Landessportbund Nordrhein-Westfalen e.V.

What Landessportbund Nordrhein-Westfalen e.V. does

Landessportbund Nordrhein-Westfalen e.V. (LSB NRW) is the state sports federation for North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany, founded on May 6, 1947 in Hagen and headquartered in Duisburg. As a registered non-profit association (eingetragener Verein), it coordinates a network of 18,000+ sports clubs, 54+ regional Stadt- und Kreissportbünde (city and district sports federations), and multiple Sportverbände (sports associations), serving as the umbrella organization for organized sports across the state. The federation provides funding distribution, training and certification for coaches and volunteers (mein SportNetz NRW), youth development through Sportjugend NRW, elite athlete support via Olympiastützpunkt NRW, health promotion programs, and advocacy for sports policy at the state level.

The organization operates an integrated digital platform ecosystem including VIBSS.DE (club management portal), Förderportal (funding applications), Sport-Online-Kartei SPOK (member management), Sportabzeichen-Digital (digital sports badge verification), and the Lernplattform e-learning system. Physical assets include the Sport- und Tagungszentrum Hachen and Sport- und Erlebnisdorf Hinsbeck facilities. The organization is also a key supporter of the KölnRheinRuhr Olympic bid 2036+.

Revenue is generated through three primary streams: membership contributions from member organizations, public funding from the State of NRW and federal sources (Bundesministerium des Innern), and commercial partnerships with sponsors including AOK, WestLotto, ARAG, and DECATHLON. The organization is tax-exempt under §§ 51 ff. AO and a signatory of the Initiative Transparente Zivilgesellschaft. It is governed by Chairman Dr. Christoph Niessen and board members Ilja Waßenhoven and Tobias Knoch, with an honorary supervisory Präsidium.

Name

Landessportbund Nordrhein-Westfalen e.V.

Legal name

Landessportbund Nordrhein-Westfalen e.V.

Website

https://lsb.nrw

Company type

Private

Founded year

1947

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

51–100 employees

Short description

Landessportbund Nordrhein-Westfalen e.V. is the state sports federation for North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany, coordinating 18,000+ sports clubs and providing funding, training, digital club-management tools, and advocacy for organized sports across the state.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Sports Federation Services

NAICS

Business Associations (813910), Professional Organizations (813920), Sports and Recreation Instruction (61162), Sports and Recreation Instruction (611620), Spectator Sports (71121)

SIC

Services-Membership Organizations (8600), Services-Membership Sports & Recreation Clubs (7997), Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro primary industry

Amateur Sport Governing Bodies & Federations (National/Regional) (MPAKACAD)

akta.pro secondary industries

Regional/Continental Confederations & Associations (MPAKAFAD), Sports Fundraising & Development Services (Foundations, NIL Collectives Support) (MPAKAKAK), Amateur & Grassroots Sport Associations (Community/Youth Governing Orgs) (MPAKAFAF)

Keywords

• Sports federation services
• Sports club management
• Athletic training programs
• Youth sports development
• Olympic athlete support

Headquarters

HQ city

Duisburg

HQ country

Germany

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Membership Contributions: The organization receives membership fees from its member organizations (Stadt- and Kreissportbünde, Sportverbände) which form the basis of its operational funding.
2. Public Funding and Subsidies: The organization receives government funding from the State of North Rhine-Westphalia and federal sources for sports promotion, youth development, and infrastructure programs. Financial documents reference public money providers and economic plans.
3. Partnership and Sponsorship Revenue: The organization has partnerships with commercial sponsors including AOK, WestLotto, ARAG, DECATHLON, and others who provide financial and marketing support in exchange for association with the sports federation.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels8 records

Marketing channels12 records

Core offering

Landessportbund Nordrhein-Westfalen e.V. is the state sports federation of North Rhine-Westphalia, coordinating 18,000+ member sports clubs through funding distribution, training and certification programs, digital club management tools, organizational consulting, and sports policy advocacy. It provides member clubs with insurance coverage, qualification programs for coaches and volunteers, anti-doping services, and infrastructure support, while also delivering elite athlete development through Olympiastützpunkt NRW and youth sports programs through Sportjugend NRW.

