die kurbel Katholisches Jugendwerk Oberhausen gemeinnützige GmbH Fairkauf

What die kurbel Katholisches Jugendwerk Oberhausen gemeinnützige GmbH Fairkauf does

die kurbel – Katholisches Jugendwerk Oberhausen gemeinnützige GmbH is a non-profit Catholic youth welfare organization (gemeinnützige GmbH) founded in 1980 and headquartered in Oberhausen, Germany, operating as an AZAV-certified Bildungsträger across the Ruhr region. It delivers a portfolio of 40+ programs organized into seven service divisions: school support (Offener Ganztag, Schulsozialarbeit, Familiengrundschulzentrum, KAoA career orientation), AVGS employment activation (job coaching, German language learning, migrant mentoring), vocational preparation and training (Ausbildungswege NRW, AsA-flex, BaE, BvB), rehabilitation (Horizont, MOPED, Supported Employment, Reha-Ausbildung), counseling (Beratungsstelle Arbeit, EMMA, SITAO+, NEO), low-threshold youth services (Streetwork, Reset, Jugendwerkstatt, three youth centers), and integration services (ZIB, integration courses, FairKauf social retail). The organization serves more than 1,000 participants annually through 37 partner schools and multiple fixed locations across Oberhausen, Bottrop, Mülheim an der Ruhr, and Duisburg.

The operating model is human-delivered social services with no proprietary technology platform; supporting digital tools include a Content Lounge media studio for digital-skills training, podcast production capabilities, and internal time-recording systems. Mission and value proposition center on bridging disadvantaged individuals — youth, long-term unemployed, people with disabilities, and migrants — into education, training, and the labor market, with explicit alignment to the Catholic Diocese of Essen and to public welfare commissioning frameworks.

Revenue is generated almost entirely through public institutional commissioning under SGB II, SGB III, and Kinder- und Jugendhilfe, with funding flowing from the Agentur für Arbeit, three regional Jobcenters, the European Social Fund (ESF Plus via BMAS), and municipal budgets (Stadt Oberhausen). The FairKauf secondhand social department store contributes a smaller retail revenue stream and doubles as a vocational training venue. The customer base is therefore highly concentrated on a small set of public payers, with no commercial or B2B revenue diversification. Marketing and demand generation rely on earned regional media (WAZ, NRZ, WDR), church and political networks, community events, and referrals from schools and social services — there is no paid acquisition motion.

Name

die kurbel Katholisches Jugendwerk Oberhausen gemeinnützige GmbH Fairkauf

Legal name

die kurbel – Katholisches Jugendwerk Oberhausen gemeinnützige GmbH

Website

https://die-kurbel-oberhausen.de

Company type

Private

Founded year

1980

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

die kurbel is a non-profit Catholic youth welfare organization in the Ruhr region, delivering AZAV-certified vocational training, employment integration, school support, and low-threshold youth services across Oberhausen, Bottrop, Mülheim, and Duisburg to more than 1,000 participants annually via public-sector commissioning.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Youth Social Services and Labor-Market Integration

NAICS

Educational Services (611), Vocational Rehabilitation Services (6243), Apprenticeship Training (611513), Other Technical and Trade Schools (611519)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200), Services-Employment Agencies (7361)

akta.pro industry

PRIMARYEDAAAEAC

Workforce & Career Transition Noncredit Programs

Education/Adult & Continuing Education/Continuing Education (Noncredit) & Lifelong Learning Programs

SECONDARYEDAAAOAI

Disability Employment & Vocational Rehabilitation (VR) Programs

Education/Adult & Continuing Education/Workforce Development Initiatives

SECONDARYEDAAAOAJ

Immigrant & Refugee Workforce Integration Programs

Education/Adult & Continuing Education/Workforce Development Initiatives

SECONDARYBPADAHAI

Integration & Inclusion Services (Housing, Education, Employment)

Business & Public Services/International Organizations & Development/Refugee, Migration & Displacement Services

SECONDARYEDAJAKAG

Transition Services (Secondary to Postsecondary/Employment, Life Skills)

Education/K–12 / Primary & Secondary Education/K–12 Special Education Services

Keywords

• Youth social services
• Vocational training programs
• Employment integration services
• School childcare services
• Rehabilitation support services

