ConPolicy - Institut für Verbraucherpolitik

What ConPolicy - Institut für Verbraucherpolitik does

ConPolicy - Institut für Verbraucherpolitik is a Berlin-based research and consulting institute founded in 2010 and operating as ConPolicy GmbH. It is a boutique professional services firm of approximately 7-10 core team members led by founder and Managing Director Prof. Dr. Christian Thorun (Oxford doctorate). The firm advises German federal ministries (notably BMUV and BMBF), state ministries (including Nordrhein-Westfalen), EU institutions (European Commission, European Parliament), government agencies (Umweltbundesamt, BfS, BSI), NGOs such as BEUC, and large corporations (Otto Group, Deutsche Telekom via the CDR-Initiative).

The firm delivers an integrated portfolio of consumer-policy research and advisory services, organized into service modules including consumer research (surveys, focus groups, interviews, choice experiments), analytical research (market monitoring, impact assessment, discourse analysis, computer and AI-assisted analysis of digital communication spaces), citizen-centered policy design, policy and strategy consulting, behavioral insights consulting, CDR consulting, and dialogue formats (stakeholder dialogues, workshops, moderation, expert lectures). Topic areas span consumer policy structures, behavioral insights and nudging, sustainable consumption, digitalization and AI, Corporate Digital Responsibility, mobility, and special consumer groups. The intellectual core is an interdisciplinary methodology combining behavioral economics, consumer psychology, and policy analysis.

ConPolicy generates revenue through project-based government consulting contracts, corporate advisory engagements, and funded research projects from agencies such as BMBF and BMUV. Pricing is not publicly disclosed and contracts are won on a project-by-project basis via direct relationships and competitive tenders. The firm co-manages the CDR-Initiative with concern and actively participates in multi-partner research consortia (e.g., PROVAIDE, MOBITAT, Suffizienzstrategie, youth engagement for sustainability). ConPolicy does not offer a unified software product; its principal assets are its methodological IP, its institutional access to German and EU policymakers, and the credibility of its senior team.

Name

ConPolicy - Institut für Verbraucherpolitik

Legal name

ConPolicy GmbH

Website

https://conpolicy.de

Company type

Private

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

ConPolicy is a Berlin-based, founder-led research and consulting institute that advises German federal ministries, state governments, EU institutions, and corporations on evidence-based consumer policy, behavioral insights, and Corporate Digital Responsibility, delivering surveys, choice experiments, policy evaluations, and stakeholder dialogue services.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Policy Consulting Services

NAICS

Marketing Research and Public Opinion Polling (541910)

akta.pro primary industry

Sustainability & ESG Consulting (BPAHACAK)

akta.pro secondary industries

ESG, Sustainability & Impact Research (BPAHALAL), Product & Innovation Research (Concept, Pricing, Packaging, Conjoint) (MPAAALAI)

Keywords

• Consumer policy consulting
• Behavioral insights research
• Policy evaluation services
• Corporate digital responsibility
• Evidence-based research

Headquarters

HQ city

Berlin

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. Government Consulting Contracts: ConPolicy generates revenue through consulting contracts with government bodies including German federal ministries, state ministries, EU institutions (European Commission, European Parliament), and government agencies (Umweltbundesamt, Bundesamt für Strahlenschutz, BSI). These contracts typically involve policy research, evaluation studies, and advisory services.
2. Corporate Advisory Services: Consulting services provided to companies on consumer policy matters, Corporate Digital Responsibility (CDR) strategy, and behavioral insights. Clients include major corporations such as Otto Group.
3. Research Project Funding: Funding from government research agencies (BMBF, BMUV) for specific research projects addressing consumer policy challenges, digitalization, and sustainability.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

ConPolicy is a research and consulting institute that advises political decision-makers, associations, and companies on effective consumer policy. It conducts consumer research (surveys, focus groups, choice experiments, behavioral studies), analytical research (market monitoring, impact assessments, discourse analysis), policy and strategy consulting, behavioral insights consulting, and stakeholder dialogue formats, with specialization in digitalization, AI, corporate digital responsibility, sustainable consumption, and mobility.

Product overview

ConPolicy - Institut für Verbraucherpolitik is a research and consulting institute that offers a portfolio of professional services focused on consumer policy research and advisory. Their offering includes consumer research (surveys, focus groups, interviews, choice experiments), analytical research (market monitoring, impact assessment, discourse analysis), policy and strategy consulting, behavioral insights consulting, and dialogue formats (stakeholder dialogues, workshops, moderation). The institute also specializes in key topic areas including consumer policy, behavioral insights, digitalization and AI, corporate digital responsibility (CDR), sustainable consumption, mobility, and special consumer groups. The services are delivered through modules including Reality Checks, Choice Experiments, Data Analysis, Computer and AI-assisted Analysis, Evaluation, Policy Consulting, Strategy Consulting, and CDR Consulting. ConPolicy does not offer a unified software product but rather provides expert consulting and research services to political decision-makers, associations, and companies.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Verbraucherforschung (Consumer Research)
• Analytische Forschung (Analytical Research)
• Politikberatung und Strategieberatung (Policy and Strategy Consulting)
• Behavioral Insights Beratung (Behavioral Insights Consulting)
• Beratung zu Corporate Digital Responsibility (CDR Consulting)
• Dialogformate (Dialogue Formats)
• Internationale Beratung (International Consulting)
• Bürgerzentrierte Politikgestaltung (Citizen-Centered Policy Design)
• Praxischecks (Reality Checks)

