involas Institute for Vocational Education and Training, Labour Market and Social Policy

What involas Institute for Vocational Education and Training, Labour Market and Social Policy does

involas Institut für berufliche Bildung, Arbeitsmarkt- und Sozialpolitik GmbH is a privately held German professional services and software organization founded in 1990 and headquartered in Offenbach am Main, with additional offices in Berlin and Hamburg. The company operates across three thematic areas: vocational education and training (berufliche Bildung), labor market integration (Arbeitsmarktintegration), and social cohesion (gesellschaftlicher Zusammenhalt). It serves primarily German federal and state government agencies, international development organizations (notably GIZ, EU, and SDC), vocational training providers, and foundations such as Bertelsmann Stiftung.

The company's commercial offering blends project-based consulting with proprietary software products. Core technology products include idb (involas Datenbanksystem), a modular web-based database for managing labor market and education measures with integrations to the Federal Employment Agency's eM@w system and Deutsche Rentenversicherung; eFallakte QuABB, an electronic case file system for dropout prevention; and the Gütesiegel quality seal certification program administered through the Netzwerk Berufswahl-SIEGEL. The firm is EFQM-certified as an Outstanding Organisation and GDPR-compliant, and operates an active multilingual web presence (German, English, Spanish), LinkedIn, and YouTube channels alongside a publications and events program.

Revenue derives from four streams: government consulting contracts (professional services), international development cooperation projects (professional services), idb database licensing (subscription recurring), and Gütesiegel certification services (licensing/royalties). Distribution is overwhelmingly direct: project tenders and frame agreements with public-sector buyers in Germany and consortium-based international development projects abroad. As of 2026, the company is undergoing a strategic repositioning that consolidates activity toward the German national context and reorganizes its international development portfolio.

Name

involas Institute for Vocational Education and Training, Labour Market and Social Policy

Legal name

involas Institut für berufliche Bildung, Arbeitsmarkt- und Sozialpolitik GmbH

Website

https://involas.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1990

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

51–100 employees

Short description

involas is a German GmbH providing vocational education, labor market, and social policy consulting plus proprietary software (idb database, Gütesiegel certification) to federal agencies, employment services, training providers, and international development organizations.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Vocational Education and Training Consulting

NAICS

Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services (54), Educational Support Services (611710), Educational Services (611), Computer Systems Design and Related Services (54151), Other Computer Related Services (541519)

SIC

Services-Management Consulting Services (8742), Services-Engineering, Accounting, Research, Management (8700), Services-Educational Services (8200), Services-Computer Programming, Data Processing, Etc. (7370)

akta.pro primary industry

Technical Enablement & Adoption Services (Change Management, Adoption, Champions) (BPAEANAC)

akta.pro secondary industries

Admissions, Placement Testing & Progression Management for Pathways (EDAIAJAL), Vendor/Authorized Certification Training (Microsoft/AWS/Cisco, etc.) (BPAEANAA), IT Support & End-User Computing (Helpdesk, Desktop, M365/Google Workspace) (EDABAFAN)

Keywords

• Vocational education consulting
• Labour market policy
• Social policy research
• Training management software
• Employment program evaluation

Headquarters

HQ city

Offenbach am Main

HQ country

Germany

HQ region

Europe

Offices3 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Revenue model

1. Government Consulting Contracts: Project-based consulting contracts with German federal and state government agencies, particularly the Federal Employment Agency (Bundesagentur für Arbeit), for research, evaluation, and implementation of vocational education and labor market integration programs.
2. International Development Cooperation: Contracts with international organizations and development agencies (GIZ, EU, SDC) for vocational education reform, labor market development, and social policy projects in developing countries.
3. Database Software Licensing: Licensing and maintenance of idb database system to education and training providers, with online training and support services.
4. Quality Seal Certification Services: Certification and quality assurance services for vocational training providers through the Gütesiegel program.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

involas delivers consulting, research, evaluation, and project implementation services for German federal and state government agencies, international development organizations (GIZ, EU, SDC), and vocational training institutions across the fields of vocational education, labour market integration, and social policy. The institute complements these services with proprietary technology products: the modular web-based idb database system for managing labour market and education measures, the Gütesiegel quality seal for training providers, and the eFallakte QuABB electronic case file system for preventing training dropouts.

