KIDsmiling e.V.

What KIDsmiling e.V. does

KIDsmiling e.V. is a Cologne-based, registered non-profit association (eingetragener Verein) founded in 2003 by entrepreneur and attorney Dr. Sandra von Möller. Since 2009 it has been officially recognized as a Träger der freien Jugendhilfe (free youth welfare provider) by the German authorities. The organization delivers a portfolio of youth development programs centered on free football training for children and adolescents aged 6 to 18 — typically those not organized in traditional sports clubs, including socially disadvantaged and refugee youth. It operates approximately 30 weekly training sessions across more than 20 neighborhood pitches (Bolzplätze) in Cologne, Bonn, Leverkusen, Bergheim, Wesseling, Stuttgart, and Ludwigsburg, reaching up to 300+ children weekly and cumulatively several thousand over its lifetime. Supplementary offerings include the annual Wintercup and Sommercup tournaments, an Ernährungsprojekt (nutrition education), and a Berufsorientierungsprojekt (career orientation).

The core product is the KIDsmiling-Fußballprojekt (football project), complemented by tournament events and the supplementary nutrition and career programs. The offering involves no proprietary technology: distribution is physical, delivered by coaches on public pitches with no registration requirement, while visibility is generated through Instagram (@kidsmiling_ev), the kidsmiling.de website, an email newsletter, community events, and earned media (WDR Lokalzeit, Top Magazin).

KIDsmiling's business model is donation- and sponsorship-funded rather than revenue-generating. All services are provided free of charge to participants. Income derives from corporate sponsors (REWE Group, Bayer 04 Leverkusen, 1. FC Köln / FC-Stiftung, Under Armour, GAG Immobilien, Haaner Felsenquelle, LANXESS Arena, Amazon Logistics, Bibby Financial Services, Stadt Köln, Stadt Bonn, Stadt Leverkusen), individual donations, Platzpatenschaften (pitch sponsorships), and a Benefiz-Golfturnier charity event. The organization has a small paid staff of approximately 10 employees and is governed by a board chaired by founder Dr. Sandra von Möller, with Michael Madaus as Finance Director and supervisory board members including REWE Group CEO Lionel Souque and Gerald Böse.

Name

KIDsmiling e.V.

Legal name

KIDsmiling e.V.

Website

https://kidsmiling.de

Company type

Private

Founded year

2003

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

KIDsmiling e.V. is a Cologne-based German non-profit founded in 2003 that provides free weekly football training and youth development programs for children and adolescents aged 6 to 18 across more than 20 locations in seven German cities, funded entirely through donations and corporate sponsorships.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Youth Development Community Sports Services

NAICS

Sports and Recreation Instruction (611620), Child and Youth Services (62411), Fitness and Recreational Sports Centers (71394)

SIC

Services-Membership Sports & Recreation Clubs (7997), Services-Amusement & Recreation Services (7900)

akta.pro primary industry

Youth & Scholastic Sports Organizations (K–12, AAU, Club Leagues) (MPAKACAF)

akta.pro secondary industries

Youth & Junior Tournament Organizers (MPAKADAL), Amateur & Grassroots Sport Associations (Community/Youth Governing Orgs) (MPAKAFAF)

Keywords

• Youth football training
• Community youth development
• Nonprofit sports programs
• Child welfare services
• Free football coaching

Headquarters

HQ city

Köln

HQ country

Germany

HQ region

Europe

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Donations and Sponsorships: KIDsmiling operates as a charitable non-profit organization (e.V.) funded entirely through donations, sponsorships, and charitable contributions. The organization provides all services free of charge to participants. Revenue comes from corporate sponsors (REWE Group, Bayer, Under Armour, Haaner Felsenquelle, etc.), individual donations, benefi events (golfturnier), and Platzpatenschaften (pitch sponsorship) arrangements.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

KIDsmiling e.V. is a registered non-profit association that delivers the KIDsmiling-Fußballprojekt, providing free weekly football training to children and youth aged 6-18 at approximately 30 locations on public pitches (Bolzplätze) across Cologne, Bonn, Leverkusen, Bergheim, Wesseling, Stuttgart and Ludwigsburg. The core offering is complemented by the Wintercup and Sommercup tournaments, an Ernährungsprojekt (nutrition project) and a Berufsorientierungsprojekt (career orientation project), all aimed at socially disadvantaged and unclubbed children.

Product overview

KIDsmiling e.V. is a non-profit charitable association offering a portfolio of youth development programs centered around free football/sports activities. The core product is the KIDsmiling-Fußballprojekt, providing weekly free football training at approximately 30 locations in German cities. This is complemented by the annual Wintercup (indoor tournament) and Sommercup (outdoor tournament) as major competitive events, plus the Ernährungsprojekt for nutrition education and Berufsorientierungsprojekt for career guidance. The organization targets children and youth aged 6-18 who are typically not members of sports clubs, focusing on social integration, equal opportunities, and personal development through sport.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• KIDsmiling-Fußballprojekt (Football Project) Free weekly football training sessions for children and youth aged 6-18, held on public football pitches (Bolzplätze) at approximately 30 locations in Cologne, Bonn, Leverkusen, Bergheim, Wesseling, Stuttgart and Ludwigsburg. Targets children and adolescents typically not organized in sports clubs.
• KIDsmiling-Wintercup Annual indoor football tournament held at Soccerhalle Lövenich, bringing together KIDsmiling teams from various locations to compete in U10 and U15 age categories with fairplay awards.
• KIDsmiling-Sommercup Annual summer football tournament held at the training grounds of 1. FC Köln, inviting all KIDsmiling teams to participate in a major competitive event.
• Ernährungsprojekt (Nutrition Project) Nutrition education initiative complementing the football training, teaching children healthy eating habits and providing cooking sessions.
• Berufsorientierungsprojekt (Career Orientation Project) Career guidance program helping youth develop future perspectives through mentorship and professional orientation activities.

