What DLRG Landesverband Niedersachsen E.V. does

DLRG Landesverband Niedersachsen E.V. is the Lower Saxony state association of the Deutsche Lebens-Rettungs-Gesellschaft (German Lifeguard Association), founded in 1923 and headquartered in Bad Nenndorf. It is the largest of DLRG's 16 state associations, with over 100,000 members organized through approximately 270 local chapters (Gliederungen) and multiple districts (Bezirke). The organization delivers water rescue services, swimming education (Seepferdchen through Gold-level badges), first aid training, rescue sports, and civil protection (Katastrophenschutz) including flood response, swiftwater rescue, diving, helicopter rescue, rescue dog teams, and drone-based remote sensing (Fernerkundung). Operational technology includes DLRG Manager for association administration, CommandX for crisis command and control, and the Internet Service Center for member services; a notable exercise (Weserflut 2023) deployed 500+ personnel alongside THW, Feuerwehr, and DRK, and the 2023-24 flood response mobilized 1,500+ rescue workers over 14 days.

The organization is a registered nonprofit association (gemeinnütziger Verein) under German law, controlled by a volunteer board led by President Prof. Dr. Steffen Warmbold (elected 2025) and four Vice Presidents. Revenue is generated through a mix of membership dues, donations (online, recurring, occasion-based, testamentary, corporate, and court fines), government funding for civil protection via the STAN program, training course fees, and corporate sponsorships (including Sparkasse Schaumburg). Pricing is not publicly disclosed and varies by local chapter. External context for the mission is significant: Lower Saxony recorded 47 drowning deaths in 2025, and 50% of fifth-graders nationally cannot swim, framing the demand for swimming education and water safety services.

Distribution relies on the federation structure of 270 local chapters, an Internet Service Center for digital member engagement, the Lebensretter magazine, social media presence (Facebook, Instagram, YouTube), and major events such as Schwimmabzeichentage (1,846 badges awarded in one campaign) and rescue sports state championships. Strategic partnerships include THW, Feuerwehr, DRK, LSB Niedersachsen, schools via the DLRG & Schule program, and vocational schools such as Alice-Salomon-Schule Hannover. The current strategic agenda centers on Schwimminitiative Niedersachsen, Projekt MitgliederPLUS, Projekt 100, and Homeswimming to expand drowning prevention and member retention.

Name

DLRG Landesverband Niedersachsen E.V.

Legal name

DLRG Landesverband Niedersachsen e.V.

Website

https://niedersachsen.dlrg.de

Company type

Private

Founded year

1923

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

DLRG Landesverband Niedersachsen E.V. is a nonprofit water rescue and drowning prevention organization serving Lower Saxony, Germany, with over 100,000 members across approximately 270 local chapters, delivering swimming education, lifeguard services, and civil protection.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Lifeguard and Water Rescue Services

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro primary industry

Lifeguard, Water Rescue & Aquatic Safety Training (EDAOAMAJ)

akta.pro secondary industry

Search & Rescue (Urban/Water/Wilderness) Coordination (HLAJAGAJ)

Keywords

• Water rescue services
• Swimming education
• Drowning prevention
• Civil protection
• Lifeguard training

Headquarters

HQ city

Bad Nenndorf

HQ country

Germany

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Membership Dues: Annual membership fees from over 100,000 members across approximately 270 local chapters (Gliederungen) in Lower Saxony.
2. Donations: Individual donations including online donations, standing orders (Dauerspenden), occasion-based donations (Anlassspenden), condolence donations (Kondolenzspenden), testamentary bequests (Testamentspenden), corporate donations, and major gifts. Dedicated major donor program with personal consultation.
3. Government Funding for Civil Protection: State funding for Katastrophenschutz (civil protection) operations including vehicle procurement, equipment, and operational costs through Stärke- und Ausrüstungsnachweis (STAN) program.
4. Training Course Fees: Fees for swimming courses, rescue swimming certifications, first aid training, and other educational programs. DOSB-Lizenz Trainer C Breitensport Rettungsschwimmen issued through the state office.
5. Corporate Partnerships and Sponsorships: Corporate sponsorships through company celebrations, summer events, or Christmas parties where companies collect donations instead of gifts. Includes Sparkasse Schaumburg banking partnership.
6. Fines and Court Penalties: Acceptance of monetary penalties and fines (Geldauflagen & Bußgelder) as donations, often from judicial proceedings.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

DLRG Landesverband Niedersachsen e.V. delivers water safety and drowning prevention services across Lower Saxony through a network of approximately 270 local chapters. Its core offerings include swimming instruction (Seepferdchen through Gold certification badges), volunteer water rescue and lifeguard operations at unguarded waterways, first aid training, rescue sport competitions, and civil protection/disaster response (Katastrophenschutz) including flood response and swiftwater rescue.

