GESA gGmbH

What GESA gGmbH does

GESA gGmbH is a charitable non-profit limited liability company (gemeinnützige GmbH) headquartered in Wuppertal, North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany, operating under the umbrella of GESA Stiftung since its founding in 1984. The GESA Group comprises five operating entities — GESA gGmbH, GESA Akademie, Grüntal gGmbH (an inclusion enterprise and the largest in Wuppertal, with 40% of employees having recognized severe disabilities), Reditus gGmbH (social housing), and Ventura GmbH — delivering employment integration, vocational training, language courses, social housing, and circular-economy services to long-term unemployed individuals, migrants and refugees, people with disabilities, youth under 25, and ex-offenders across the Bergische Region. Service delivery is anchored at seven Wuppertal locations, including a converted historic RiRi zipper factory serving as a training academy, the Holzenergiehof recycling and wood-energy site, the Beratungscafé Hier&Da community counseling café, two social housing complexes (Peter-Beier-Straße and Kreuzkirche), and two second-hand retail outlets.

GESA's business model is overwhelmingly public-sector funded, with revenue derived from government contracts and grants rather than direct customer payments. Funders and contracting partners include Jobcenter Wuppertal, the Bundesagentur für Arbeit, BAMF (since 2016), the European Social Fund and the State of NRW, Stiftung Wohlfahrtspflege NRW, LVR, and Aktion Mensch. All participant-facing services (coaching, language courses, vocational training, employment support, debt prevention) are provided free of charge to beneficiaries. The organization holds AZAV certification, BAMF authorization, telc examination-center status, and is a certified Träger der Jugendhilfe — credentialed gates that restrict competition to accredited providers. Grüntal's primary-market service contracts (painting, building cleaning, PV cleaning, garden/landscape) and Reditus's social-housing rentals provide modest commercial-style revenue streams, while two second-hand retail outlets (TalGut and 'Second-Hand-Outlet powered by GESA') opened in 2025 represent a nascent commercial channel tied to the circular-economy operations.

The underlying technology footprint is minimal: standard web infrastructure (WP Statistics, Borlabs Cookie, All-Inkl hosting, MyFonts) with no proprietary platform disclosed. Differentiated program features are experiential rather than technical — notably ViRAL (virtual-reality vocational orientation) and KAoA-STAR (a three-day, eight-vocational-field hands-on career exploration program that served approximately 52 students with special educational needs in a single cohort). GESA is a Diakonie-affiliated organization operating within the German Protestant welfare tradition, with institutional backing from Diakonie Rheinland-Westfalen-Lippe and Diakonie Deutschland, and pursues an ecosystem approach that integrates employment, training, housing, and circular-economy activities under a single group structure — a model few single-focus NGOs in the region can replicate.

Name

GESA gGmbH

Legal name

GESA gGmbH

Website

https://gesaonline.de

Company type

Private

Founded year

1984

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

GESA gGmbH is a Wuppertal-based non-profit social services group delivering employment integration, vocational training, language courses, inclusion employment (Grüntal), social housing (Reditus), and circular-economy services to long-term unemployed, migrants, people with disabilities, youth, and ex-offenders across the Bergische Region, funded primarily by German public-sector contracts.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Social and Employment Services

NAICS

Services for the Elderly and Persons with Disabilities (62412), Vocational Rehabilitation Services (624310), Other Similar Organizations (except Business, Professional, Labor, and Political Organizations) (81399), Civic and Social Organizations (813410)

SIC

Services-Social Services (8300)

akta.pro primary industry

Special Education, Disability Support & Inclusive Education Nonprofits (BPAGADAH)

akta.pro secondary industries

Disability Services & Independent Living Support (BPAGACAG), Disability Services & Independent Living Support (BPAGAEAG)

Keywords

• Social services
• Vocational training
• Employment integration
• Language courses
• Circular economy recycling