Headquarters

HQ city

Oberhausen, Rheinland

HQ country

Germany

HQ region

Europe

Offices11 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Government-funded employment and integration programs: die kurbel derives its primary revenue from public-sector commissioning contracts. As an AZAV-certified provider (since 2012), it delivers vocational training, youth employment assistance, and social integration measures funded by the Agentur für Arbeit, Jobcenter, ESF (European Social Fund), and municipal budgets. Revenue is project-based and recurring through multi-year public contracts.
2. School care and childcare services: Open all-day school care (Offener Ganztag), midday supervision, and school social work are funded through municipal school support contracts and potentially state/federal education funding.
3. FairKauf social retail: The FairKauf secondhand goods store generates modest retail revenue through the sale of donated and recycled goods. It also serves as a vocational training and employment venue for participants.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

die kurbel is a Catholic non-profit social services and labor-market integration provider that delivers publicly commissioned youth welfare, school care, vocational training, employment coaching, rehabilitation, and integration programs across the Ruhr region. Its core revenue activities are AZAV-certified vocational measures, open all-day school care, AVGS coaching, supported employment, and counseling — funded by the Agentur für Arbeit, Jobcenters, ESF Plus, and municipalities. FairKauf, its social secondhand department store, and Mary & Joe, an inclusive café, round out the service portfolio and double as vocational training venues.

Product overview

die kurbel is a Catholic youth welfare organization (Bildungsträger) operating as a multi-project social services provider. The organization offers a comprehensive portfolio of programs organized into distinct divisions: (1) School Support (Schulbegleitung) including Open All-Day Care (Offener Ganztag), Lunch Supervision, School Social Work, and Family Elementary School Centers; (2) AVGS employment services including Job Coaching, German Language Learning (Go to Learn German), and Migrant-Specific Mentoring; (3) Vocational Training and Career Orientation including Ausbildungswege NRW, Assisted Training (AsA-flex), Extra-Company Training (BaE), and Vocational Preparation (BvB/BvB-Reha); (4) Counseling Services including Beratungsstelle Arbeit, EMMA, NEO, SITAO+; (5) Rehabilitation Services including Horizont, MOPED, Supported Employment; (6) Youth Work including Jugendwerkstatt, Reset, Streetwork, and Youth Centers (Parkhaus, Wunderhof, GOT Sterkrade); (7) Integration and Education including ZIB, Integration Courses, and FairKauf social department store. The organization operates across Oberhausen, Bottrop, and Mülheim an der Ruhr serving more than 1000 people through over 40 projects.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• FairKauf / Fairkauf: Social supermarket and second-hand goods store operated by die kurbel, providing employment opportunities for disadvantaged individuals and celebrating its 20th anniversary in 2024.
• Café Mary & Joe
• ZIB – Zentrum für Integration und Bildung

Products and services

• FairKauf (Social Secondhand Department Store) Social department store (Sozialkaufhaus) selling donated and recycled secondhand goods at low prices to the general public; doubles as a vocational training and employment venue for kurbel participants with barriers to the labor market.
• Offener Ganztag (Open All-Day Care at Elementary Schools) Open all-day school care at elementary schools providing supervision, meals, and educational activities for school children; delivered on-site at 37 partner primary schools across Oberhausen and Duisburg.
• Pädagogische Übermittagsbetreuung (Pedagogical Lunch Supervision)
• Schulsozialarbeit (School Social Work)
• Familiengrundschulzentrum (Family Elementary School Center)
• KAoA – Kein Abschluss ohne Anschluss (Career Orientation Program)
• Ganzheitliche Betreuung nach §16k SGB II (AVGS Holistic Coaching)
• Go to Learn German (AVGS)
• Jobcoaching Individuell (AVGS Individual Job Coaching)
• Jobcoaching Inklusiv (AVGS Inclusive Job Coaching)
• Migrantenspezifisches Mentoring – MiMe (AVGS Migrant Mentoring)
• Ausbildungswege NRW
• Assistierte Ausbildung flexibel (AsA-flex)
• Berufsausbildung in außerbetrieblichen Einrichtungen (BaE integrativ)
• Berufsvorbereitende Bildungsmaßnahme (BvB)
• BvB-Reha (Vocational Preparation – Rehabilitation)
• Reha-Ausbildung kooperatives Modell (Cooperative Rehabilitation Training)
• Beratungsstelle Arbeit (Employment Counseling Office)
• EMMA – Empirische Methode zur Marktaktivierung
• NEO – Neue EU-Bürger in Oberhausen
• SITAO Plus – Soziale Integration und Teilhabe in Oberhausen
• Horizont (Rehabilitation Support Program)
• MOPED – Mülheimer Hilfe für psychisch erkrankte Menschen
• Unterstützte Beschäftigung (Supported Employment)
• Jugendwerkstatt (Youth Workshop)
• Reset – Projektcafé (Low-Threshold Project Café)
• Streetwork Oberhausen (Mobile Youth Social Work)
• Jugendtreff Parkhaus (Youth Center Parkhaus)
• Jugendtreff Wunderhof (Youth Center Wunderhof)
• GOT Sterkrade (Open Children and Youth Work)
• Sprachkurse / Integrationskurse (Language and Integration Courses)
• ZIB – Zentrum für Integration und Bildung (Center for Integration and Education) Low-threshold integration and education center at Styrumer Str. 41 in Oberhausen offering free educational and counseling services for families with minor children, including parent integration courses, children's homework support, language courses, Hebammensprechstunde, Brückenkindergarten, FreiRaum, Internationale KinderAkademie, Leseclub, Qualifizierung Mediatorinnen, Sprach Café, and Stärkungsgruppe.
• SpeAk – Sprache erlernen in Arbeit kommen
• Mary & Joe – Projektcafé und Kirchencafé Inclusive café project combining pastoral/social services with low-threshold meeting space and employment support; serves meals and beverages to the community.
• Aktivierungshilfen für Jüngere (Activation Help for Youth)
• Kompass plus – Individuelle Aktivierung
• Vor Ort – Externes Fallmanagement I–IV

