CULTURE GOES EUROPE (CGE) - Soziokulturelle Initiative Erfurt e.V. (CGE Erfurt e.V.)

What CULTURE GOES EUROPE (CGE) - Soziokulturelle Initiative Erfurt e.V. (CGE Erfurt e.V.) does

Culture Goes Europe (CGE) – Soziokulturelle Initiative Erfurt e.V. is a German non-profit, non-governmental organisation (eingetragener Verein) founded in 2005 and headquartered in Erfurt, Thuringia. It delivers non-formal education programmes for young people (18–30), aspiring entrepreneurs, vocational (VET) students, civil-society organisations, and people with disabilities, using peer-to-peer, experiential, and gamified methodologies. Core programmatic areas span human-rights education (Youth Sail in Kyrgyzstan and Uzbekistan), civic-skills and democratic participation (Soft Skills for Democracy, Civics in VET, DIGIVOTE), social-entrepreneurship training (Social Impulse Academy / TASK4ISI), urban-placemaking and accessibility (European Placemaking Academy, URB.ABLE), cultural heritage (NEW INHERIT), and European volunteering (Community Goes Europe / ESC). The organisation also produces reusable intellectual outputs such as the Participatory Performative Arts Toolkit.

CGE's revenue model is non-commercial; the entity is funded almost exclusively through project grants from European Union programmes — Erasmus+ Youth, European Solidarity Corps, Interreg Central Europe, Creative Europe, NDICI/INTPA — and from the Freistaat Thüringen, the German Federal Foreign Office, and similar public sources. Implementation occurs through multi-country consortia and direct delivery of training courses, seminars, workshops, study visits, exchanges, volunteer services, focus groups, and conferences. CGE operates a sub-brand infrastructure including the Social Impulse Hub, Youth Sail, PPA, SK4D, URB.ABLE, DIGIVOTE, Civics in VET, and TASK4ISI, with geographic reach across 17+ countries spanning Europe, Central Asia, and Southeast Asia. Headcount is approximately 15 staff supported by rotating European Solidarity Corps volunteers.

Technically, CGE offers no commercial software product, SaaS, public API, or AI platform. Its "platform" is a methodology stack — non-formal learning frameworks, a network of physical hubs (e.g., Social Impulse Hub with coding, robotics, media, and drone equipment), and a library of 40+ intellectual outputs. The go-to-market is event-driven and community-led: programming is delivered directly to participants via educational sessions and disseminated through free downloadable publications, social media (including a TikTok series), and conference participation.

Name

CULTURE GOES EUROPE (CGE) - Soziokulturelle Initiative Erfurt e.V. (CGE Erfurt e.V.)

Legal name

Culture Goes Europe – Soziokulturelle Initiative Erfurt e.V.

Website

https://cge-erfurt.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2005

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Culture Goes Europe (CGE) Erfurt e.V. is a German non-profit founded in 2005 that delivers EU-funded non-formal education, civic-skills, social-entrepreneurship, and human-rights programmes for young people, civil-society organisations, VET students, and entrepreneurs across 17+ countries via Erasmus+, ESC, Interreg, and Creative Europe grants.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Non-Formal Education and Youth Civic Engagement Services

NAICS

Educational Services (611), Human Rights Organizations (813311), Religious, Grantmaking, Civic, Professional, and Similar Organizations (813)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro primary industry

Erasmus+ and Government-Sponsored Exchange Partnerships (EDAIABAJ)

akta.pro secondary industries

Program & Project Implementation (TA Delivery) (BPADAEAA), Research, Monitoring, Evaluation & Learning (MEL) Partnerships (EDADALAK), In-Service Professional Development (Workshops/Institutes/Short Courses) (EDACAIAB), Professional Development for Inclusive Practices (General Education Staff) (EDAKABAL)

Keywords

• Non-formal education programs
• Civic engagement training
• Youth work services
• Social entrepreneurship training
• Human rights education

Headquarters

HQ city

Erfurt

HQ country

Germany

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. EU Programme Funding: CGE operates as a non-profit NGO funded primarily through European Union programmes including Erasmus+ Youth, European Solidarity Corps (ESC), Interreg Central Europe, and NDICI (Neighbourhood, Development and International Cooperation Instrument). Projects are implemented in partnership with European and international organisations.
2. Project Grants: Implementation of educational and social innovation projects funded by government agencies including Freistaat Thüringen, Auswärtiges Amt (German Federal Foreign Office), and Creative Europe Programme.

