Jugendbildungswerk Freiburg

What Jugendbildungswerk Freiburg does

Jugendbildungswerk Freiburg e.V. (JBW) is a registered non-profit association (eingetragener Verein, e.V.) and the designated free educational institution of the City of Freiburg, founded in 1947 and headquartered at Uhlandstraße 2 in the Haus der Jugend. The organization delivers out-of-school cultural, artistic, civic, and social education for children, teens, youth, and families across six operational departments: Circus Harlekin (circus arts with a 40-41-member ensemble performing ~13 shows annually), Jugendkunstschule (visual arts, theater, dance, media), kubez (culture and meeting center), Jugendbüro (municipal youth participation since 2008), Kinderbüro (children's participation up to age 12), and Ganztag at Wentzinger Schulen (all-day school program since 2009 for grades 5-7). Additional offerings include the inclusive zuka solicafé and approximately 200 courses, workshops, projects, and school cooperations per year, reaching audiences such as the 3,000-6,000 annual visitors to the Weltkindertag festival.

JBW operates with no proprietary technology platform. Its stack consists of a WordPress-based public website (jbw.de) and the KuferWEB course management plugin (by Kufer Software GmbH) for the angebote.jbw.de catalog and registration system; the zuka solicafé uses zlev.de for catering operations. The five on-site art studios and barrier-free Haus der Jugend facility constitute the core delivery infrastructure, supplemented by in-school delivery at Wentzinger Schulen.

Revenue is generated through four streams: course and workshop fees (e.g., €180/school year for Circus Harlekin ensemble participation) with sibling, FamilienCard, and BuT voucher discounts; municipal funding from the Kulturamt and Amt für Kinder, Jugend und Familien; zuka solicafé solidarity-tier pricing (€6.50/€13.50/€17.50); and room rental income from Haus der Jugend spaces. Go-to-market is direct-to-consumer through online registration only, supplemented by school cooperations, the freiburgXtra digital participation portal, and event marketing. The organization is governed by a volunteer board chaired by Roland Meder (Bürgermeister für Kultur, Integration und Soziales) with Johannes Merz as Managing Director.

Name

Jugendbildungswerk Freiburg

Legal name

Jugendbildungswerk Freiburg e.V.

Website

https://jbw.de

Company type

Private

Founded year

1947

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Jugendbildungswerk Freiburg e.V. is the City of Freiburg's designated non-profit youth education institution, founded in 1947. It delivers cultural, artistic, civic, and all-day school programs across six departments for children, teens, youth, and families in Freiburg, Germany.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Youth and community education services

NAICS

Fine Arts Schools (611610), All Other Schools and Instruction (61169)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200), Services-Amusement & Recreation Services (7900)

akta.pro primary industry

After-School, Tutoring & Academic Enrichment Nonprofits (BPAGADAC)

akta.pro secondary industry

Performing Arts Camps (Theater, Musical Theater, Dance) (EDAMALAI)

Keywords

• Youth education services
• Cultural education programs
• Circus arts training
• Youth civic participation
• After-school programs

Headquarters

HQ city

Freiburg

HQ country

Germany

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Others

Revenue model

1. Course and Workshop Fees: Parents and families pay course fees for children and teen programs (e.g., 180 € per school year for Circus Harlekin ensemble). Some courses are free (Offene Angebote) but require registration. Discounts available: sibling discount 20%, FamilienCard/Freiburg-Pass holders 20%, housing allowance recipients 25%, social security recipients 50%. BuT (Bildung und Teilhabe) vouchers accepted.
2. Public Funding and Municipal Support: The organization is a free educational institution of the City of Freiburg, founded in 1947. It receives public funding from the Kulturamt and Amt für Kinder, Jugend und Familien of the City of Freiburg for the kubez cultural center and broader operations. The Vorstandsvorsitzender (chair) is the Social Affairs Councillor / First Mayor Ulrich von Kirchbach.
3. Catering and Café Revenue (zuka solicafé): The zuka solicafé generates revenue through a solidarity pricing model with three price tiers (solidarity price 6.50 €, self-cost 13.50 €, supporter 17.50 €) plus Sospeso prepaid meals. The café is run largely by volunteers.
4. Room Rental: Rooms in the Haus der Jugend are rented out to external parties (excluding private celebrations, except children's birthday parties). Revenue from room bookings supplements operations.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels6 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