Headquarters

HQ city

Wuppertal, Nordrhein-Westfalen

HQ country

Germany

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. Government-Funded Social Services Contracts: GESA operates as a funded social services provider, receiving contracts and subsidies from public institutions including job centers (Jobcenter Wuppertal), the Federal Employment Agency (Bundesagentur für Arbeit), and the BAMF (Bundesamt für Migration und Flüchtlinge). Revenue is project-based, tied to participation numbers and program outcomes.
2. European Social Fund (ESF) and State Funding: Multiple projects are co-financed by the ESF and the State of North Rhine-Westphalia, providing supplemental revenue streams for workforce integration and inclusion programs.
3. Second-Hand Retail (Kleiderkreislauf / Second-Hand-Outlet): The Second-Hand-Outlet at Essener Straße 59 sells refurbished clothing and home textiles sourced from AWG textile collection. Revenue is generated through retail sales of processed second-hand goods. Sorting and processing is performed by participants in employment integration projects, linking revenue generation directly with social mission.
4. Vocational Training and Qualification Services: GESA generates revenue through vocational training programs, language courses (BAMF-approved integration courses, vocational language courses), and professional qualification programs for employers. Language courses and certification testing (telc examination center) are fee-based services.
5. Inclusion Enterprise Services (Grüntal): Grüntal gGmbH, the largest inclusion enterprise in Wuppertal, operates in the primary labor market providing painting, building cleaning, PV cleaning, and garden/landscape services to commercial customers. Revenue is generated through client contracts for these services.
6. Rental Income from Social Housing: Through subsidiary Reditus gGmbH and property holdings, GESA generates rental income from social housing units (e.g., Peter-Beier-Straße, Kreuzkirche) rented to people with housing vouchers.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

GESA gGmbH is a charitable non-profit social services organization that delivers publicly funded employment integration, vocational training, German language courses, psychosocial coaching, and disability inclusion services for disadvantaged groups including long-term unemployed individuals, migrants and refugees, people with disabilities, youth under 25, and ex-offenders. The organization also operates circular economy activities (textile recycling, electrical recycling, the Holzenergiehof wood energy center), an inclusion enterprise via subsidiary Grüntal gGmbH, social housing via Reditus gGmbH, and the Second-Hand-Outlet retail store, all anchored by seven locations across Wuppertal and the Bergische Region.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Second-Hand-Outlet powered by GESA: Second-hand retail store selling clothing and home textiles for men, women, and children, supporting circular economy and creating employment opportunities for long-term unemployed individuals.
• TalGut
• Beratungscafé Hier&Da

Products and services

• Beratungscafé Hier&Da
• Beschäftigungsförderung (AGH)
• Beratungsstelle Arbeit
• Coaching für Frauen in besonderen Lebenslagen
• Deutschkurse (Integration and Vocational Language Courses)
• (F)empower Empowerment Program
• HerBeg (Heranführung und Begleitung)
• Kompass Arbeit
• Schuldenprävention
• Teilhabe am Arbeitsmarkt (§ 16i SGB II)
• TEP (Transition Program)
• Bergisch Stark
• BiJu
• Jugendintegrationskurse
• aLA
• EUTB (Ergänzende unabhängige Teilhabeberatung)
• KAoA-STAR Vocational Exploration
• BaE (Berufsausbildung in außerbetrieblichen Einrichtungen)
• BvB (Berufsvorbereitende Bildungsmaßnahme)
• #deinWeg
• Geförderte Ausbildung
• ViRAL (Virtual Reality Career Orientation)
• Werkstattjahr NRW
• KAoA und KAoA kompakt
• Ausbildungsbegleitung for Companies
• Employer Language Courses
• Grüntal gGmbH Inclusion Enterprise Services
• Holzenergiehof Wuppertal (Wood Energy Center)
• Second-Hand-Outlet 'powered by GESA'
• TalGut Second-Hand Store
• Reditus Social Housing Units
• telc Language Examination Services
• Elektrorecycling (Electrical Recycling)
• Textilrecycling / Kleiderkreislauf (Textile Recycling)

Quantifiable outcome

• A deaf trainee (Henrike Feldmeyer) at Grüntal passed her journeyperson examination (Gesellenprüfung) to become a qualified painter and painter-and-lackerer, then was hired permanently.
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers6 records

Segments6 records

Ideal customer profiles5 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature2 records

