Ernst Ludwig Ehrlich Studienwerk

What Ernst Ludwig Ehrlich Studienwerk does

Ernst Ludwig Ehrlich Studienwerk (ELES) is a Berlin-based Jewish scholarship foundation registered as a German eingetragener Verein (e.V.) that provides financial and ideological support to Jewish students, doctoral candidates, and rabbinical students at German universities. Founded in 2009 and operationally active since 2010, it is one of thirteen state-recognized Begabtenförderungswerke funded by the Bundesministerium für Forschung, Technologie und Raumfahrt (BMFTR) and the Zentralrat der Juden in Deutschland, and is the only such foundation dedicated to the Jewish community. Since inception it has supported over 1,200 scholarship recipients, organized into eight regional groups across Germany, with cumulative milestone data showing a 1,000th recipient in 2022 and a 15th anniversary celebration in 2024.

The core product set comprises student funding (Studierendenförderung), doctoral funding (Promovierendenförderung), and ideological support (ideelle Förderung), delivered through named scholarship programs (Global Jewish Leadership Stipendienprogramm, Beck Berlin, Benno-Jacob/Bertha-Pappenheim, Dr. Kalinski) and accompanying programs (Nie wieder!? antisemitism initiative, MpAct! multiplier training, Schreibzeit in Buchen research retreats, Shabbaton religious programming, mentoring, and alumni activities delivered via the ELES/Net intranet). Technology deployment is modest and operational: a custom online application portal with two-factor authentication, the ELES/Net internal networking platform, Matomo for on-premise privacy-respecting web analytics, MailChimp for newsletter marketing, Zoom for seminars, and PayPal for donations.

Revenue is non-commercial and grant-based. Primary funding is institutional from BMFTR (as one of the 13 recognized talent foundations) and the Zentralrat der Juden, supplemented by project-based grants from the Auswärtiges Amt (German Foreign Office), the Beck Berlin foundation, and tax-deductible private donations. The organization employs approximately 20 staff at its Berlin headquarters (Ernst Ludwig Ehrlich Haus, opened 2017), with offloaded sub-brands Dialogperspektiven and DAGESH – Jüdische Kunst im Kontext spun off into DialoguePerspectives e.V. in 2020.

Name

Ernst Ludwig Ehrlich Studienwerk

Legal name

Ernst Ludwig Ehrlich Studienwerk e.V.

Website

https://eles-studienwerk.de

Company type

Private

Founded year

2009

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Ernst Ludwig Ehrlich Studienwerk (ELES) is a Berlin-based Jewish scholarship foundation, one of 13 German Begabtenförderungswerke, providing financial and ideological support to Jewish students, doctoral candidates, and rabbinical trainees at German universities, funded by BMFTR and private donations.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Educational Scholarship Funding

NAICS

Grantmaking Foundations (813211), Educational Support Services (611710)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro industry

PRIMARYBPAGAKAK

Education Grantmaking Foundations

Business & Public Services/Nonprofit, NGO & Social Services/Philanthropy, Foundations & Grantmaking

SECONDARYEDAIAOAH

Foundation/NGO & Philanthropic Scholarships

Education/International Education & Study Abroad/Scholarships, Funding & Financial Aid for International Study

SECONDARYEDADAHAL

International Student Funding & Mobility Grants Administration

Education/Education Administration, Accreditation & Policy/Education Funding, Grants & Financial Aid Administration

Keywords

• Scholarship foundation services
• Jewish student funding
• Doctoral candidate support
• Talent promotion foundation
• Ideological educational programs

Headquarters

HQ city

Berlin

HQ country

Germany

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Institutional Funding: Primary funding from German Federal Ministry for Research, Technology and Space (BMFTR) and Zentralrat der Juden in Deutschland as one of 13 German Begabtenförderungswerke (talent promotion foundations)
2. Donations and Private Contributions: Private donations from supporters, tax-exempt charitable contributions (ELES is recognized as tax-exempt for promotion of science and research)
3. Project-based Funding: Project-specific funding from Auswärtiges Amt (Foreign Office), Beck Berlin, and other partners for designated programs

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

ELES is a Jewish scholarship foundation (Begabtenförderungswerk) that awards scholarships and provides ideological support to particularly talented and engaged Jewish students and doctoral candidates at German universities. In addition to financial support, the foundation delivers a wide-ranging ideelle Förderung (ideological support) program including seminars, Shabbatonim, summer academies, writing retreats, mentoring, regional groups, and specialized programs on antisemitism awareness, religious life, and Jewish arts. It operates as one of thirteen state-recognized German talent promotion foundations funded by the Federal Ministry for Research, Technology and Space (BMFTR) and the Central Council of Jews in Germany.

