach certifications, as well as sign-language training for sports instructors. Recent flagship projects include 'Auf einer Wellenlänge - inklusiv aktiv,' a joint inclusion program with Schwimmverband NRW funded by Aktion Mensch.

BRSNW's business model is that of a registered association (eingetragener Verein, e.V.) rather than a commercial enterprise. Revenue is generated through membership fees from member clubs, public funding and project grants from bodies such as Sportstiftung NRW and Aktion Mensch, and participation in events such as REHACARE and the Invictus Games 2023 (where BRSNW staff served as Sport Competition Manager for wheelchair basketball). Customers are effectively two-sided: member sports clubs (which deliver certified programs) and end users (people with disabilities and Para athletes). Pricing is not directly consumer-facing; access to services flows through membership in certified member clubs. Strategic positioning is anchored by relationships with the Deutscher Behindertensportverband (DBS), Landessportbund NRW, the International Paralympic Committee (IPC, headquartered in Bonn), TSV Bayer 04 Leverkusen, and the KölnRheinRuhr 2036/40/44 Olympic/Paralympic bid.

Name

BRSNW

Legal name

Behinderten- und Rehabilitationssportverband Nordrhein-Westfalen e.V.

Website

https://brsnw.de

Company type

Private

Founded year

1954

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

BRSNW is a non-profit state sports federation in North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany, delivering certified rehabilitation sports, inclusive mass sports, and elite Paralympic programs to people with disabilities through a network of member clubs and five regional offices.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Disability and Rehabilitation Sports Services

NAICS

Fitness and Recreational Sports Centers (713940), Vocational Rehabilitation Services (62431), Arts, Entertainment, and Recreation (71)

SIC

Services-Membership Sports & Recreation Clubs (7997), Services-Membership Organizations (8600)

akta.pro industry

PRIMARYMPAKAFAL

Disability & Adaptive Sport Governing Bodies (Paralympic & Sport-Specific)

Media, Entertainment & Sports/Sports (Leagues, Teams, Events, Venues)/Sports Rights Holders & Governing Bodies (Federations, Associations, Sanctioning Bodies)

Keywords

• Rehabilitation sports programs
• Disability sports association
• Inclusive recreational sports
• Paralympic athlete development
• Sports instructor certification

Headquarters

HQ city

Duisburg, Nordrhein-Westfalen

HQ country

Germany

HQ region

Europe

Offices6 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Membership Fees: BRSNW generates revenue through membership fees from its member clubs and organizations. Ordentliche Mitglieder (regular members) include independent disability, rehabilitation, and sports clubs, as well as disability and rehabilitation sports departments affiliated with clubs, associations, or facilities.
2. Public Funding and Grants: The association receives public funding and project grants from organizations such as Sportstiftung NRW, Aktion Mensch, and government bodies for specific programs like talent scouting, inclusion projects, and Paralympic sports development.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

BRSNW organizes disability and rehabilitation sports across North Rhine-Westphalia, including medically prescribed rehabilitation exercise, inclusive recreational sports, elite Paralympic programs, youth activities and instructor qualifications. It also supports member clubs through certification, development, funding and project advice, delivering its network-based services through member clubs and five regional offices.

Product overview

BRSNW (Behinderten- und Rehabilitationssportverband Nordrhein-Westfalen e.V.) is a state sports association for people with disabilities, offering a comprehensive portfolio of sports services organized as a platform of interconnected programs. The core offerings include Rehabilitationssport (medically prescribed rehabilitation sports with an online search tool), Breitensport (mass sports across 25+ sport types from boccia to wheelchair rugby), and Leistungssport (paralympic elite sports centered on five priority disciplines: Para Swimming, Para Athletics, Para Table Tennis, Sitting Volleyball, and Para Rowing). Supporting infrastructure includes the Paralympic Center NRW (state-funded since 2017), Talentscouts (talent identification since 2019), and Aktiv-dabei-Mobil (mobile outreach since 2019). Qualification programs encompass coach training, the SPORTCOACH certificate, and specialized inclusion training including Inklusionscoach certification and sign language in sports. Club consulting services support member organizations, while the KiJu (children and youth) division provides inclusive youth programming. The flagship inclusion project 'Auf einer Wellenlänge - inklusiv aktiv' (with SV NRW and Aktion Mensch) focuses on inclusive water activities including an Inklusionscoach certificate and inclusive swimming badge. BRSNW also organizes try-out days, the Para Sport Tour, and participates in REHACARE.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Rehabilitation Sports (Rehabilitationssport) Group-based exercise programs prescribed under Section 64 SGB IX for people with disabilities, designed to improve physical performance and support self-determined living through delivery by certified member clubs.
• Mass Sports (Breitensport) Recreational and amateur competitive sports opportunities for people with and without disabilities across multiple sport types.
• Performance Sports (Leistungssport) A Paralympic performance-sports program for athletes with disabilities, centered on Para Swimming, Para Athletics, Para Table Tennis, Sitting Volleyball and Para Rowing and supported by talent identification and classification services.
• Paralympic Center NRW (Paralympisches Zentrum NRW) A state-funded center providing talent recruitment, athlete classification, elite-sports personnel, training facilities, dual-career support and Paralympic major-event coordination.
• Talent Scouts (Talentscouts) Talent identification and recruitment services for children, adolescents and newcomers to Paralympic sports, connecting prospective athletes with appropriate sports, clubs and training centers across North Rhine-Westphalia.
• Qualification and Training (Qualifizierung) Training, continuing education, certification courses and license-renewal programs for coaches, instructors and exercise leaders in disability and rehabilitation sports.
• SPORTCOACH (GUV) Certificate Course (Zertifikatslehrgang SPORTCOACH (GUV)) A certified coaching qualification course offered to sports personnel in cooperation with GUV, the German Accident Insurance.
• Club Consulting (Vereinsberatung) Consulting for BRSNW member clubs covering member services, club development, funding programs and project support.
• Children and Youth Sports (Kinder- & Jugendsport, KiJu) Inclusive recreational and competitive sports programs for children and young people, delivered through BRSNW's KiJu division, which is recognized as an independent youth welfare provider.
• Mobile Outreach (Aktiv-dabei-Mobil) A mobile outreach service that brings disability-sports experiences to facilities and sports clubs across North Rhine-Westphalia.
• On the Same Wavelength - Inclusive and Active (Auf einer Wellenlänge - inklusiv aktiv) An inclusive water-activities project jointly implemented with Schwimmverband Nordrhein-Westfalen and funded by Aktion Mensch to create inclusive swimming opportunities for people with and without disabilities.
• Inclusion Coach Certificate Training (Zertifikatsausbildung Inklusionscoach) Certificate training for inclusion coaches focused on beginner swimming education for children ages 3 to 8 with and without disabilities.
• Sign Language in Sports Continuing Education (Fortbildung Gebärdensprache im Sport) Continuing education for sports instructors on supporting deaf and hard-of-hearing participants in sports settings.

