QUA-LiS NRW

What QUA-LiS NRW does

QUA-LiS NRW (full legal name: Qualitäts- und UnterstützungsAgentur – Landesinstitut für Schule) is the central pedagogical service institute of the German federal state of North Rhine-Westphalia, operating under the statutory mandate of the Ministry for Schools and Education (Ministerium für Schule und Bildung NRW, MSB NRW). Headquartered at Paradieser Weg 64 in Soest with a staff of 33, the institute provides a portfolio of standardized assessment tools (notably VERA-3 and VERA-8 learning level assessments in German, Mathematics, English, and French), the Referenzrahmen Schulqualität NRW (RRSQ) school quality framework with its Online-Unterstützungsportal (six content areas, 38 dimensions), curriculum navigation via the Lehrplannavigator NRW, the Grundwortschatz NRW basic vocabulary resource (533 words), internal school evaluation instruments, vocational and adult education services, and multiple podcast series for teacher professional development.

The institute's technology stack comprises digital portals (projekt-vera3.de, projekt-vera8.de, referenzrahmen-schulqualitaet.nrw.de, lehrplannavigator.nrw.de), Moodle-based learning management systems (notably the Logineonrw-LMS hosting the FranzösischBox), and integrations with external providers including IQB (scientific leadership of VERA), zepf (technical infrastructure and hotline), SchoolCraft GmbH (clipart licensing for Grundwortschatz NRW), and edkimo (internal school feedback platform). Computer-Based Testing (CBT) for VERA-3 is being introduced as a paper-or-digital option from 2027.

All services are provided free of charge to schools, teachers, and educational institutions in NRW; the institute is funded through state government budget allocations within MSB NRW's business area, with no commercial pricing, no external funding rounds, and no publicly disclosed revenue. Go-to-market is direct and institutional: services reach all NRW schools through the ministry's mandate, augmented by website portals, downloadable publications, traveling specialist conferences (Mobile Fachtage), and a presence across Facebook, X/Twitter, YouTube, Pinterest, Flickr, Vimeo, and Instagram.

Name

QUA-LiS NRW

Legal name

Qualitäts- und UnterstützungsAgentur – Landesinstitut für Schule (QUA-LiS NRW)

Website

https://qua-lis.nrw.de

Company type

Private

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

QUA-LiS NRW is a state-run pedagogical institute under the North Rhine-Westphalia Ministry of Schools and Education, providing free standardized assessments, school quality frameworks, curriculum resources, and teacher professional development to all schools in NRW.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Educational Quality Assurance and School Support Services

NAICS

Educational Support Services (611710), Educational Services (611)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200), Services-Testing Laboratories (8734)

akta.pro primary industry

National/State Curriculum & Standards Authorities (EDADAEAA)

akta.pro secondary industries

Special Education Evaluation & Assessment (Psychoeducational, Speech/Language, OT/PT) (EDAJAKAA), Accreditation Standards, Benchmarking & Framework Organizations (EDADACAJ), Special Education & Inclusion Standards Authorities (EDADAEAI)

Keywords

• Educational assessment services
• School quality assurance
• Teacher professional development
• Curriculum standards support
• Vocational education services

Headquarters

HQ city

Soest

HQ country

Germany

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Government Institutional Funding: As a state institute operating within the business area of the Ministry for Schools and Education (MSB NRW), QUA-LiS NRW is funded through government budget allocations. All services including VERA assessments, evaluation tools, publications, and professional development are provided free of charge to schools and teachers in NRW.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

QUA-LiS NRW operates as the central pedagogical service institute (Landesinstitut) for North Rhine-Westphalia, providing standardized learning assessments (VERA-3 and VERA-8), the Referenzrahmen Schulqualität NRW quality framework, curriculum resources via Lehrplannavigator NRW, internal school evaluation tools, vocational education support (Berufsbildung NRW), and adult education services. All services are provided free of charge to schools, teachers, and educational institutions across the state under mandate from the Ministry for Schools and Education (MSB NRW).