Product overview

involas offers a portfolio centered on its idb database system as the primary technology product, complemented by quality management solutions (Gütesiegel quality seal) and case management tools (eFallakte QuABB). The idb system is a modular, web-based software for managing employment and education measures, including interfaces to German government services (Federal Employment Agency eM@w and Deutsche Rentenversicherung). The accompanying products focus on quality assurance in vocational education and training and case documentation for training support programs.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• idb: Modular software solution for educational providers and electronic case management - the involas database system
• Gütesiegel
• eFallakte QuABB
• moveMENt

Products and services

• idb | das involas Datenbanksystem

Quantifiable outcome

• Approximately 800 women reached at career fair events with around 40 exhibitors
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers5 records

Segments4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration8 records

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Ten partnerships are on record, tiered minor and core.

• EFQM (European Foundation for Quality Management)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerMembership and certification partnership. involas is EFQM certified as Outstanding Organisation, indicating adherence to quality management excellence standards.
• Initiative KlischeefreiminorOthersMembership in initiative promoting stereotype-free career and study choices for vocational education.
• Charta der Vielfalt e.V.minorOthersMembership in organization promoting diversity management in German workplaces.
• DeGEval (Gesellschaft für Evaluation)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerMembership in evaluation society, supporting professional standards in project and program evaluation.
• Netzwerk Grüne ArbeitsweltminorOthersMembership in network promoting green vocational training and sustainable employment.
• GIZ (Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPrimary international development cooperation partner. Multiple project implementations including Honduras FOPRONH, Jordan employment-oriented qualification, Kyrgyzstan VET cooperation, Cambodia Skills Development. Active since at least 2020.
• IBF (Internationaler Bildungsverein für Friedenspädagogik)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerConsortium partner in international development projects, particularly in Honduras FOPRONH project implementation.
• Bertelsmann StiftungminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership for evaluation research, including pilot project evaluation for nursing staff recruitment from third countries for German labor market.
• Philipp-Holzmann-SchuleminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerGerman vocational school partner hosting international delegations as part of QA4VET project cooperation.
• QA4VET Project Partners (Armenia, Romania)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerErasmus+ funded cooperation with Armenian and Romanian vocational education institutions for quality assurance in VET, focusing on green and digital transformation.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• Bundesinstitut für Berufsbildung (BIBB): German federal institute for VET research, policy advice, and program development. A much larger public-sector peer that operates in the same vocational education and labor-market policy domain and frequently partners with or commissions consultancies like involas.
• Cedefop (European Centre for the Development of Vocational Training): EU reference centre for VET research and analysis. A larger, publicly funded peer focused on VET policy analysis and evaluation across Europe, addressing the same end-clients (ministries, EU institutions, training providers).
• PwC Germany – People & Organisation / Public Sector practice: Big-four advisory firm with a sizable German public-sector workforce and education/skills transformation practice. Competes for the same ministry-level program design, evaluation, and transformation mandates that involas delivers.
• Institut für Arbeitsmarkt- und Berufsforschung (IAB): Research arm of the Bundesagentur für Arbeit conducting labor-market research and policy evaluation. Closely aligned with involas's BA-facing research and program evaluation mandate, though at substantially larger scale.

Direct peers

• Bertelsmann Stiftung: Independent foundation running large-scale research, evaluation, and pilot programs in education, labor market, and healthcare workforce — overlapping directly with involas's evaluation work (e.g., the joint nursing-staff-from-third-countries pilot with University Hospital Bonn).
• European Training Foundation (ETF): EU agency supporting the reform of vocational education and training systems in EU partner countries. Directly comparable mandate — international VET system transformation, policy advice, and capacity building — and overlapping with involas's Erasmus+/QA4VET work in Armenia and Romania.
• GIZ (Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit): Germany's federal agency for international development cooperation. Direct peer in the international VET/labor-market reform space — involas has been a long-standing project implementation partner to GIZ on TVET programs in Honduras, Cambodia, Kyrgyzstan, and Jordan, addressing the same donor-funded customer base and policy themes.
• UNESCO-UNEVOC International Centre for Technical and Vocational Education and Training: International UN centre for TVET development, policy, and capacity building. Directly comparable in TVET system reform, qualifications frameworks, and donor-funded international project delivery, addressing the same development-bank and ministry clients.
• Swiss Development Cooperation (SDC) – Education and Skills Development: Switzerland's bilateral development arm funding TVET projects (incl. the Cambodia Skills Development project that involas has worked on). Functions as both a peer in delivering international VET reform and a funder of the same kinds of programs.

Regional players

• DIS AG (part of Adecco Group): German specialist staffing and workforce solutions provider serving similar DACH clients around labor-market integration, qualification, and public-sector workforce programs — adjacent rather than direct, but addresses overlapping end-buyers (BA, ministries, training providers).

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/involas-institut-f%C3%BCr-berufliche-bildung-arbeitsmarkt-und-sozialpolitik

Compliance2 records

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 involas Institute for Vocational Education and Training, Labour Market and Social Policy