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

CGE Erfurt e.V. designs, implements and evaluates non-formal educational programmes in civic engagement, human rights, democratic participation and social entrepreneurship for young people, civil society organisations, VET schools and aspiring entrepreneurs. The organization delivers training courses, workshops, exchanges, youth exchanges and volunteer services, and publishes open-access educational toolkits such as the PPA Toolkit. Activities are funded primarily through EU programmes (Erasmus+, European Solidarity Corps, Interreg Central Europe, Creative Europe, NDICI) and implemented locally in Erfurt and through international project partnerships.

Product overview

CGE Erfurt e.V. operates as a non-profit NGO offering a portfolio of interconnected educational programs and initiatives rather than a unified software product. The core offerings include Youth Sail (human rights education in Central Asia), Soft Skills for Democracy (civic engagement training), Social Impulse Academy/TASK4ISI (entrepreneurship training), European Placemaking Academy (urban planning education), URB.ABLE (accessibility advocacy), DIGIVOTE (digital democracy research), Civics in VET (vocational civic education), and Community Goes Europe (ESC volunteering). These programs share a common methodology of non-formal, experiential peer-to-peer learning focused on social entrepreneurship, urban planning, climate action, and migrant civic engagement. The organization also produces practical toolkits such as the Participatory Performative Arts Toolkit as downloadable resources. No commercial software product or SaaS platform is offered.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Social Impulse Hub: A hub for social entrepreneurship support, business skills training, and inclusive entrepreneurship programs, located at Salinenstrasse 34 in Erfurt.
• Youth Sail
• Participatory Performative Arts (PPA)
• Soft Skills for Democracy (SK4D)
• URB.ABLE
• DIGIVOTE
• Civics in VET
• TASK4ISI
• Culture Goes Together
• European Placemaking Academy

Products and services

• Youth Sail A long-term initiative aimed at empowering young people and strengthening civil society organisations in Kyrgyzstan and Uzbekistan, focusing on human rights education, democratic participation and youth engagement through non-formal learning methodologies.
• Soft Skills for Democracy (SK4D) An Erasmus+ Youth Participation project between CGE Erfurt e.V. (Germany) and Logos Polska (Poland) aimed at strengthening civic engagement through development of soft skills such as communication, leadership, empathy, critical thinking, teamwork, creativity, media literacy and responsible engagement with AI.
• DIGIVOTE - Digital Democracy, Trust, Transparency and Engagement in Voting Systems A European research and dialogue project on digital democracy examining trust, transparency and engagement in voting systems across multiple countries, including citizen participation activities and policy development.
• Social Impulse Academy (TASK4ISI) A business skills and entrepreneurship training programme under the Interreg Central Europe-funded TASK4ISI project, offering modules on marketing, pitching and business development for aspiring entrepreneurs, including migrants and international students, delivered at the Social Impulse Hub in Erfurt.
• European Placemaking Academy A cooperation project examining how adult education and non-formal learning can support placemaking approaches, helping public spaces become safer, more inclusive and more meaningful, in collaboration with Bauhaus-Universität Weimar.
• URB.ABLE An urban accessibility project empowering young people to observe, question and shape their cities so that urban spaces become places where everyone can participate fully in social and public life, with a focus on disability inclusion.
• Civics in VET A project strengthening civic education in vocational education and training (VET) schools, helping students become active, thoughtful and empowered citizens in democratic society.
• NEW INHERIT A project funded by the Creative Europe Program focused on cultural heritage, community engagement, participation and creating collaborative approaches to social and cultural innovation.
• Participatory Performative Arts (PPA) Toolkit A practical toolkit gathering methods, exercises and insights for youth workers on using theatre and co-creation to strengthen civic participation in migration, rural and queer contexts, made available for free download from the CGE website.
• Community Goes Europe (CGE) European Solidarity Corps Programme A European Solidarity Corps volunteer programme hosting international volunteers and providing opportunities for young people to engage in community-driven projects across Europe.