Jugendbildungswerk Freiburg e.V. (JBW) is a non-profit youth education association that runs out-of-school cultural, artistic, and civic participation programs for children, teens, youth, and families in Freiburg, Germany. It operates six program areas — Circus Harlekin (circus arts), Jugendkunstschule (youth art school), kubez (culture and meeting center), Jugendbüro (youth participation), Kinderbüro (children's participation), and Ganztag (full-day school) — delivering 200+ courses, workshops, and projects annually from the barrier-free Haus der Jugend facility. Programs are funded through municipal support, course fees with solidarity pricing, and BuT (Bildung und Teilhabe) vouchers.

Product overview

Jugendbildungswerk Freiburg is a unified platform offering diverse educational programs for children, teens, youth, and families across multiple specialized departments. The organization operates as a portfolio of interconnected programs including Circus Harlekin (circus arts), Jugendkunstschule (visual and performing arts), kubez (cultural and meeting center), Jugendbüro (municipal youth participation), Kinderbüro (children's participation), and Ganztagsschule (full-day school partnerships). The zuka solicafé provides inclusive gastronomy and cultural offerings. Together these programs deliver over 200 courses, workshops, and projects annually focused on cultural, artistic, political, and social education.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Circus Harlekin (circus school and ensemble) Youth circus program offering an ensemble of ~41 performers aged 9-18, producing ~13 shows per year at Theater Freiburg, Münsterplatz, and Haus der Jugend, alongside a circus school with courses in acrobatics, aerial artistry, juggling, unicycling, and clownery for ages 4-20; also provides LAG Zirkuskünste BW certification modules for Zirkus-Jugendübungsleiter*in.
• Jugendkunstschule Freiburg (Youth Art School) Comprehensive artistic education program for preschoolers, elementary students, families, teenagers, and young adults. Courses cover pottery, painting, woodwork, puppet theater, sculpture, film, stop-motion, photography, dance, interdisciplinary art experiments, and portfolio preparation. Engages approximately 45 regional artists and cultural practitioners.
• kubez (Kultur- und Begegnungszentrum) Culture and meeting center at Haus der Jugend for children, youth, and families; offers open and guided programs in music, movement, dance, experiential education, scene meetups, projects, vacation programs, and participatory cultural projects. Largest meeting place for children and youth in Freiburg.
• Jugendbüro Freiburg (Municipal Youth Participation Office) Municipal youth participation office organizing participation projects for Freiburg youth, including 8er-Rat, workshops and hearings on urban planning, annual Jugendforum .komm, and 16plus campaigns for local elections. Operates the freiburgXtra.de digital participation portal.
• Kinderbüro Freiburg (Children's Participation Office) Municipal participation office for children up to age 12, parents, and pedagogical professionals. Organizes participation formats in playground planning, green and open space planning, and neighborhood planning. Produces the annual Weltkindertag festival at Seeparkgelände, which draws 3,000-6,000 visitors and involves 50+ cooperation partners.
• Ganztag at Wentzinger Schulen (Full-Day School Program) All-day school program delivered on-site at Wentzinger Realschule/Gemeinschaftsschule and Wentzinger Gymnasium (Falkenbergerstraße 21, Freiburg) for grades 5-7. Includes lunch, open lunch breaks, courses in movement, theater, art and crafts, learning time support, and afternoon supervision.
• zuka solicafé (inclusive solidarity-priced café) Inclusive meeting place in Haus der Jugend offering social-ecological lunch menu with three-tier solidarity pricing (€6.50 / €13.50 / €17.50), vocational internships for youth with disabilities, and participatory cultural offerings including cinema, stand-up comedy, KiKaffee, storytelling cafés, and concerts. Run largely by volunteers.
• Room rental at Haus der Jugend Rental of rooms in Haus der Jugend to external organizations and individuals for events, meetings, and cultural activities via online booking calendar. Children's birthday parties allowed on Saturdays 14-18. All rooms are barrier-free; Kleiner Saal has an inductive hearing system.

