Lohmarer Institut für Weiterbildung e.V.

What Lohmarer Institut für Weiterbildung e.V. does

Lohmarer Institut für Weiterbildung e.V. (LIW) is a non-profit adult education institution founded in 1982 and headquartered in Lohmar, Germany, with a satellite seminar room in Köln. The institute runs a catalog of continuing education seminars organized into five main lines — Berufliche Kompetenz (Professional Competence), Persönlichkeit und Beruf (Personality and Career), Politik und Gesellschaft (Politics and Society), Ökologie und Natur (Ecology and Nature), and Bildungsurlaub (Educational Leave) — plus Live Online Seminare as a remote delivery option. Most programs are certified as Bildungsurlaub across all 16 German federal states and cover subjects including communication, coaching, NLP, MBSR, stress management, meditation, yoga, Feldenkrais, mediation, and language learning using the PDL method.

The institute does not own seminar facilities; instead it operates a distributed model in which seminars are delivered by a network of contracted instructors at more than 100 external venues — seminar houses, hotels, monasteries, retreat centers, and nature locations — across Germany, Europe, and selected international destinations (e.g., Jordan, India, Peru, Kenya, Armenia, Georgia, Albania). The technology layer is a MODX Revolution CMS-based website that supports seminar search, filtering, online registration, and PayPal payment, with the bimonthly newsletter distributed via Mailingwork and GDPR/compliance handled by heyData. Marketing is concentrated in the website, a LIW Magazine, and Facebook/Instagram channels, and partnerships with atmosfair (CO2 compensation), BFT Germany e.V. and Agisra e.V. (charitable programs), and HanseMerkur (travel insurance) round out the operating stack.

LIW generates revenue primarily through per-seminar fees of €390–€1,295 for individual participants and €200–€300 higher for corporate payers, with early-bird discounts and promotional pricing layered on. Roughly half of course fees can be covered by government subsidy programs such as NRW Bildungsscheck, Hessen Qualifizierungsschecks, and Bildungsprämie for eligible participants. The institute is governed by 1st Chairman Thomas Hanke and 2nd Chairman Rainer Alf-Jähnig, operates with approximately 7 employees, and holds a current Gütesiegelverbund Weiterbildung quality certification (valid until 30.09.2028).

Name

Lohmarer Institut für Weiterbildung e.V.

Legal name

Lohmarer Institut für Weiterbildung e.V.

Website

https://liw-ev.de

Company type

Private

Founded year

1982

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Lohmarer Institut für Weiterbildung e.V. is a German non-profit adult education institute, founded 1982 in Lohmar, that delivers state-recognized Bildungsurlaub and continuing education seminars in professional competence, personal development, politics, and ecology across 100+ venues in Germany and abroad.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Adult Continuing Education Services

NAICS

Educational Services (61), Other Schools and Instruction (6116), Professional and Management Development Training (61143)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro primary industry

Health, Wellness & Lifestyle Noncredit Programs (EDAAAEAH)

akta.pro secondary industries

Meditation Retreats, Workshops & Immersive Programs (HSADAJAF), Yoga & Meditation Experiences (Studio Classes, Guided Meditation, Mindfulness) (THAJAHAA), Yoga, Pilates & Mind-Body Movement Education (EDAAAHAC), Language & Communication Continuing Education (EDAAAEAF)

Keywords

• Adult education seminars
• Continuing education programs
• Bildungsurlaub educational leave
• Professional development workshops
• Personal growth retreats

Headquarters

HQ city

Lohmar

HQ country

Germany

HQ region

Europe

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Seminar Fees - Individual: Individual participants pay seminar fees ranging from €390 to €1,295 per course. Prices typically include accommodation and full board (Ü/VP or Ü/HP). Single room supplements range from €32 to €177.50 additional.
2. Seminar Fees - Corporate: Companies and employers pay higher rates for employee participation (e.g., €1,075 vs €875 for individual rate on one seminar), with employer payment option and direct invoicing available.
3. Government Subsidized Training: Through NRW Bildungsscheck and Hessen Qualifizierungsschecks programs, the government covers 50% of course fees for eligible participants, reducing the individual's payment while maintaining full revenue per seminar.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Lohmarer Institut für Weiterbildung e.V. delivers in-person and live-online continuing education seminars for working professionals and individuals seeking personal growth. Its portfolio spans professional competence (coaching, communication, NLP, stress management), body-mind practices (yoga, Tai Chi, Feldenkrais, meditation), political/societal topics, and nature-based seminars, with most offerings officially recognized as Bildungsurlaub (educational leave) in multiple German federal states. Seminars are typically multi-day residential programs held at external partner venues with accommodation and meals included.

