CONTACT Stiftung für Suchthilfe

What CONTACT Stiftung für Suchthilfe does

CONTACT Stiftung für Suchthilfe is a Swiss nonprofit foundation (Stiftung) headquartered in Bern, Switzerland, founded in 1976 and operating exclusively in the Canton of Bern. The foundation delivers outpatient harm reduction, addiction treatment, and social reintegration services to individuals with drug or severe alcohol dependencies, recreational drug users, nightlife attendees, and people in recovery seeking employment. Its service portfolio is organized into six operating divisions — CONTACT Anlaufstelle (low-threshold drop-in and needle exchange), CONTACT Mobil (street outreach), CONTACT Nightlife (drug checking under the rave it safe brand at stationary labs in Bern and Biel plus mobile event services), CONTACT Suchtbehandlung (outpatient addiction therapy), CONTACT Wohnen (supported housing), and CONTACT Arbeit (work integration via social enterprises LOLA café and CONTACT take a way catering).

The core technological capability is a drug checking laboratory that analyzes illicit substance samples for active ingredient content, cutting agents, contaminants, and unexpected adulterants, using both stationary and mobile analytical equipment; in 2025 the laboratory processed 1,688 samples and issued 713 public warnings, with rapid tests for fentanyl and nitazenes newly added. Service delivery is multi-channel: seven fixed contact points across Bern, Biel, Thun, Tavannes, Langenthal, Schönbühl, and Interlaken, supplemented by mobile street outreach, Walk and Talk counseling, and event-based drug checking at clubs and festivals.

The organization operates as a non-commercial harm reduction foundation: all client-facing services (drug checking, counseling, needle exchange, treatment, housing) are free of charge and anonymous. Revenue is generated primarily through public contracts with the Canton of Bern — formalized via a Leistungsvertrag (service agreement) from 2026 — supplemented by foundation grants, donations, social insurance contributions, and modest commercial revenue from the social enterprises (LOLA, CONTACT take a way, production/services). The foundation is governed by a Stiftungsrat, with David Stampfli succeeding Reto Müller as President effective July 1, 2026.

Name

CONTACT Stiftung für Suchthilfe

Legal name

CONTACT Stiftung für Suchthilfe

Website

https://contact-suchthilfe.ch

Company type

Private

Founded year

1976

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

CONTACT Stiftung für Suchthilfe is a Swiss nonprofit foundation, founded in 1976 and headquartered in Bern, that provides low-threshold harm reduction, drug checking, outpatient addiction treatment, supported housing, and work-integration services to people with substance dependencies, recreational drug users, and nightlife communities across the Canton of Bern.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Addiction Treatment and Harm Reduction Services

NAICS

Outpatient Mental Health and Substance Abuse Centers (621420), Other Community Housing Services (624229)

SIC

Services-Social Services (8300), Services-Health Services (8000), Services-Specialty Outpatient Facilities, Nec (8093)

akta.pro primary industry

Substance Use Recovery & Harm Reduction Support Services (BPAGAEAO)

akta.pro secondary industries

Substance Use Disorder Prevention & Recovery Services (BPAGACAE), Homelessness Prevention, Shelter & Supportive Housing Services (BPAIANAC)

Keywords

• Addiction treatment services
• Harm reduction services
• Drug checking analysis
• Social employment integration
• Outpatient addiction support

Headquarters

HQ city

Bern

HQ country

Switzerland

HQ region

Europe

Offices7 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Public Funding: CONTACT Stiftung für Suchthilfe operates as a non-profit foundation funded primarily through public contracts with the Canton of Bern. Since 2026, CONTACT Nightlife receives co-financing from the Canton of Bern through a service agreement (Leistungsvertrag). Additional funding comes from foundations, donations, and social insurance providers.
2. Social Enterprise Operations: Social enterprises including CONTACT Arbeit (production and services), LOLA café/lounge, and CONTACT take a way restaurant provide work integration services for people with addiction issues while generating operational revenue.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

CONTACT Stiftung für Suchthilfe provides outpatient addiction treatment, harm reduction, and social integration services across the Canton of Bern. Its core offerings include low-threshold counseling and needle exchange (Anlaufstelle/SPUT), drug checking laboratory analysis (dib/rave it safe), supported housing, work integration through social enterprises, and mobile outreach to nightlife settings and public spaces.

Product overview

CONTACT Stiftung für Suchthilfe is a Swiss foundation offering a portfolio of outpatient addiction support and harm reduction services across the Canton of Bern. The organization operates as a platform of interconnected programs: CONTACT Anlaufstelle provides low-threshold entry points with needle exchange (SPUT); CONTACT Arbeit offers social employment through production enterprises including LOLA retail stores and take a way catering; CONTACT Nightlife (operating as 'rave it safe') delivers drug checking (dib), the CONTACT Sprechstunde consultation service, and CONTACT:Talks educational events; CONTACT Mobil provides mobile outreach including Walk and Talk; CONTACT Suchtbehandlung delivers outpatient addiction treatment; and CONTACT Wohnen provides supported housing. Services are available in multiple locations (Bern, Biel, Interlaken, Langenthal, Schönbühl, Tavannes, Thun) and focus on reducing health risks, promoting health, personal competencies, and social integration for people with drug or severe alcohol dependencies.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• CONTACT Anlaufstelle: Low-threshold contact and advisory services providing initial counseling and referral services for people with addiction issues.
• CONTACT Arbeit
• CONTACT Nightlife
• CONTACT Mobil
• CONTACT Suchtbehandlung
• CONTACT Wohnen
• rave it safe
• dib (Drug Info Bern)
• LOLA (Lorraine)
• CONTACT take a way