Product overview

Ernst Ludwig Ehrlich Studienwerk (ELES) operates as a Jewish scholarship foundation providing financial support and intellectual development programs for Jewish students and doctoral candidates in Germany. The core offering consists of student funding and doctoral funding programs, complemented by ideological support that strengthens Jewish identity and dialog capabilities. ELES manages multiple named scholarship programs including the Global Jewish Leadership, Beck Berlin, Benno-Jacob/Bertha-Pappenheim, and Dr. Kalinski programs. The organization's platform includes ELES/Net, an internal networking intranet, while specialized programs like Nie wieder!? (antisemitism awareness), Schreibzeit in Buchen (research retreats), Religious Life/Shabbaton events, and the Mentoring Program provide additional support. Programs like DAGESH (Jewish art) and Dialogperspektiven have spun off as independent initiatives. The foundation serves as one of thirteen German talent promotion foundations funded by the Federal Ministry and the Central Council of Jews in Germany.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Dagesh – Jüdische Kunst im Kontext: Platform and network supporting young Jewish artists in Germany, initiated by ELES in 2016 and now operated by DialoguePerspectives e.V.
• Dialogperspektiven
• Nie wieder!? Gemeinsam gegen Antisemitismus
• MpAct!

Products and services

• Studierendenförderung (Student Funding) Financial and ideological scholarship support for particularly talented and engaged Jewish students studying at German universities, including living-expense funding and access to the ideelle Förderung program of seminars, workshops, and cultural events.
• Promovierendenförderung (Doctoral Funding) Financial and ideological support for doctoral candidates of all disciplines (except medicine) at the beginning of an individual doctorate who are Jewish or have an academic connection to Jewish studies.
• Ideelle Förderung (Ideological Support Program) A diverse educational program strengthening Jewish identity and dialog capabilities through seminars, workshops, cultural events, summer academies, regional group activities, and Shabbatonim for all ELES scholarship recipients.
• Global Jewish Leadership Stipendienprogramm Scholarship program inviting Jewish students from around the world to study in Germany, funded by the German Federal Foreign Office as part of the broader Jewish Future Forum initiative.
• Beck Berlin-Stipendienprogramm Scholarship program funding Israeli students and doctoral candidates at Berlin higher education institutions, named after the Beck family foundation.
• Benno-Jacob/Bertha-Pappenheim-Stipendienprogramm Scholarship program for rabbinical and cantorial students to support their training in Germany, with pastoral support from ELES rabbis.
• Dr. Kalinski Stipendienprogramm Named scholarship program providing financial support to Jewish students and doctoral candidates.
• Schreibzeit in Buchen Two-week writing retreat program at the Bücherei des Judentums (Library of Judaism) in Buchen (Odenwald), with travel and accommodation costs covered, providing access to approximately 9,000 titles on Jewish studies.
• Nie wieder!? – Gemeinsam gegen Antisemitismus Program that sensitizes scholarship recipients for antisemitism, strengthens handling of antisemitic incidents, and promotes networking of scholarship holders with experts and civil society actors through seminars and public events.
• MpAct! – Multiplikator*innen Qualifizierungsprogramm Qualification program for multipliers who have completed a Nie wieder!? seminar and wish to deliver educational work against antisemitism, including basic and advanced training, digital offerings, and internships.
• Jewish Future Forum Foreign Office-funded program for the training of future rabbis and cantors, inviting future Jewish community leaders from around the world to study in Germany.

Quantifiable outcome

• Over 1,200 students supported since 2010
• +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

Integration9 records

Feature2 records

Partnerships

Ten partnerships are on record, tiered major and minor.