Product overview

DLRG Landesverband Niedersachsen E.V. is a non-profit water rescue and drowning prevention organization offering a portfolio of educational and emergency services. The core offerings center on Schwimmausbildung (swimming education) with certification badges from Seepferdchen through Gold, Wasserrettungsdienst (water rescue/lifeguard services), Erste-Hilfe-Ausbildung (first aid training), Rettungssport (rescue sports competitions), and Katastrophenschutz (disaster relief). Supporting infrastructure includes DLRG Manager software for association management, the Internet Service Center (ISC) for member services, and the Lebensretter magazine. Project initiatives include Projekt 100 (member retention), Schwimminitiative Niedersachsen (swimming promotion), Projekt MitgliederPLUS (member engagement), and Homeswimming (pandemic-era home education). Fundraising services enable donations through online, recurring, commemorative, testamentary, and corporate channels.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Schwimmausbildung (Swimming Education)

Quantifiable outcome

• 1,846 swimming badges awarded during Schwimmabzeichentage campaign
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers4 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature4 records

Partnerships

Eight partnerships are on record, tiered core, notable and minor.

• THW (Technisches Hilfswerk)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 7 October 2023Joint participation in catastrophe protection exercises including 'Weserflut 2023' with over 500 DLRG personnel and THW forces coordinating on flood response scenarios involving evacuation, dike protection, and emergency response.
• Feuerwehr Hameln (Fire Brigade)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 7 October 2023Collaborative emergency response during 'Weserflut 2023' exercise; fire brigade engineers supported DLRG rescue operations with pump equipment installed on DLRG boats for fighting fires on flooded vessels.
• DRK Hameln (German Red Cross)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 7 October 2023Joint emergency response coordination during catastrophe protection exercises; DRK provided medical support and casualty evacuation coordination in combined operations.
• Sparkasse SchaumburgnotableGTM or Marketing PartnerMajor sponsor and partner in swimming education and water safety projects; Sparkasse Schaumburg logo appears on association materials and promotional items; donation collection at Sparkasse branches.
• LSB Niedersachsen (LandesSportBund)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerSports federation membership providing training, funding, and resources; Vizepräsidentin Sari-Angès Thren participated in 45th State Sports Congress; Masterplan Inklusion collaboration for inclusive sports.
• Schools in Lower Saxony (DLRG & Schule)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerComprehensive school partnership program including swimming education, teacher training, pool access programs, 'Pool-Tour' mobile instruction, and school seal certification. Over 1,100 swimming badges awarded at May 2023 event.
• Bundesverband DLRGcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerNational parent organization providing guidelines, training standards, drowning statistics, and coordination of nationwide swimming badge days and rescue competitions.
• Alice-Salomon-Schule HannoverminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerVocational school partnership for training daycare providers (Erzieher) in water safety and swimming instruction for Kita children; integrated rescue swimming certification (DRSA Bronze/Silver) for 12 students.

Scale indicators9 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Regional players

• Arbeiter-Samariter-Bund (ASB): German nonprofit providing emergency services, civil protection, social services, and training. Operates with a similar volunteer + paid-staff hybrid model and competes for civil-protection mandates and member donations alongside DLRG at the state and federal level.
• Royal Life Saving Society (RLSS UK): UK nonprofit dedicated to drowning prevention, water safety education, and lifeguard training. Comparable in mission (swimming education, lifeguard certification, drowning prevention) but operates in a different geography and regulatory environment from DLRG Niedersachsen.
• Johanniter-Unfall-Hilfe: German nonprofit providing first aid, emergency medical services, civil protection, and youth programs across Germany. Comparable as a membership-based relief organization with volunteer and donation funding, overlapping with DLRG on first aid training and disaster response.
• Royal National Lifeboat Institution (RNLI): UK charity operating coastal lifeboat rescue and water safety education. Comparable as a volunteer-led, donation-funded water rescue organization with strong brand recognition, but UK-focused and centered on coastal/sea rescue rather than inland water and civil protection.
• Malteser Hilfsdienst: Catholic-affiliated German relief organization providing emergency medical services, disaster response, and first aid training. Comparable in mission overlap (first aid, civil protection, volunteer-driven services) and competes for donations and government contracts in the same regions.
• THW (Bundesanstalt Technisches Hilfswerk): Germany's federal agency for technical relief, a primary partner in civil protection and disaster response (e.g., Weserflut 2023). Comparable in operational breadth on disaster response but federally funded and focused on technical/engineering relief rather than water rescue and swimming education.

Direct peers

• DLRG Landesverband Nordrhein: Sister DLRG state association covering the Nordrhein region, structured identically with local chapters, lifeguard training, and disaster response. Most directly comparable peer by mission, funding model, and chapter-based delivery structure.
• Wasserwacht (DRK Wasserwacht): The water rescue arm of the German Red Cross (DRK), operating across German states with volunteers providing water rescue, swimming education, and flood response. Directly competes with DLRG for members, instructors, and government civil-protection mandates in the same regions.
• DLRG Landesverband Bayern: The Bavarian state association of DLRG, one of the largest sister organizations within the same national DLRG structure. Operates with the same volunteer-led swimming education, water rescue, and civil-protection model across Bavaria, sharing training standards and national funding.

Others

• DLRG Bundesverband: National parent organization of DLRG, providing training standards, federal coordination, and nationwide drowning statistics. Acts as the umbrella under which DLRG Niedersachsen operates and reports, with significant influence over branding and capability frameworks.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/dlrgniedersachsen
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/dlrg-landesverband-niedersachsen-e-v-

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles14 records

Subsidiaries1 record

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 DLRG Landesverband Niedersachsen E.V.