Quantifiable outcome

• Over 1000 people served annually through 40+ projects and measures, plus school children from 37 partner schools.
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers10 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

20 partnerships are on record, tiered core, major and minor.

• Agentur für Arbeit OberhausencoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPrimary public commissioning partner for vocational training and employment assistance measures under SGB III. Refers participants to AZAV-certified kurbel programs and co-funds training measures.
• Jobcenter OberhausencoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPrimary commissioning partner for employment integration measures under SGB II (Bürgergeld). Refers long-term unemployed clients to kurbel's measures and co-finances placement and qualification programs.
• Jobcenter BottropcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCommissioning partner for vocational training and employment measures in Bottrop, including BvB, BaE kooperativ, and Reha-Ausbildung programs.
• Jobcenter Mülheim an der RuhrcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCommissioning partner for employment integration and qualification measures in Mülheim, including Beratungsstelle Arbeit.
• Bistum Essen (Diocese of Essen)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerDiocesan sponsor and institutional supporter of die kurbel as Catholic Youth Work. Provides organizational backing, pastoral connections, and access to church networks. Supports special projects including Mary & Joe and Haldenkreuzweg.
• Stadt Oberhausen (City of Oberhausen)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerMunicipal partner commissioning youth services, streetwork, and community programs. Provides funding for the Children's and Youth Promotion Plan (Kinder- und Jugendförderplan) and co-funds various social projects.
• Caritas OberhausencoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner in SITAO Plus (ESF Plus project) alongside AWO. Jointly operates social integration and participation programs for people in precarious situations.
• AWO Oberhausen (Arbeiterwohlfahrt)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner with die kurbel in the ESF Plus project SITAO Plus for social integration and labor market participation in Oberhausen.
• Werkkiste (Stiftung der Jugendberufshilfe im Bistum Essen)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerSister organization within the same foundation structure. Cooperates on Reha Verbund (supported employment) covering Duisburg-Mülheim-Oberhausen, shared training programs, and joint representation in BAG IDA.
• Deutsche Rentenversicherung RheinlandmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaboration on rehabilitation-specific vocational training and supported employment programs. kurbel presents its Reha-specific approaches at DRV staff conferences; DRV refers clients with rehabilitation needs to kurbel programs.
• KAB / DenkArbeit.Ruhr (Christliche Arbeiterbewegung)majorStrategic or Co-development PartnerLong-standing cooperation in the Beratungsstelle Arbeit (Employment Counseling Office) in Mülheim and Oberhausen. Jointly conducts information events on precarious employment and exploitation. KAB manages the Stiftung der Jugendberufshilfe which oversees both kurbel and Werkkiste.
• 37 partner schools in Oberhausen and DuisburgcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership with elementary and secondary schools for open all-day care (Offener Ganztag), midday supervision, and school social work. Schools refer students and families to kurbel's educational support services.
• BAG IDA (Bundesarbeitsgemeinschaft Integration durch Arbeit) des Deutschen CaritasverbandesmajorStrategic or Co-development Partnerdie kurbel Managing Director Frank Janßen serves on the BAG IDA Board. This federal-level network of Catholic employment integration providers advocates for ESF funding, shares best practices, and engages in federal policy dialogue.
• DIAG OKJA (Diözesanarbeitsgemeinschaft Offene Kinder- und Jugendarbeit) des Bistums EssenmajorStrategic or Co-development Partnerdie kurbel's Managing Director and a facility director serve on the DIAG OKJA board as provider representatives, representing Catholic open youth work in the Diocese of Essen.
• LAG KJS NRW (Landesarbeitsgemeinschaft Kinder- und Jugendsozialarbeit NRW)majorStrategic or Co-development Partnerdie kurbel's Managing Director served as Vorstand (board member) of this state-level association of youth social work providers in North Rhine-Westphalia.
• Dennis Radtke MdEP (Member of European Parliament)majorGTM or Marketing PartnerCDU MEP for the Ruhr region who has championed kurbel's work and awarded the Europamedaille to Managing Director Frank Janßen in 2026. Engages with kurbel on ESF Plus funding advocacy and European social policy.
• Trixxit (Sport- und Bewegungsanbieter)minorImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerExternal provider of sports and movement activities on schoolyards during holiday programs. Engaged by kurbel's school area for holiday care programs at various Duisburg and Oberhausen locations.
• NABU OberhausenminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerNature conservation organization collaborating on environmental projects such as vine protection at Hans-Sachs-Berufskolleg, combining ecological education with kurbel's vocational measures.
• Türkischer Kulturverein Oberhausen e.V.minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollected clothing donations for young people supported by Streetwork Oberhausen. Demonstrates community-based support for kurbel's outreach work.
• AMEOS Klinikum St. Clements OberhausenminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerReceives handcrafted Sternenkindersets (memorial blankets and hearts) made by kurbel workshop participants in OGA and SpeAk measures for families experiencing infant loss.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves11 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• AWO Bezirksverband Niederrhein: AWO (Arbeiterwohlfahrt) is a parallel welfare association that co-operates with die kurbel on SITAO Plus and offers overlapping youth, integration, and employment-promotion services. Competes for ESF, municipal, and Jobcenter contracts in the same Ruhr geography.
• Kolping Bildung Deutschland: Kolping Bildung is a Catholic-affiliated vocational training and employment-promotion provider with a comparable portfolio of AZAV-accredited measures, youth programs, and integration courses. It competes directly with die kurbel for public tenders in NRW and shares the same church-social policy framework.
• DRK (Deutsches Rotes Kreuz) Kreisverband Oberhausen: Local DRK chapter operating parallel youth welfare, family services, and integration programs under the same NRW public funding architecture. Shares the Oberhausen commissioning marketplace and serves overlapping migrant, family, and vulnerable-youth populations.
• Caritasverband für die Stadt Oberhausen e.V. Local Caritas affiliate already cooperating with die kurbel on SITAO Plus and a core parallel Catholic welfare provider in the same geography. Operates overlapping youth, family, and integration services that compete for the same participant pool and commissioning budgets in Oberhausen.
• Werkkiste (Stiftung der Jugendberufshilfe im Bistum Essen): Sister organization under the same diocesan foundation structure that operates youth-vocational and Reha-supported-employment programs across Duisburg-Mülheim-Oberhausen. Direct overlap on Reha Verbund, shared training programs, and joint representation in BAG IDA make it the closest organizational twin to die kurbel.