Quantifiable outcome

• Developed CDR-Kodex with nine principles and five handlungsfelder for Corporate Digital Responsibility
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers9 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Eight partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• IKU – Die DialoggestaltercoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 May 2023Project partner in the youth engagement for sustainability project (May 2023 – August 2026). IKU contributes dialogue and participation expertise to the consortium.
• UfU – Unabhängiges Institut für UmweltfragencoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 May 2023Project partner in youth sustainability engagement research. Contributes environmental expertise to the consortium research on sustainable consumption.
• ism – Institut für Sozialpädagogische Forschung Mainz ieHcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 May 2023Research partner in youth engagement project, contributing expertise in social pedagogy and youth research.
• DLR – Deutsches Zentrum für Luft- und Raumfahrt e.V., Institut für VerkehrsforschungcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 October 2020Consortium partner in the Suffizienzstrategie (sufficiency strategy) project for the transport sector (October 2020 – February 2023). DLR contributes transport research expertise.
• CDR-Initiative Partners (Deutsche Telekom, ING, Otto Group, Telefonica Deutschland, Zalando)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 May 2018ConPolicy co-manages the CDR-Initiative (Corporate Digital Responsibility) together with concern, providing the secretariat for the initiative. The initiative brings together major companies to discuss and develop CDR standards and principles.
• concerncoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 May 2018ConPolicy jointly manages the CDR-Initiative with concern, providing operational secretariat services for the initiative.
• INNOZ – The Living Lab for Connected MobilityminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaborated on big data research in public transport for the ABIDA project, combining mobility innovation expertise with consumer impact analysis.
• ABIDA – Assessing Big DataminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerProject association for assessing big data applications. ConPolicy contributed consumer impact analysis to the joint research effort.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• adelphi: Berlin-based policy consultancy and think tank working on sustainability, climate, and digital transformation for German government, EU, and international clients. Comparable in scale, mission-driven positioning, and public-sector advisory model to ConPolicy.
• Wuppertal Institut: Research institute focused on sustainability, consumption, and mobility transitions, advising German ministries and EU institutions. Comparable to ConPolicy's sustainability and mobility research work for public-sector clients.
• Institut für ökologische Wirtschaftsforschung (IÖW): Berlin-based research institute on sustainable consumption, corporate responsibility, and environmental policy. Comparable in size, geographic base, and research/consulting mix for German federal ministries and EU bodies.
• Behavioural Insights Team (BIT): Social-purpose consultancy applying behavioral science to public policy. Directly comparable to ConPolicy's behavioral-insights consulting practice and government-focused delivery model, though operating at significantly larger scale globally.
• Prognos AG: European research and consulting firm providing policy, market, and societal research for ministries, EU institutions, and associations. Overlaps with ConPolicy on consumer-relevant evidence-based policy research and evaluation work for German/EU public-sector clients.
• IZT – Institut für Zukunftsstudien und Technologiebewertung: Berlin-based research institute conducting technology assessment, foresight, and policy evaluation for German ministries and EU institutions. Comparable to ConPolicy on evidence-based, cross-disciplinary policy research delivered by a small expert team.
• IFOK GmbH: German dialogue and stakeholder-consultation firm supporting ministries and EU institutions on participatory policy processes. Overlaps with ConPolicy's stakeholder dialogue, moderation, and citizen-centered policy design offerings.
• Öko-Institut: Germany-based research and consulting institute covering sustainability, environmental policy, and consumer-relevant regulation. Directly comparable as a non-university, mission-driven policy research institute that advises German ministries and EU institutions, similar to ConPolicy.

Broad incumbents

• Fraunhofer ISI: Large Fraunhofer institute for systems and innovation research, advising German ministries and EU institutions on innovation, sustainability, and technology policy. Overlaps with ConPolicy's policy-research and digitalization work but operates at much larger scale and broader scope.
• Ramboll Management Consulting: Global consultancy with a dedicated sustainability and public-sector practice serving European ministries, agencies, and corporates. Competes with ConPolicy for major ministry and EU sustainability/consumer-policy mandates, but at a fundamentally larger scale and broader service portfolio.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/conpolicy-institut-fuer-verbraucherpolitik

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles5 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

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