Quantifiable outcome

• Since 2007, thousands of children and youth have been accompanied and supported through the program
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers1 record

Segments1 record

Ideal customer profiles1 record

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 minor.

• 1. FC Köln / FC-StiftungcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerOver 20-year partnership with 1. FC Köln and its foundation. The FC-Stiftung provides support for tournaments, events, and general operations. The Sommercup takes place at the training grounds of 1. FC Köln. The partnership continues with the newly elected board including President Jörn Stobbe and Vice Presidents Dr. Jörg Alvermann and Prof. Dr. Ulf Sobek.
• GAG Immobilien AGcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerLong-term Platzpate (pitch sponsor) for Müngersdorf location. Supports various neighborhood initiatives and projects including Ferienaktionen (holiday activities) and the 'Zuhause mit Plus' campaign for community building.
• LANXESS ArenamajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerProvides tickets for children to attend events like Ehrlich Brothers shows, creating special experiences for KIDsmiling teams.
• Stadt KölncoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerOfficial city partner providing support for various training locations including Godorf and Porz.
• Stadt BonnmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCity partner providing Platzpatenschaft (pitch sponsorship) and support for Bonn-Duisdorf location.
• RheinflankemajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner organization that organizes the Tag des Mädchenfußballs (Girls Football Day) at Straßenkickerbase. KIDsmiling participates with teams from Nippes location.
• Rotaract Club KölnminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerInternational youth organization that organizes charity events for social projects. Hosted Charity Darts Tournament 2025 with proceeds going to Ready4Life and KIDsmiling.
• SCORING GIRLS*minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerOrganization founded by Tuğba Tekkal in 2016 that enables girls to discover their strengths. Conducts joint training sessions with KIDsmiling Nippes location.
• Stadt LeverkusencoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCity partner since 2016. Oberbürgermeister Stefan Hebbel assumed honorary presidency in 2026. Active collaboration with sports office (SPOBU).

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Rheinflanke GmbH: Cologne-based sport-for-development non-profit (and existing KIDsmiling partner on 'Tag des Mädchenfußballs'); operates very similar neighborhood sports programs for marginalized youth in NRW.
• Laureus Sport for Good Foundation Germany: Sport-for-development foundation funding youth programs across Germany; comparable target population and football-anchored projects, but operating as a grantmaker/funder rather than direct operator — close peer in mission and beneficiary profile.
• Soccer Without Borders: International non-profit using football to engage refugee and underprivileged youth; similar target population (incl. refugee children), comparable volunteer-coach model, and similar public-pitch delivery — close international peer.
• KICKFAIR e.V. Würzburg-based non-profit using football for education and social integration; very similar mission (football-for-good, training, tournaments) and comparable sponsor/city-partnership structure to KIDsmiling.
• Buntkicktgut gGmbH: Munich-based street football league for socially disadvantaged children and youth — the most cited German analogue to KIDsmiling's model: free participation, neighborhood-based pitches, and tournament programming funded by municipal and corporate partners.
• SCORING GIRLS*: Founded by Tuğba Tekkal in 2016 to empower girls through football — KIDsmiling already runs joint sessions with SCORING GIRLS* at the Nippes location, making it a strong operational and mission peer for the girls-only football vertical.

Broad incumbents

• Bundesliga-Stiftung: German Bundesliga's social foundation supporting youth-focused projects; directly comparable mission and sits upstream of many of the same Bundesliga clubs (e.g., 1. FC Köln, Bayer 04 Leverkusen) that already sponsor KIDsmiling.
• streetfootballworld gGmbH: Berlin-based global network of football-for-good organizations; KIDsmiling-similar members include grassroots free-training programs serving disadvantaged youth; the network facilitates knowledge-sharing and corporate introductions across the sector.
• Sport for Development (S4D) network / Beyond Sport: Global sport-for-development network aggregating funders, corporates and programmes in this space; connects KIDsmiling to international funding and benchmarking opportunities as the organization professionalizes.

Regional players

• SC Freiburg Stiftung (Soziales / Football & More): Bundesliga club foundation model parallel to 1. FC Köln's FC-Stiftung partnership with KIDsmiling; comparable football-club-tied youth welfare programming in Baden-Württemberg, where KIDsmiling is now expanding (Stuttgart, Ludwigsburg).

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Instagraminstagram.com/kidsmiling_ev
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/kidsmiling-e-v

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles4 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 KIDsmiling e.V.