Broad incumbents

• Fortbildungsakademie der Wirtschaft (FAW) gGmbH: FAW is a major employer-affiliated non-profit vocational training and labor-market integration provider delivering AZAV measures, supported employment, and integration courses nationwide. Overlaps with kurbel on activation, Reha, and EU-funded integration programs.
• BBQ Bildung und Berufliche Qualifizierung gGmbH: BBQ is a sizeable German vocational training provider with a similar mix of AZAV-accredited activation, retraining, and integration measures. Operates across multiple Bundesländer and competes for the same municipal and ESF funding streams.
• Internationaler Bund (IB) Südwest gGmbH: Internationaler Bund is one of Germany's largest non-profit vocational training and youth services operators, with extensive AZAV-accredited programs for youth, migrants, and the long-term unemployed. A scaled incumbent competing for the same ESF, Jobcenter, and Agentur für Arbeit contracts at national level.
• bfw – Unternehmen für Bildung: bfw is a large federally-active vocational training and qualification provider offering AZAV-certified measures, rehabilitation vocational training, and activation programs. Competes with kurbel for activation voucher (AVGS) and Reha-Ausbildung tenders across NRW.

Regional players

• Grone Bildungszentren NRW gGmbH: Grone is a private vocational training group with a strong NRW presence delivering AZAV-certified measures, Reha-Ausbildung, and integration courses. Operates regionally on the same commissioning rails as kurbel, including in adjacent Ruhr cities.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/die-kurbel-katholisches-jugendwerk-oberhausen-gemeinn%C3%BCtzige-gmbh-fairkauf

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles11 records

Subsidiaries2 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about die kurbel Katholisches Jugendwerk Oberhausen gemeinnützige GmbH Fairkauf