Quantifiable outcome

• Over 100 projects implemented since 2005
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers5 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

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Twelve partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Public Foundation Positive Dialogue (Kyrgyzstan)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 3 March 2026Local implementation partner for the Youth Sail project in Kyrgyzstan. Brings together young people and NGOs across Kyrgyzstan to promote human rights, democratic participation, and inclusive community engagement.
• Public Foundation Atuul (Kyrgyzstan)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 3 March 2026Partner organisation in Youth Sail project implementing activities focused on human rights education and youth participation in Kyrgyz Republic.
• Public Association Women's Organization ALGA (Kyrgyzstan)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 3 March 2026National coordinator for Youth Sail project in Kyrgyzstan. Supports human rights education and civil society strengthening activities.
• EMUNI University (Slovenia)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 10 February 2026Host of DIGIVOTE project kick-off in Koper, Slovenia. Coordinates project activities across Bulgaria, Estonia, Germany, Greece, Italy, Poland and Slovenia.
• DIGIVOTE Consortium PartnerscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerMulti-country consortium including partners from Bulgaria, Estonia, Germany, Greece, Italy, Poland and Slovenia working on digital democracy, voting systems, and citizen participation research.
• Logos NGO (Poland)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerProject partner in Soft Skills for Democracy (SK4D) Erasmus+ Youth Participation initiative together with CGE Erfurt e.V., strengthening civic engagement through development of soft skills.
• TRIP - Thuringian Regional Innovation Program / STIFTcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerTRIP is an accelerator for entrepreneurs and ventures operating under STIFT (Stiftung für Technologie, Innovation und Forschung Thüringen). Provides entrepreneurship training and mentorship for Social Impulse Academy participants.
• Bauhaus-Universität WeimarcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerAcademic partner for European Placemaking Academy, placemaking workshops, and various project activities including TASK4ISI, URB.ABLE, and facilitation training courses.
• University of ErfurtcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerAcademic partner for Civics in VET project and collaboration with Plurals student group. Hosts workshops, movie nights, and civic education events.
• Plurals (Student Initiative at University of Erfurt)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerYouth group of international university students in Erfurt. Co-organises community events, workshops, and civic education activities including clay workshops, quiz nights, and activism sessions.
• Trainers' Guild of UzbekistanminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerInformal network of young human rights education trainers emerging from Youth Sail Uzbekistan project. Junior trainers from this network support Youth Sail Kyrgyzstan activities.
• KulturLife (Germany)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner in CoCivic project bringing together vocational schools and civil society organisations from Germany, Turkey, and Spain.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Emerging players

• Peace Direct: Peace Direct is an international NGO supporting local peacebuilding actors, with thematic overlap to CGE's Youth Sail human rights education and democratic participation work in post-Soviet and transitional contexts.

Broad incumbents

• IREX: IREX is a global development and education nonprofit working on youth civic engagement, education, and independent media across 100+ countries. It overlaps CGE's Civic education, youth leadership, and Central/Eastern Europe portfolio as a larger, broader player.
• Eurodesk: Eurodesk is the EU-funded European youth information network connecting young people to mobility and participation opportunities. It is a broader EU youth infrastructure operator comparable to CGE's role within the Erasmus+ Youth ecosystem.
• SALTO-YOUTH: SALTO-YOUTH is an EU-supported resource centre network providing training, resources, and strategic support for Erasmus+ Youth and European Solidarity Corps. It overlaps CGE's work on training-of-trainers, capacity building, and EU youth programme methodology.

Regional players

• Goethe-Institut: Goethe-Institut is Germany's globally operating cultural and educational institute delivering language and civic programmes. It shares CGE's German anchor and cultural-education remit but at a much larger scale and broader geographic footprint.

Direct peers

• AFS Intercultural Programs: AFS is a global youth exchange and intercultural learning network delivering non-formal education programmes across 90+ countries. It is directly comparable to CGE in mission, methodology (peer-to-peer experiential learning), and target audience of young people.
• Youth for Understanding (YFU): YFU is one of the world's oldest youth exchange organisations, operating non-formal intercultural education programmes in 60+ countries. It mirrors CGE's core activity of delivering youth exchanges, civic education, and host-family/community-based learning.
• CISV International: CISV is a global nonprofit focused on intercultural peace education for young people, delivering non-formal experiential learning programmes. It shares CGE's model of peer-to-peer, experiential learning and values-based youth education.
• European Youth Forum: The European Youth Forum is a youth-led platform representing over 100 youth organisations across Europe, advocating for youth rights and democratic participation. It is directly comparable to CGE's civic education and youth participation mandate at EU level.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• TikToktiktok.com/@culturegoeseurope
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/culture-goes-europe-cge---soziokulturelle-initiative-erfurt-e.v.-cge-erfurt-e.v.-

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles7 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 CULTURE GOES EUROPE (CGE) - Soziokulturelle Initiative Erfurt e.V. (CGE Erfurt e.V.)