Notdienst Berlin e. V.

What Notdienst Berlin e. V. does

Notdienst Berlin e. V. (legal name: Notdienst für Suchtmittelgefährdete und -abhängige Berlin e.V., also operating as Drogennotdienst Berlin gGmbH) is a registered nonprofit association founded in 1984 in Berlin, Germany. The organization provides a comprehensive continuum of addiction and harm reduction services including drug and alcohol counseling, opioid substitution treatment, psychosocial support, crisis housing, supported living, youth and family services, women's services for drug-using women and sex workers (Frauentreff Olga), refugee peer support (PEER to PEER), nightlife harm reduction (SONAR – Safer Nightlife Berlin), and employment programs (tageswerkstatt). Service delivery is distributed through 14+ physical locations across all major Berlin districts, complemented by online booking (Amelia system), streetwork outreach, and multilingual peer programs. The underlying technology stack is minimal — primarily WordPress-based website content, social media channels, and an online appointment booking system; the Checkpoint S mobile app, co-developed with Hochschule Merseburg, is the only disclosed digital product and provides consumption diary, mood tracking, and clinician communication features for substitution patients. The revenue model is public-sector dependent: as a gemeinnütziger Träger, the organization is primarily funded through government contracts and subsidies from German federal ministries, the Berlin Senate (Senatsverwaltung), and borough-level Bezirksamt authorities, supplemented by tax-deductible donations from individuals and organizations. All core services are provided free of charge to clients.

Name

Notdienst Berlin e. V.

Legal name

Notdienst für Suchtmittelgefährdete und -abhängige Berlin e.V.

Website

https://drogennotdienst.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1984

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Notdienst Berlin e. V. is a Berlin-based nonprofit association founded in 1984 providing comprehensive addiction services — counseling, opioid substitution treatment, psychosocial support, crisis housing, and harm reduction — to people with substance use disorders across 14+ city locations, funded primarily by German federal, state, and borough government contracts.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Addiction and Social Services

NAICS

Individual and Family Services (6241), Outpatient Mental Health and Substance Abuse Centers (621420)

SIC

Services-Social Services (8300), Services-Health Services (8000)

akta.pro primary industry

Substance Use Disorder Prevention & Recovery Services (BPAGACAE)

akta.pro secondary industry

Substance Use Recovery & Harm Reduction Support Services (BPAGAEAO)

Keywords

• Addiction counseling services
• Opioid substitution treatment
• Psychosocial support services
• Harm reduction programs
• Supported housing services

Headquarters

HQ city

Berlin

HQ country

Germany

HQ region

Europe

Offices13 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Government / Public Funding: As a registered non-profit social services organization (gGmbH/gemeinnütziger Träger), the organization is primarily funded through public contracts and subsidies from German federal and Berlin state/borough governments (Bundesministerium, Senatsverwaltung, Bezirksamt).
2. Donations: The organization accepts monetary donations from individuals and organizations. Donations are tax-deductible. The organization also accepts in-kind donations such as clothing for the crisis accommodation.

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

Notdienst Berlin e. V. is a Berlin nonprofit association that provides addiction and social services. Its core offering includes drug and alcohol counseling, opioid substitution treatment and psychosocial support, crisis and supported housing, youth and family services, harm-reduction outreach, women-specific services, refugee peer support, and employment programming for people affected by substance use.

Product overview

Notdienst Berlin e. V. is a non-profit addiction and social services organization in Berlin offering a comprehensive, multi-site portfolio of interconnected services. The core offering centers on the Drogennotdienst (drug counseling) center, which provides immediate advice, therapy referrals, and psychosocial support. This connects to a city-wide network of substitution treatment (AID facilities) and psychosocial support (PSB) across multiple Berlin districts, complemented by supported housing (crisis apartments and Betreutes Wohnen) for clients in treatment. Specialized programs address specific populations: the Frauentreff Olga for women, ESCAPE and Gaia Teen for youth and families, Grasshopper for young cannabis users, and SONAR/CLUBTALKS for nightlife harm reduction. The tageswerkstatt provides employment support, while PEER to PEER bridges services to refugees, and Guidance extends online counseling in multiple languages. Together, these services form a continuum from crisis intervention through long-term support.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Checkpoint S: App development project for substitution patients to track their treatment
• PEER to PEER
• SONAR – Safer Nightlife Berlin
• Contraddict
• Grasshopper
• Gaia Teen

Products and services

• Drug Emergency Service [Drogennotdienst] Drug counseling service for people affected by drug use in Berlin.
• Substitution and Psychosocial Care [Substitution und Psychosoziale Betreuung] Combined opioid substitution treatment and psychosocial support delivered through AID locations.
• Crisis Apartment [Krisenwohnung] Crisis housing service for people who need temporary residential support.
• Emergency Overnight Accommodation [Notübernachtung] Emergency overnight accommodation service.
• Supported Living [Betreutes Wohnen] Supported living service for people who need residential support.
• Alcohol and Medication Counseling Center [Alkohol- und Medikamentenberatungsstelle] Counseling service for people with alcohol- or medication-related issues.
• LogIn Low-threshold counseling service for people affected by drug use.
• Youth and Family Services [Jugend- und Familienhilfe] Youth and family support services connected to addiction-related needs.
• ESCAPE Youth program delivered under the organization’s youth and family support services.
• Gaia Teen Parent group connected to the organization’s youth and family support services.
• Women’s Meeting Place Olga [Frauentreff Olga] Women-specific addiction and social support for women who use drugs and sex workers.
• Contraddict Program for managing additional substance use among people receiving opioid substitution treatment.
• Grasshopper Support service for young cannabis users.
• Safer Nightlife Berlin [SONAR] Nightlife harm-reduction service focused on safer partying in Berlin.
• CLUBTALKS Nightlife forums connected to the organization’s harm-reduction work.
• Day Workshop Employment Program [tageswerkstatt] Employment and structured daytime program for people affected by substance use.
• Guidance Online multilingual counseling service.
• Streetwork and Contact Center [Streetwork/Kontaktladen] Outreach and low-threshold contact services for people affected by drug use.
• PEER to PEER Peer-to-peer support service for refugees.
• Workshops and Continuing Education [Workshops und Fortbildungen] Named workshops and continuing education offerings connected to the organization’s work.