Quantifiable outcome

• Over 200 courses, workshops, projects, and school cooperations per year across all program areas
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers6 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration1 record

Partnerships

Six partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Landesarbeitsgemeinschaft Zirkuskünste Baden-Württemberg (LAG Zirkuskünste BW)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerJBW's Circus Harlekin offers training modules for the LAG Zirkuskünste BW certification program for youth circus instructors (Zirkus-Jugendübungsleiter*in). Modules cover methodology/didactics, balance, juggling, aerial artistry, and acrobatics. Circus Harlekin is a key provider of this certification pathway in Baden-Württemberg.
• Landesvereinigung Kulturelle Jugendbildung Baden-Württemberg (LKJ Baden-Württemberg)coreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorFSJ Kultur (Freiwilliges Soziales Jahr in der Kultur) positions are administered through LKJ Baden-Württemberg as the official federal program administrator. Applications for FSJ Kultur positions at JBW's Jugendbüro must be submitted through the LKJ's online portal during January-March application windows.
• Verein 'buntes wir e.V. – Für Inklusion in Freiburg'coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerJBW is an institutional member of 'buntes wir e.V. – Für Inklusion in Freiburg,' a network promoting inclusion in Freiburg. JBW's inclusion commitment is guided by the motto 'Vielfalt ist unsere Stärke' (Diversity is our Strength) since 2012, aligning with SGB VIII and the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities.
• zusammen leben e.V. (zlev.de)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe zuka solicafé is operated by zusammen leben e.V. (zlev.de) in the Haus der Jugend in cooperation with JBW. The café offers inclusive gastronomy with a solidarity pricing model and is a venue for participatory cultural events including Cine Arab, stand-up comedy open mic, KiKaffee, storytelling cafés, exhibitions, and concerts. JBW provides the physical space; zlev manages operations.
• Wentzinger Schulen (Gymnasium, Realschule, Gemeinschaftsschule)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerSince 2009, JBW has partnered with Wentzinger Schulen (Falkenbergerstraße 21, Freiburg) for all-day school operations (Ganztag). JBW delivers the full Ganztag program including lunch, open lunch breaks, courses, learning time support, and afternoon supervision for grades 5-7 across all three school types.
• ZMF (Zelt-Musik-Fest) and Lirum-Larum-LesefestminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe Jugendkunstschule participates in major Freiburg cultural events including the ZMF (Zelt-Musik-Fest) and the Lirum-Larum-Lesefest, providing hands-on art activities and performances as part of these festivals.

Scale indicators8 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Theater an der Parkaue: Berlin's state youth theater with deep roots in cultural education for young audiences, offering performances, workshops, and participatory formats. Comparable to JBW's Theater and Circus programming as a publicly-funded cultural institution focused on youth artistic development and education.
• LKJ Baden-Württemberg: State-level network for cultural youth education in Baden-Württemberg; administers FSJ Kultur (federal voluntary service) program. Operates as a broader regional network analogous to JBW's municipal-level cultural youth education role, with shared membership and program coordination.
• LAG Zirkuskünste Baden-Württemberg: State-level network for youth circus education in Baden-Württemberg. JBW's Circus Harlekin is a strategic partner and key provider for the LAG's certification program for youth circus instructors. Operates as a coordination body for circus education providers across the state.
• Theater an der Glocksee: Independent youth and contemporary theater in Hagen, Germany with extensive educational programming for young people including workshops, performances, and school partnerships. Comparable to JBW's theater and circus programming as a publicly-supported cultural education venue with youth-focused mission.
• Münchner Stadtjugendring: City-level youth council and coordination body in Munich providing youth engagement, cultural, and participation programming across a major German city. Directly comparable to JBW in scale, municipal integration, and mission of supporting youth through cultural and civic programming.
• zusammen leben e.V. Freiburg-based non-profit operating the zuka café in JBW's facility. Similar inclusion-focused, solidarity-oriented nonprofit with cultural and educational programming for refugees, youth, and families. Direct geographic and mission peer as JBW partner.

Broad incumbents

• Bundesvereinigung Kulturelle Kinder- und Jugendbildung (BKJ): Federal umbrella association for cultural youth education in Germany. Has broader national scope than JBW but member organizations have similar missions of providing cultural education opportunities for children and youth across arts, media, and cultural participation.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/jugendbildungswerk-freiburg

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles10 records

Subsidiaries6 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 Jugendbildungswerk Freiburg