• Konrad Adenauer StiftungmajorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2026Cooperation for journalism seminar on antisemitism reporting, bringing together scholarship holders from all 13 Begabtenförderungswerke.
• Kompetenzzentrum für antisemitismuskritische Bildung und Forschung der ZWSTmajorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2020Partnership for the MpAct! qualification program for multipliers against antisemitism, part of the 'Nie wieder!?' program.
• OFEK e.V.majorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2020Cooperation partner for antisemitism education through the MpAct! multiplier qualification program.
• Dagesh – Jüdische Kunst im KontextmajorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2016Platform for young Jewish artists, originally initiated by ELES in 2016 and now an independent program under DialoguePerspectives e.V.
• DialoguePerspectives e.V.majorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2015European platform for strengthening pluralistic society, originally an ELES project (spun off in 2020) for interreligious and worldview dialogue.
• Hillel InternationalmajorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2014Cooperation for Jewish student activities. ELES scholarship holders can participate in Hillel events to actively shape the future of Jewish life.
• Bücherei des Judentums (Bibliothek des Judentums)majorStrategic or Co-development PartnerJoint 'Schreibzeit in Buchen' program providing two-week writing retreats for ELES scholarship holders in the Jewish library.
• Studienstiftung des deutschen VolkesmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerLead foundation for the 13 Begabtenförderungswerke, organizes joint summer academies including ELES participation.
• CusanuswerkminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCatholicBegabtenförderungswerk, partner in inter-foundation cooperation and joint programs.
• Ev. Studienwerk VilligstminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerProtestant Begabtenförderungswerk, partner in inter-foundation cooperation.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves10 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Friedrich-Ebert-Stiftung: SPD-affiliated political foundation and one of the 13 Begabtenförderungswerke, supporting talented students with financial aid and political education. Directly comparable scholarship and ideological-support model.
• Cusanuswerk: The Catholic counterpart among the 13 German Begabtenförderungswerke, providing financial and ideological support for talented Catholic students. Directly comparable faith-based scholarship foundation and active inter-foundation partner of ELES.
• Hanns-Seidel-Stiftung: CSU-affiliated political foundation and one of the 13 Begabtenförderungswerke. Directly comparable scholarship-and-ideological-support model for talented German students.
• Hillel International: World's largest Jewish student organization, operating across campuses globally. Directly comparable in serving Jewish university students with community, identity, and educational programming, and an active cooperation partner of ELES since 2014.
• Friedrich-Naumann-Stiftung: FDP-affiliated political foundation and one of the 13 Begabtenförderungswerke. Directly comparable in providing scholarships and liberal-ideological programming to outstanding German students.
• Heinrich-Böll-Stiftung: Greens-affiliated political foundation and one of the 13 Begabtenförderungswerke. Directly comparable in combining scholarships with ideological/political programming for selected students.
• Evangelisches Studienwerk Villigst: The Protestant counterpart among the 13 German Begabtenförderungswerke, providing scholarships and ideological programs for Protestant students. Directly comparable faith-based foundation and a named partner in inter-foundation cooperation with ELES.
• Studienstiftung des deutschen Volkes: The largest and lead foundation among the 13 German Begabtenförderungswerke, supporting academically outstanding German students across disciplines. Directly comparable as one of ELES's sister foundations and an explicit partner organizing joint summer academies.
• Rosa-Luxemburg-Stiftung: Die Linke-affiliated political foundation and one of the 13 Begabtenförderungswerke. Directly comparable scholarship and political-education model within the same government-funded talent promotion framework.
• Konrad-Adenauer-Stiftung: CDU-affiliated political foundation and one of the 13 Begabtenförderungswerke. Directly comparable in offering scholarships and ideological programming, and a recent cooperation partner with ELES on the antisemitism journalism seminar.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/@elesernstludwigehrlichstud3645
• Facebookfacebook.com/ELES.Studienwerk
• Instagraminstagram.com/eles_studienwerk
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/ernst-ludwig-ehrlich-studienwerk

Compliance2 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles11 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about Ernst Ludwig Ehrlich Studienwerk