Product overview

Landessportbund NRW operates as a comprehensive sports federation platform with multiple interconnected digital services and physical facilities. The core digital ecosystem includes VIBSS.DE (club management portal), Förderportal (funding management), mein SportNetz NRW (training platform with integrated Lernplattform), and Sport-Online-Kartei SPOK (member management). Supporting products include Sportabzeichen-Digital, Schutzkonzeptgenerator, Bestandserhebung, and Jobbörse. Physical services comprise two recreational facilities (Sport- und Tagungszentrum Hachen and Sport- und Erlebnisdorf Hinsbeck), while the LSB-Magazin 'Wir im Sport' provides editorial content. The organization also manages the KölnRheinRuhr Olympic bid initiative.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Sportjugend NRW: The youth sports organization of the Landessportbund NRW, focused on children and youth sports development, volunteer services (FSJ/BFD), and international youth work.
• VIBSS
• Wir im Sport

Products and services

• VIBSS.DE Comprehensive online club management portal providing tools for sports organizations including digitization, taxes, compensation, legal matters, marketing, and best practice examples. Used by member sports clubs and federations across NRW.
• Förderportal Online funding portal for sports clubs to apply for and manage financial support and subsidies from LSB NRW. Available to member sports organizations and clubs across North Rhine-Westphalia.
• mein SportNetz NRW Training and continuing education platform for sports professionals, providing access to courses, certifications, and professional development for coaches, instructors, and volunteers in the NRW sports ecosystem.
• Sportabzeichen-Digital Digital platform for earning and tracking the German Sports Badge (Deutsches Sportabzeichen), including digital verification and management for athletes and examiners across NRW.
• Sport-Online-Kartei (SPOK) Online member management system for sports clubs to track members, training, and certifications. Used by sports clubs in NRW for administrative member management.
• Sport- und Tagungszentrum Hachen Sports and conference center offering facilities for training, seminars, and sporting events for sports clubs, federations, and member organizations in NRW.
• Sport- und Erlebnisdorf Hinsbeck Sports and adventure village providing recreational and sports facilities for sports clubs, educational institutions, and member organizations.
• Lernplattform des Landessportbundes NRW E-learning platform integrated with mein SportNetz for delivering educational content and training materials to sports professionals and volunteers.
• Schutzkonzeptgenerator Online tool to help sports clubs create and implement protection concepts against violence. Used by sports clubs in NRW to comply with child protection requirements.
• Bestandserhebung Annual membership census and reporting system for sports organizations in NRW. Used by sports clubs to report member statistics.
• Jobbörse Job exchange platform for sports organizations to post and search for employment opportunities in the NRW sports sector.
• Vereinssuche NRW Club search directory for finding sports clubs and member organizations across North Rhine-Westphalia.
• LSB-Magazin 'Wir im Sport' Quarterly magazine of the Landessportbund NRW covering sports topics, news, member stories, and organizational updates. Distributed to members and stakeholders as print and digital publication.
• Olympiastützpunkt NRW Elite Athlete Support Elite athlete support program providing high-performance training facilities, coaching, and competition preparation for Olympic-level athletes in North Rhine-Westphalia.

Quantifiable outcome

• 157,720 German Sports Badges awarded in 2025 (+7.36% YoY)
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers5 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration10 records

Partnerships

13 partnerships are on record, tiered minor, core and flagship.

