INBA - Institut nachhaltige Berufsbildung und Arbeit

What INBA - Institut nachhaltige Berufsbildung und Arbeit does

INBA - Institut nachhaltige Berufsbildung und Arbeit is a privately held, sole proprietorship registered in Rendsburg, Schleswig-Holstein, Germany, operating in the vocational education and training (VET) consulting market. The firm is owned and managed by Heike Arold and operates with a small team of approximately five employees. INBA positions itself at the interface between school-to-work transition, corporate human capital needs, and applied scientific services in the VET domain. Its client base spans companies, educational institutions, vocational schools, public decision-makers, and individual school leavers, primarily in Germany with documented cooperation extending across more than ten European countries.

The firm's service offering is organised around three pillars: aptitude-analysis-based vocational training counselling for school leavers (Ausbildungsberatung/Ausbildungsorientierung), business consulting and optimisation focused on knowledge preservation, skilled-worker demand, and training management (Unternehmensberatung/-optimierung), and scientific services including project evaluation, studies, analyses, and vocational product development (Wissenschaftliche Dienstleistungen). Sub-modules include competence measurement instruments, quality management tools, coaching, workshops, teacher seminars, and parent presentations. INBA does not operate a technology platform or software product; revenue is generated through customised, quote-based professional services engagements.

INBA's business model is a project-based professional services model with no publicly disclosed pricing. Revenue is generated primarily through direct consulting engagements and through participation in EU-funded programmes such as Leonardo da Vinci and Erasmus+, where the firm typically acts as a German anchor or coordinator within multi-country partner consortia that include universities (ITB Bremen, biat Flensburg, Pädagogische Hochschule Schwäbisch Gmünd), the Federal Institute for Vocational Education (BIBB), and the National Agency for Education for Europe. Distribution is sales-led through direct networking, conferences, and the corporate website; no intermediaries, channel partners, or technology-enabled go-to-market motions are documented.

Name

INBA - Institut nachhaltige Berufsbildung und Arbeit

Legal name

INBA - Institut nachhaltige Berufsbildung und Arbeit

Website

https://inba-sh.de

Company type

Private

Founded year

2002

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

INBA is a five-person German VET consulting firm in Rendsburg delivering aptitude-based training counselling, business optimisation, and scientific services to companies, educational institutions, schools, and school leavers, primarily through EU-funded project work.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Rendsburg

HQ country

Germany

HQ region

Europe

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales

Revenue model

1. Consulting and Advisory Services: INBA generates revenue through professional consulting services including vocational training counselling, business consultancy, scientific services, project development, and evaluation services.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels3 records

Core offering

INBA is a privately-held consulting institute that delivers vocational education and training (VET) services at the interface between school-to-work transition, companies, and applied science. It offers three service lines: aptitude-based Ausbildungsberatung/Ausbildungsorientierung for school leavers, solution-oriented Unternehmensberatung/-optimierung for companies (including know-how preservation, skilled worker demand analysis, and training management), and Wissenschaftliche Dienstleistungen (scientific consulting, project development, evaluations, studies, and educational product development).

Product overview

INBA is a service company offering vocational education and training (VET) consultancy services organized into three core areas: Ausbildungsberatung/Ausbildungsorientierung (career guidance), Unternehmensberatung/-optimierung (business consulting), and Wissenschaftliche Dienstleistungen (scientific services). The company operates as a combination of business consulting and scientific vocational training institute. Services include analysis-based counseling, solution-oriented business analyses, competence measuring instruments, evaluations, project development, studies, and product development. Sub-services include coaching, workshops, seminars for teachers, and presentations for parents. The company also develops customized educational products such as qualification concepts, quality standards, and assessment instruments.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Ausbildungsberatung / Ausbildungsorientierung Career guidance and vocational training orientation service for students at the transition from school to profession, offering aptitude analysis-based counseling, consultation for parents/teachers/schools, workshops/seminars for teachers, and presentations. Targeted at school leavers, parents, teachers, schools, and educational decision-makers.
• Unternehmensberatung / -optimierung Business consulting and optimization service for companies, including solution-oriented business analyses, educational and training products (competence measurement, quality management instruments, know-how preservation concepts), and coaching and workshops. Targeted at companies seeking to address skilled-worker shortages, know-how transfer, and training management.
• Wissenschaftliche Dienstleistungen Scientific services for project-executing organizations, educational institutions, and decision-makers working on national and EU-funded programs. Covers scientific consultation, external evaluations of programs/projects/products, project development and implementation, studies and analyses, and vocational training product development (qualification concepts, competence measurement instruments, assessments).

Named customers5 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

Partnerships

Nine partnerships are on record, tiered core, major and regional.