Quantifiable outcome

• 68 of 113 Para Athletics medals at Paralympics and World Championships since 2016 came from NRW, demonstrating regional athletic success
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers4 records

Segments4 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.

• Schwimmverband Nordrhein-Westfalen (SV NRW)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 June 2023Joint project partner for 'Auf einer Wellenlänge - inklusiv aktiv' focused on inclusive swimming education. The two associations combine expertise to develop qualification programs and inclusive swimming offerings that serve children ages 3-8 with and without disabilities.
• International Paralympic Committee (IPC)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe International Paralympic Committee is headquartered in Bonn, Germany. BRSNW benefits from the IPC framework for classification, rules, and competition structures for Paralympic sports.
• Deutscher Behindertensportverband (DBS)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerAs the national disability sports federation, DBS provides the framework for BRSNW's activities, including athlete classification, national championships, and representation at international competitions.
• Landessportbund NRW (LSB NRW)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe state sports federation of NRW is a key partner for sports development, funding, and coordination of sports programs across the state, including joint initiatives for the KölnRheinRuhr Olympic/Paralympic bid.
• TSV Bayer 04 LeverkusencoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorA key member club hosting Paralympic training in sports including Sitting Volleyball (German record champion), Para Athletics, and Para Swimming. The club provides facilities and coaches for talent development programs.
• APT ProthesenminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerProsthetics company that supports BRSNW events by providing sports prosthetics for athletes to try during talent identification events, enabling broader participation.
• REHACAREminorGTM or Marketing PartnerInternational trade fair for rehabilitation and care where BRSNW showcases disability sports offerings annually, including planning for REHACARE 2026.

Scale indicators7 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Broad incumbents

• International Paralympic Committee (IPC): Global governing body of the Paralympic Movement, headquartered in Bonn, Germany. Provides classification, rules, and competition structures that BRSNW leverages; comparable as a disability sport governing body at a larger geographic scope.
• Deutscher Olympischer Sportbund (DOSB): Germany's national umbrella sports organization encompassing Olympic and other sports federations. Provides the policy and funding framework that BRSNW operates within and is comparable as the apex sports governance body.
• Deutscher Behindertensportverband (DBS): National German disability sports federation that provides the overarching framework for BRSNW's activities including athlete classification, national championships, and international representation. Directly comparable as the national umbrella organization for the same sport category.
• Landessportbund Nordrhein-Westfalen (LSB NRW): NRW's state sports federation, a key strategic partner of BRSNW for funding, joint initiatives, and the KölnRheinRuhr Olympic/Paralympic bid. Operates in the same geography covering all sports but provides umbrella coordination that BRSNW relies on.
• Special Olympics Deutschland: National organization providing sports training and competition for people with intellectual disabilities in Germany. Comparable in mission to include people with disabilities in sport, but focuses specifically on intellectual disability and operates nationally rather than at state level.

Others

• Aktion Mensch: Germany's largest private social disability funding organization, financing BRSNW's inclusive swimming project. Comparable as a key financial partner in the disability sport and inclusion ecosystem rather than a direct competitor.
• Schwimmverband NRW (SV NRW): NRW swimming federation co-developing the 'Auf einer Wellenlänge - inklusiv aktiv' inclusive swimming project with BRSNW, funded by Aktion Mensch. Comparable as a peer state sport association and strategic partner with overlapping inclusion agenda.
• Sportstiftung NRW: NRW sports foundation that has funded BRSNW's talent scout position since 2019 (~€250K annually). Comparable as a funder in the same disability sport ecosystem rather than as a direct competitor; relevant as a key capital source.

Direct peers

• Behinderten- und Rehabilitationssportverband Baden-Württemberg: Disability and rehabilitation sports association for Baden-Württemberg with the same membership-based club federation model, certified rehabilitation sports, and Paralympic development focus. Direct state-level peer operating in a different German region.
• Bayerischer Behinderten- und Versehrten-Sportverband (BVS): Bavaria's state-level disability and rehabilitation sports association, structurally identical to BRSNW with rehabilitation sport certification, regional offices, member clubs, and elite Paralympic programs. Operates in a different German state and is the closest structural peer.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UCZJ79ZzFKU1ZgUYGW4XHO4Q
• Facebookfacebook.com/BRSNW
• Instagraminstagram.com/brsnw.de
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/behinderten-und-rehabilitationssportverband-nordrhein-westfalen-e-v-brsnw

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles10 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 BRSNW