Named customers6 records

Segments7 records

Ideal customer profiles9 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature1 record

Partnerships

Eight partnerships are on record, tiered minor and core.

• Stigma e.V.minorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 23 August 2019Stigma e.V. co-organized a public reading event 'Lebenswelten – Sucht und Beschaffung' with the Frauentreff Olga at the Jugendkulturzentrum Pumpe. The event aimed to build empathy between residents, business owners, and sex workers in the Kurfürstenstraße area through a reading from $ick's autobiography.
• Hochschule MerseburgcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 17 June 2019The Hochschule Merseburg (University of Applied Sciences) is leading the co-development of the 'Checkpoint S' mobile app for substitution patients. The university previously developed an app for Crystal Meth users and is now involving Notdienst Berlin clients and staff directly in the development process to ensure the app meets real-world needs.
• Hochschule Merseburg (app development)coreTechnology or IntegrationJoint development of the Checkpoint S app for substitution treatment support, including consumption diary, mood tracking, and physician communication features.
• Bundesministerium des Inneren, für Bau und Heimat (Federal Ministry of the Interior)minorOthersOne of the funders of the joint reading event with Stigma e.V. at the Jugendkulturzentrum Pumpe.
• Senatsverwaltung für Stadtentwicklung und Wohnen (Berlin Senate Department)minorOthersGovernment funder supporting the joint event on life realities around Kurfürstenstraße.
• Bezirksamt Tempelhof-SchönebergminorOthersBorough government (Abteilung Stadtentwicklung und Bauen) co-funder of the event series and streetwork activities.
• Soziale Stadt / Städtebauförderung (Social City urban development program)minorOthersFederal-state urban development funding program co-supporting neighborhood projects involving Notdienst Berlin.
• Bezirkskoordination QuartiersmanagementminorOthersNeighborhood management coordination supporting local social projects.

Scale indicators2 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• Deutsche Hauptstelle für Suchtfragen (DHS): National umbrella organization coordinating German addiction services and policy advocacy. Thematically adjacent as the federal-level coordination body whose policy work shapes the operating environment for organizations like the subject company.
• Caritas Suchthilfe (Deutscher Caritasverband): National Catholic welfare organization running addiction counseling and treatment centers across Germany. Overlapping service portfolio (counseling, substitution, psychosocial support) and competes for the same municipal funding streams as the subject company.
• Diakonie Suchthilfe (sucht.perspektive / Diakonie Deutschland): Germany-wide Protestant welfare network offering addiction counseling, substitution, and rehabilitation services through regional Diakonie providers. Comparable service model and target population, with significantly broader geographic reach and back-office scale than the subject company.

Direct peers

• Therapiehilfe e.V. German non-profit operating addiction treatment and supported housing facilities, including substitution and reintegration services. Closely comparable in residential care and substitution support offering to the subject company's Betreutes Wohnen and Krisenwohnung programs.
• Vista gGmbH: Berlin non-profit providing psychosocial support and substitution-related services for opioid-dependent clients. Comparable on substitution treatment, psychosocial care, and geographic overlap with the subject company.
• Fixpunkt e.V. Berlin-based non-profit operating low-threshold drug contact stores, substitution support, and harm reduction services for drug users. Closest direct peer by city, mission, and service model (outreach, contact shops, harm reduction) to the subject company.
• Sucht- und Drogenhotline (bundesweite Notrufnummer): National 24/7 helpline for addiction issues operated by a consortium of German addiction aid organizations. Comparable as a front-door counseling and referral channel for substance use clients, overlapping with the subject company's initial counseling and referral function.
• JES Selbsthilfe / JES-Netzwerk: National self-help network for drug users, former users, and substituted individuals in Germany. Compares to the subject company as a peer-led voice for the same target population, particularly the substituted and actively-using communities served by Contraddict and Gaia Teen.

Regional players

• Condrobs e.V. Munich/Bavaria-based non-profit operating addiction counseling, substitution, supported housing, and youth services. Comparable integrated service model to the subject company, but operating primarily in southern Germany rather than Berlin.
• Suchtberatung Hamburg / Basis Suchtberatung Hamburg: Hamburg-based addiction services non-profit providing counseling, substitution support, and harm reduction. Comparable service mix and publicly funded model, operating in a different German city without direct Berlin competition.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UCgy-FASuWTPKJA5-lCqYPHQ
• Facebookfacebook.com/notdienstberlin.de
• Instagraminstagram.com/drogennotdienst
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/notdienst-berlin-e-v-

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

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 Notdienst Berlin e. V.