• Institut Technik und Bildung (ITB) – Universität BremencoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerLong-standing cooperation in applied vocational education research. ITB served as a key employer for Managing Director Heike Arold from 2005-2012. The partnership involves joint project development, scientific support, and product development in vocational training.
• Berufsbildungsinstitut Arbeit und Technik (biat) – Universität FlensburgcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerVET institute at University of Flensburg. Key academic partner for vocational education research and training. BiAT served as employer for Heike Arold from 2002-2005.
• Pädagogische Hochschule Schwäbisch GmündmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerUniversity of education partnership for European qualification concept development. Joint projects include 'Fachkraft Berufsorientierung' (2016-2018) European qualification concept.
• Bundesinstitut für Berufsbildung (BIBB)majorStrategic or Co-development PartnerFederal Institute for Vocational Education - key national partner for project funding and scientific collaboration in vocational training research.
• Nationale Agentur Bildung für Europa beim BIBBmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerNational Agency for Education for Europe provides funding support and program guidance for European projects including Erasmus+ and Leonardo da Vinci programs.
• nordprojekte Kaufmann&PartnermajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerConsulting firm partnership in multiple projects including 'QualiProSH Electro' and qualification projects for asylum seekers and immigrants.
• Volkshochschule Rendsburger Ring e.V.regionalStrategic or Co-development PartnerLocal adult education center partnership in vocational integration projects for immigrants and refugees.
• Grone-Schulen Niedersachsen GmbHmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerVocational training school network partnership for JobCoach project development for people with disabilities (2015-2018).
• International Partners (Finland, UK, Belgium, Slovenia, Bulgaria, Austria, France, Spain, Poland, Netherlands)majorStrategic or Co-development PartnerInternational network of VET institutes, universities, training organizations, trade associations, vocational schools, and non-profit organizations spanning 10+ European countries for cross-border vocational education projects.

Scale indicators1 record

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights3 records

Broad incumbents

• hkp/// group: hkp is a Frankfurt-based HR and compensation consulting firm with executive-pay and HR-program offerings that intersect INBA's training-management and HR-development consulting. Larger incumbent in the broader HR-services category.
• Kienbaum Consultants International: Kienbaum is a leading German HR, leadership, and organizational consulting firm offering adjacent services in talent management, training consulting, and organizational design — overlapping parts of INBA's Unternehmensberatung portfolio at much larger scale.

Others

• Bundesinstitut für Berufsbildung (BIBB): BIBB is the federal German VET research and policy institute and a documented INBA partner. Operates as a public-sector actor in the same thematic space rather than as a commercial competitor.
• iso Institut für Sozialforschung und Sozialwirtschaft: iso Institut conducts applied social and labor-market research with strong VET and qualification-research focus, similar to INBA's wissenschaftliche Dienstleistungen portfolio. Acts in adjacent space rather than direct competition.
• Forschungsinstitut Betriebliche Bildung (f-bb): f-bb is a German research institute focused on in-company vocational training, evaluation, and project development — substantially overlapping INBA's Wissenschaftliche Dienstleistungen / Evaluation / Projektentwicklung offerings.

Regional players

• Bildungswerk der Nordwestdeutschen Wirtschaft (BNW): BNW is a vocational-training and qualification provider for the northwestern German economy, paralleling INBA's regional Wirtschafts-near Bildungsmanagement and Unternehmensberatung services. Different region, similar profile.
• G.I.B. NRW (Gesellschaft für innovative Beschäftigungsförderung): G.I.B. provides labor-market and qualification consulting in North Rhine-Westphalia with a comparable focus on employment promotion, qualification development, and project evaluation. Operates in a different German region but in the same niche.
• Bildungswerk der Bayerischen Wirtschaft (bbw): bbw is a major Bavarian vocational-training and qualification provider with business consulting and qualification-concept offerings paralleling INBA's Unternehmensberatung and Bildungsmanagement services. Larger scale but comparable service mix.

Direct peers

• REFA Consulting (REFA-Verband): REFA Consulting offers industrial engineering and work-science consulting built on REFA methodology, directly mirroring INBA's founder's REFA credentials and work-process analysis offerings. Same methodology stack, similar German VET/industrial-engineering consulting focus.

Emerging players

• IQ Consult GmbH: IQ Consult delivers qualification and HR consulting for migrant integration and skilled-worker development — closely overlapping INBA's QualiProSH-style qualification projects and Erasmus+ activity in similar target populations.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/inba---institut-nachhaltige-berufsbildung-und-arbeit

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

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 INBA - Institut nachhaltige Berufsbildung und Arbeit