• Landesseniorenvertretung NRW (LSV NRW)minorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 30 June 2026Partnership for joint activities focused on 'Healthy and Resilient - Aging in Movement'. Includes practical training days and cooperation seminars to promote movement among senior citizens in coordination with sports clubs.
• AOK - Die GesundheitskassecoreGTM or Marketing PartnerAOK serves as a health insurance partner supporting sports and health promotion initiatives. The partnership includes co-branding on health-related programs and access to AOK's member network for health and wellness offerings.
• WestLottocoreGTM or Marketing PartnerWestLotto, the state lottery of North Rhine-Westphalia, partners with LSB NRW to support sports funding through lottery revenues and joint promotional activities.
• ARAGcoreGTM or Marketing PartnerARAG is an insurance partner providing sports insurance products and services to member clubs and organizations of LSB NRW.
• DECATHLONminorGTM or Marketing PartnerSports equipment retailer DECATHLON partners with LSB NRW for Trikottag (Jersey Day) sponsorship and provides equipment support for sports events.
• Sportland NRWcoreGTM or Marketing PartnerSportland NRW is a state-sponsored sports marketing initiative that partners with LSB NRW for sports promotion and marketing activities across North Rhine-Westphalia.
• RSGV (Rhein-Sieg-Gesellschaft für Vermögensberatung)minorGTM or Marketing PartnerRSGV partners with LSB NRW as a regional economic partner supporting sports initiatives.
• ASS (A，德国体育保险服务)minorGTM or Marketing PartnerASS partners with LSB NRW for insurance-related services and support to member organizations.
• Rosenbaum Nagy Management Marketing GmbHminorGTM or Marketing PartnerMarketing and management company handling specific marketing and commercial activities for LSB NRW.
• KölnRheinRuhr ConsortiumflagshipStrategic or Co-development PartnerJoint Olympic bid initiative with the cities of Köln and Rhein-Ruhr region for hosting Olympic and Paralympic Games 2036+. LSB NRW is a key supporter along with NRW state government, city of Köln, and regional municipalities.
• DOSB (Deutscher Olympischer Sportbund)flagshipStrategic or Co-development PartnerNational sports federation that LSB NRW is affiliated with, providing access to national sports programs, Olympic structures, and coordination on sports policy.
• Behinderten- und Rehabilitationssportverband NRWcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPara sports federation in NRW partnering on inclusive sports programs and Olympic bid initiatives.
• e-sport.nrwminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership for healthy e-sports guidelines and recommendations for e-sports offerings in sports clubs.

Scale indicators9 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Landessportbund Niedersachsen: The Lower Saxony state sports federation. Comparable to LSB NRW as a regional umbrella for member clubs with similar funding, qualification, and digital service offerings; one of the larger Landessportbünde in Germany with overlapping program portfolios.
• Landessportbund Rheinland-Pfalz: The Rhineland-Palatinate state sports federation. A directly comparable Landessportbund delivering member services, public funding distribution, and training programs across member clubs in its state.
• Landessportbund Baden-Württemberg: The Baden-Württemberg state sports federation. Directly comparable in scale and operational scope, coordinating thousands of member clubs with similar funding, training, and integration programs, and operating as one of LSB NRW's closest state-level counterparts.
• Bayerischer Landes-Sportverband: The Bavarian state sports federation, the second-largest Landessportbund in Germany. Directly comparable as a regional governing body providing funding, training, and advocacy across member clubs, and one of LSB NRW's primary state-level peers within the DOSB structure.
• Landessportbund Berlin: Berlin's state sports federation. Provides the same combination of club support, member services, integration programs, and public funding intermediation as LSB NRW, though at smaller scale, making it directly comparable in structure and mission.
• Landessportbund Hessen: The state sports federation for Hesse. Operates an almost identical model of member club support, training platforms, government-funded programs, and youth/inclusion initiatives, making it one of the closest direct peers to LSB NRW at the Landessportbund level.

Regional players

• Behinderten- und Rehabilitationssportverband NRW: The NRW para and rehabilitation sports federation. A direct co-development partner of LSB NRW on inclusive sport programs and the Olympic/Paralympic bid; comparable as a regional sports federation with a specialized focus within the same geography.
• Sportbund Pfalz: A regional sports federation in the Palatinate. Operates at a sub-state level but with a comparable member-club service model, funding distribution role, and training platform structure; useful as a regional peer for benchmarking club-level service delivery.

Broad incumbents

• Deutscher Olympischer Sportbund (DOSB): The national Olympic sports federation of Germany and LSB NRW's parent body. DOSB coordinates elite sport policy, Olympic preparation, and federal funding distribution that LSB NRW implements locally, functioning as the broader incumbent in the same value chain.
• Sportjugend Deutschland: The national youth sports organization under the DOSB, with Sportjugend NRW as its state chapter. Operates one organizational layer above the LSB's youth arm but pursues identical missions of youth sport development, volunteer training, and inclusion.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/lsb_nrw
• YouTubeyoutube.com/user/Landessportbund
• Facebookfacebook.com/lsbnrw
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/landessportbund-nordrhein-westfalen-e.v.
• Instagraminstagram.com/landessportbund_nrw

Compliance4 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles4 records

Subsidiaries2 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 Landessportbund Nordrhein-Westfalen e.V.