Product overview

Lohmarer Institut für Weiterbildung e.V. (LIW) is an adult education institution operating since 1982, offering a comprehensive portfolio of seminars organized into five main categories: Berufliche Kompetenz (Professional Competence), Persönlichkeit und Beruf (Personality and Career), Politik und Gesellschaft (Politics and Society), Ökologie und Natur (Ecology and Nature), and Bildungsurlaub (Educational Leave). The institute also provides Live Online Seminare as a remote participation option. Most seminars are recognized as Bildungsurlaub (educational leave) in multiple German federal states. The program operates primarily in seminar houses, simple hotels, pensions, and monasteries across Germany and Europe, with CO2 compensation through atmosfair.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Berufliche Kompetenz (Professional Competence) Seminars covering team training, coaching, rhetoric, communication, non-violent communication, self-management, stress management, NLP, MBSR, mediation, professional training, and spirituality in the workplace. Targeted at working professionals seeking career-relevant skill development.
• Persönlichkeit und Beruf (Personality and Career) Seminars combining body-mind practices with personal and professional development, including Yoga, Tai Chi/Qi Gong, Feldenkrais, Shiatsu, Pilates, Franklin Method, Alexander Technique, Autogenic Training, Progressive Muscle Relaxation, Body-Mind Centering, massage techniques, meditation, and dialogue work. Targeted at individuals seeking personal well-being and holistic growth.
• Politik und Gesellschaft (Politics and Society) Seminars on political and societal topics held in various German and European locations as well as destinations outside Europe. Targeted at individuals interested in civic education, intercultural dialogue, and societal reflection.
• Ökologie und Natur (Ecology and Nature) Nature-based seminars including canoe tours and nature pedagogy training held across German regions, Switzerland, Austria, and Mediterranean areas. Targeted at individuals interested in environmental education and outdoor learning.
• Bildungsurlaub / Bildungszeit (Educational Leave) Educational leave seminars officially recognized as Bildungsurlaub in all 16 German federal states (Baden-Württemberg, Bayern, Berlin, Brandenburg, Bremen, Hamburg, Hessen, Mecklenburg-Vorpommern, Niedersachsen, Nordrhein-Westfalen, Rheinland-Pfalz, Saarland, Sachsen, Sachsen-Anhalt, Schleswig-Holstein, Thüringen), enabling employed participants to attend during employer-paid educational leave.
• Live Online Seminare (Live Online Seminars) Online live seminar offerings for remote participation in LIW's educational programs, providing an alternative delivery channel for participants unable to attend in-person residential seminars.
• Sprachen (Language Immersion Weeks) Immersive week-long language learning programs using the PDL-Methode (Psycho-Dramaturgie Linguistique), covering English, French, Spanish, Italian, and German, priced at €518–€760. Targeted at individuals seeking intensive adult language acquisition.

Quantifiable outcome

• State recognition and Bildungsurlaub certification for employees using the seminars for career development
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers1 record

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration3 records

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Five partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• atmosfaircoreStrategic or Co-development Partneratmosfair is a German non-profit organization that calculates CO2 emissions from the institute's seminars and enables carbon offset through certified climate protection projects (e.g., solar projects in India replacing diesel generators). TÜV Süd monitors the process. LIW seminars are CO2-compensated in collaboration with atmosfair.
• Build Your Future Today Center (BFT) Germany e.V.minorOthersBFT Germany e.V. works with Cambodian NGO BFT Cambodia to help people living below the poverty line. LIW and participants support with donations for building schools, providing school supplies, literacy programs, food/water projects, health programs, microcredits, vocational training, and anti-violence projects.
• Agisra e.V. KölnminorOthersAgisra e.V. is an information and counseling center for migrant and refugee women. LIW funds school education within the project 'Selbstbewusst in Deutschland' for young adults aged 16-24 with migration backgrounds, addressing violence, sexism, and discrimination topics.
• HanseMerkur Reiseversicherung AGminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorInsurance partner offering seminar travel insurance (Reiserücktrittsversicherung) to participants through HanseMerkur.
• PayPal (Europe) S.à r.l. et Cie, S.C.A.minorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorPayment service provider for secure online payments on the website, enabling participants to pay seminar fees via PayPal.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Haus Neuland: Residential adult education and conference center in Bielefeld, NRW, offering multi-day Bildungsurlaub-recognized seminars on professional and personal development topics. Closely comparable in residential seminar format and NRW focus.
• Kolping Bildungswerk Deutschland gGmbH: National adult education network offering professional and personal development courses, including Bildungsurlaub-eligible programs, across multiple German states. Overlaps with LIW on personal development and Bildungsurlaub-recognized offerings.
• BNW Bildungswerk der Nordrhein-Westfälischen Wirtschaft GmbH: NRW's employer-led adult education provider focused on professional development and qualification programs for working adults. Operates in the same regulatory (Bildungsurlaub) framework as LIW and serves overlapping corporate clients in NRW.
• Volkshochschule Köln (VHS Köln): Cologne's public adult education provider, offering a comparable mix of professional, language, and personal development courses in the same geographic market as LIW. Directly competes for the same individual learner segment in the Rheinland region.
• DAA Deutsche Angestellten-Akademie GmbH: One of Germany's largest adult and continuing education providers, offering professional development, retraining, and Bildungsurlaub-style courses nationwide. Competes for both individual and corporate continuing education budgets.
• DGB Bildungswerk e.V. Trade union-affiliated adult education provider offering Bildungsurlaub and professional seminars for employed adults across Germany. Targets a similar working-professional segment with comparable multi-day residential formats.
• Akademie Klausenhof: Residential adult education center in Hamm, NRW, offering multi-day Bildungsurlaub-recognized seminars on professional and personal development topics. Directly comparable in format (multi-day, residential, Bildungsurlaub-recognized) and target audience.
• bfw – Unternehmen für Bildung GmbH: Major German adult and vocational education provider with continuing education offerings for working professionals. Competes for both individual learners and corporate training budgets across Germany.

Broad incumbents

• IHK Bildungszentrum (Industrie- und Handelskammer): Chamber of commerce education arm (local IHK Köln cited) offering professional development and qualification courses for member companies. Competes for the same corporate training budgets as LIW's B2B channel, though as part of a broader chamber mandate.
• Volkshochschulen (DVV – Deutscher Volkshochschul-Verband): National umbrella for Germany's ~900 public adult education centers, which collectively offer the broadest portfolio of continuing education courses in the country. Represents the largest incumbent competitor for individual continuing education demand.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks7 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/LohmarerInstitut
• Instagraminstagram.com/lohmarerinstitut
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/lohmarer-institut-f%C3%BCr-weiterbildung-e.v.

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Lohmarer Institut für Weiterbildung e.V.