Products and services

• CONTACT Anlaufstelle Low-threshold drop-in service providing initial counseling, needle exchange (SPUT), and referrals for people with substance use issues in the Canton of Bern. Includes the La Gare and La Strada locations in Bern.
• CONTACT Arbeit Work integration program providing production, services, and social employment opportunities for people in addiction recovery, operated through social enterprises including LOLA stores and CONTACT take a way.
• CONTACT Nightlife (rave it safe) Nightlife harm reduction program operating under the 'rave it safe' brand, providing drug checking services (dib), anonymous consultation (CONTACT Sprechstunde), educational events (CONTACT:Talks), and substance analysis at clubs and festivals.
• CONTACT Mobil Mobile outreach service delivering street-based social work (aufsuchende Sozialarbeit) and Walk and Talk consultations to people in public spaces across the Canton of Bern.
• CONTACT Suchtbehandlung Outpatient addiction treatment service providing professional therapy and clinical support for people with drug or severe alcohol dependencies.
• CONTACT Wohnen Supported housing service offering assisted living (begleitetes Wohnen) and partially supervised housing (teilbetreutes Wohnen) for people in addiction recovery at locations in Interlaken, Langenthal, and Schönbühl.
• LOLA (Lorraine Laden) Social enterprise retail stores at Lorraine and Mattenhof locations operated by CONTACT Arbeit, providing employment opportunities for people in addiction recovery.
• CONTACT take a way Social enterprise take-away restaurant operated by CONTACT Arbeit, providing work integration and catering services for people in addiction recovery.
• SPUT – Spritzenumtausch (Needle Exchange) Needle and syringe exchange service providing sterile injection equipment to reduce infectious disease and other health risks for people who use drugs.
• CONTACT Sprechstunde Anonymous, free consultation service for questions about cocaine and other substance use, offered as part of the CONTACT Nightlife program.

Quantifiable outcome

• 1,688 drug samples analyzed in 2025 with 713 warnings issued (42% warning rate) for dangerous substances
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers3 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

Feature1 record

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• Canton of BerncoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerSince 2026, the Canton of Bern provides co-financing for CONTACT Nightlife through a service agreement (Leistungsvertrag). The canton recognizes drug checking and harm reduction as important components of public health policy.

Scale indicators7 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Regional players

• Fondation de Nant: Swiss foundation providing addiction treatment and housing support in the Canton of Vaud. Comparable as a regional peer offering outpatient treatment and supported housing but operating in a different Swiss language region.

Broad incumbents

• Blaues Kreuz Schweiz: Swiss umbrella organization for addiction support with member chapters across cantons. Comparable as a broader incumbent in addiction services and counseling, though focused more on alcohol and integration than on nightlife drug checking.
• Infodrog: Federal coordination centre for addiction issues commissioned by the Swiss Federal Office of Public Health. Comparable as the national umbrella body that links harm-reduction providers like CONTACT and shapes national drug-checking standards.

Direct peers

• Sucht Schweiz / Addiction Suisse: National Swiss foundation for addiction prevention, research and public campaigning. Comparable as a Swiss nonprofit foundation addressing substance use, with overlapping scope in prevention and harm-reduction messaging but a broader national remit.
• DanceSafe: US harm-reduction organization providing reagent drug-checking, education and outreach in nightlife settings. Direct peer in mobile and stationary drug-checking services aimed at recreational users.
• Arud: Major Swiss addiction-medicine and harm-reduction provider based in Zürich, operating the Saferparty.ch drug-checking service in nightlife settings. Directly comparable to CONTACT's combined drug checking, outpatient addiction treatment and low-threshold services.
• The Loop: UK-based charity providing multi-city drug-checking and harm-reduction services at festivals and in communities. Direct peer in drug-checking methodology, nightlife outreach and anonymous public warning systems.
• Energy Control: Spanish drug-checking and harm-reduction service operated by ABD. Direct peer in laboratory substance analysis, public warning systems and nightlife outreach, sharing the harm-reduction ethos and methodology.
• Eve & Rave: European harm-reduction network with German and Swiss chapters operating drug-checking and party-event outreach. Direct peer in nightlife drug checking and low-threshold harm-reduction services for recreational users.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/stiftungcontact
• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UCwL5KR--J_TSQ3zUD2ljkKw
• Facebookfacebook.com/contact.arbeit.travail
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/contact-stiftung-f%C3%BCr-suchthilfe
• Instagraminstagram.com/contactarbeit

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 records

Subsidiaries9 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 CONTACT Stiftung für Suchthilfe