Partnerships

23 partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Diakonie Rheinland-Westfalen-LippecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerDiakonie RWL is a major Protestant social welfare umbrella organization. GESA operates as a member/affiliate under the Diakonie banner, sharing its Christian social values and benefiting from institutional backing, joint advocacy, and sector representation.
• Stadt WuppertalcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe City of Wuppertal is a key public sector partner. GESA collaborates with municipal departments including the building management (Gebäudemanagement) for work placement sites, the social welfare office, and participates in city-initiated events such as 'Wuppertal barrierefrei'.
• Bundesagentur für Arbeit (Federal Employment Agency)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe Federal Employment Agency (BA) and its local branches (Agentur für Arbeit) are GESA's primary institutional partners for funding and referring participants to employment integration programs. BA accreditation and certification underpin GESA's service delivery.
• Jobcenter WuppertalcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerJobcenter Wuppertal is the primary funder and referral partner for GESA's core employment integration programs including Beschäftigungsförderung (AGH), coaching programs, §16i participation measures, and BaE apprenticeships. The relationship is governed by formal funding contracts.
• Bundesamt für Migration und Flüchtlinge (BAMF)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerAs a BAMF-authorized provider since 2016, GESA delivers integration courses and vocational language courses funded by and coordinated with the Federal Office for Migration and Refugees.
• LVR – Landschaftsverband RheinlandminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerLVR provides funding and support for inclusion and rehabilitation services for people with disabilities, complementing GESA's specialized programs in this area.
• Diakonie DeutschlandcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerAs a member of the Diakonie (Protestant welfare) network, GESA is aligned with Diakonie Deutschland's advocacy, standards, and sector representation at the national level.
• AWG – Abfallwirtschaftsgesellschaft mbH WuppertalcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerAWG and GESA have a long-standing circular economy partnership. GESA processes electrical equipment collected by AWG. This partnership was expanded to include a textile recycling cooperation: AWG collects clothing, GESA cleans and refurbishes it, and GESA sells it through its Second-Hand-Outlet, creating a closed local loop.
• FAB Region Bergisches StädtedreieckminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerFAB Region is a regional initiative promoting circular economy projects. GESA participates in workshops and projects aligned with the Fab City approach, contributing its recycling and circular economy expertise.
• Circular ValleyminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCircular Valley is an organization advancing circular economy in the region. GESA participates in its ecosystem, bringing its practical experience with recycling and resource recovery.
• DEKRA AkademieminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorGESA cooperates with DEKRA Akademie for the 'Kooperative Ausbildung' (cooperative vocational training) program, where DEKRA provides examination and certification services and GESA delivers training support.
• EFAS – Evangelische Fachagentur für Arbeit und SozialesminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerEFAS is the Protestant agency for labor and social affairs that provides sector coordination, quality standards, and some funding for Protestant social service providers like GESA.
• SkF – Sozialdienst katholischer FrauenminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerSkF cooperates with GESA on the PreWork project, targeting women job seekers referred by the job center, combining GESA's employment expertise with SkF's social services.
• Bundesinstitut für Berufsbildung (BIBB)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerBIBB is the federal institute for vocational education and training. GESA's programs align with BIBB standards and frameworks for dual education and vocational qualification.
• WSW – Wuppertaler StadtwerkeminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorWSW is the local public utility. GESA and WSW cooperate on various community engagement and sustainability initiatives in Wuppertal.
• GWG – Gemeinnützige Wohnungsbaugenossenschaft WuppertalminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerGWG Wuppertal is a social housing cooperative. GESA's social housing and reintegration mission aligns with GWG's affordable housing objectives.
• GMW – Gesellschaft für mietorientiertes Wohnen WuppertalminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerGMW provides affordable rental housing in Wuppertal and cooperates with GESA on housing-first approaches for vulnerable populations.
• Technische Betriebe Remscheid (TBR)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerTBR Remscheid partners with GESA on recycling and circular economy projects in the broader Bergische Region beyond Wuppertal.
• Lebenshilfe WuppertalminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerLebenshilfe Wuppertal, a disability services organization, co-organized the 'Wuppertal barrierefrei' action day with GESA and the municipal disability advisory board.
• Junior Uni WuppertalminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerGESA's Café Hier&Da participates in events hosted by the Junior Uni (Wuppertal's science university for children), demonstrating community engagement and youth outreach.
• Wuppertaler SV (WSV)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerGESA partnered with the Wuppertal football club to host the inclusive 'Miteinander Aktiv' sports day at Stadion am Zoo, promoting social inclusion through sport.
• Evangelische Bergische Gefängnisgemeinde (EBGG)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerEBGG is the Protestant prison congregation for the Bergisches Land. GESA cooperates with EBGG on reintegration programs for ex-offenders, including the PrISMA project.
• ESW – Eigenbetrieb Stadtreinigung WuppertalminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorESW (municipal cleaning service) cooperates with GESA on the PRIMA! project, providing practical work placements in street cleaning for women in employment integration programs.

Scale indicators9 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Market position

Competitive moat4 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/gesaonline
• Instagraminstagram.com/gesa_stiftung
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/gesa-ggmbh

Compliance5 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles3 records

Subsidiaries5 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 GESA gGmbH