Product overview

QUA-LiS NRW operates as the central educational service institution (Landesinstitut für Schule) for North Rhine-Westphalia, offering a portfolio of interconnected platforms and services. The core offerings include VERA assessment tools for measuring student learning outcomes in grades 3 and 8, the Referenzrahmen Schulqualität NRW (RRSQ) framework with its Online-Unterstützungsportal (OUP) for school quality development, and comprehensive curriculum resources through the Lehrplannavigator. Supporting services include the Schulinterne Evaluation tools, Grundwortschatz NRW spelling vocabulary resources, Berufsbildung NRW vocational education portal, and Erwachsenenbildung adult education services including conferences, innovation funding, and parent involvement programs. Multiple podcast series provide supplementary professional development content. The institution also provides the Standardsicherung NRW standards assurance services and various teacher training materials.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• VERA (Lernstandserhebungen) Standardized learning assessment tests (Vergleichsarbeiten) administered in grades 3 and 8 to measure student competencies in German, Mathematics, English, and French. Results help teachers plan instruction and support school development. Provided free of charge to all NRW schools.
• Referenzrahmen Schulqualität NRW (RRSQ) Reference framework documenting quality criteria for good schools and quality instruction in North Rhine-Westphalia. Provides six content areas with 38 dimensions to guide school development and quality assurance. Free for all NRW schools.
• Online-Unterstützungsportal (OUP) Online support portal providing materials and information for school and instructional development based on the Referenzrahmen Schulqualität NRW. Free access for NRW schools and educators.
• Grundwortschatz NRW Basic vocabulary resource containing 533 words for systematic spelling instruction in primary schools, with accompanying clipart materials for teaching. Provided free of charge to NRW primary schools.
• Schulinterne Evaluation Internal school evaluation tools and instruments for various evaluation purposes and school user groups, available free of charge to schools in NRW.
• Lehrplannavigator NRW Online curriculum navigator providing access to curriculum guidelines and core curriculum documents for primary, secondary, and continuing education in NRW. Free access for teachers and schools.
• Berufsbildung NRW Vocational education portal providing support services, practical teaching materials, and professional development for teachers in NRW's vocational schools (Berufskollegs).
• Erwachsenenbildung (Adult Education) Adult education services including professional development events, innovation funding for community-oriented continuing education, reporting systems, and parent involvement programs (ElternMitWirkung NRW).
• Podcast-Reihen (Schulkultur aufs Ohr, Fachdidaktik für die Praxis, Studiencheck) Multiple podcast series providing educational impulses on school culture, subject didactics, and school research summaries for teachers and school administrators. Available free via website, Spotify, and podcaster.de.
• Lernstand 5 New assessment procedure for capturing the learning baseline of students at the beginning of grade 5. Part of the Schulkompass NRW 2030 initiative. Voluntary trial phase starting in the 2026/2027 school year.
• Zentrales Schülerfeedback Central Student Feedback instrument for schools, first-time provision as part of the Schulkompass NRW 2030 initiative. Voluntary trial phase initiated.
• Digital Wellbeing in Erwachsenenbildung Digital wellbeing topics introduced as Panel 10 of the Zukunftsforum Weiterbildung, addressing digital wellbeing in adult education contexts.
• Schulentwicklung NRW Comprehensive portal covering school development topics including cross-cutting themes, instruction, curriculum standards, evaluation, and professional development for schools in NRW.
• Standardsicherung NRW Educational standards assurance services for NRW schools, supporting implementation of national educational standards and quality assurance across the state.

Quantifiable outcome

• Schools receive standardized competency level feedback in five levels for learning assessments
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers3 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration5 records

Feature4 records

Partnerships

Five partnerships are on record, tiered core.

• Institut für Qualitätsentwicklung im Bildungswesen (IQB)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe IQB, established by the Standing Conference of the Ministers of Education and Cultural Affairs (KMK) at Humboldt University Berlin, provides scientific leadership for the VERA learning assessments. Teachers from all German states collaboratively develop assessment tasks with didactics experts and researchers at the IQB, ensuring alignment with national educational standards.
• Leibniz Institute for Psychology Information (zepf)coreTechnology or IntegrationThe zepf provides the general support hotline for VERA testing ([email protected], 06341 681-3150) and operates the technical infrastructure for VERA-3 and VERA-8 computer-based testing systems.
• Ministerium für Schule und Bildung NRW (MSB NRW)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerMSB NRW is the parent ministry that mandates QUA-LiS NRW as the central institution for pedagogical services. The ministry issues decrees and guidelines that form the legal basis for QUA-LiS activities including VERA implementation.
• Netzwerk Orientierungsrahmen (NeO)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerNetwork of schools working with the Referenzrahmen Schulqualität NRW reference systems for school quality development and improvement.
• Kultusministerkonferenz (KMK)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe Standing Conference of the Ministers of Education and Cultural Affairs coordinates nationwide educational standards that underpin the VERA assessment system and Bildungsstandards used by QUA-LiS NRW.

Scale indicators2 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Landesinstitut für Schulentwicklung (LS) Baden-Württemberg: Baden-Württemberg's state institute for school quality and development, with comparable mandate for curriculum support, quality frameworks, and teacher professional development across the state's K-12 system.
• ThILLM (Thüringer Institut für Lehrerfortbildung, Lehrplanentwicklung und Medien): Thuringia's state institute for teacher training, curriculum development, and educational media, with substantially the same mandate structure and service portfolio as QUA-LiS NRW.
• IQSH (Institut für Qualitätsentwicklung an Schulen Schleswig-Holstein): Schleswig-Holstein's state institute for school quality development, with parallel mandate for teacher training, school evaluation, and quality assurance across the state's K-12 schools.
• ISB Bayern (Staatsinstitut für Schulqualität und Bildungsforschung): Bavaria's state institute for school quality and educational research, providing directly comparable services to Bavaria's schools including curriculum development, quality assurance, and teacher training.
• LISUM (Landesinstitut für Schule und Medien Berlin-Brandenburg): Berlin-Brandenburg's joint state institute for school and media, delivering equivalent pedagogical services, curriculum support, and professional development to schools in both federal states.
• Institut für Qualitätsentwicklung im Bildungswesen (IQB): National-level institute at Humboldt University Berlin that provides scientific leadership for VERA assessments. Direct collaborative partner under KMK mandate, operating at the federal level with overlapping assessment and standards development responsibilities.
• Landesinstitut für Lehrerbildung und Schulentwicklung Hamburg (LI): Hamburg's state institute for teacher training and school development, performing parallel functions for Hamburg's school system including teacher qualification and school quality improvement.
• NLQ Niedersachsen (Niedersächsisches Landesinstitut für schulische Qualitätsentwicklung): Lower Saxony's state institute for school quality development, performing parallel functions for another large German state including comparative assessment coordination and school development support.
• Hessisches Landesinstitut für Pädagogik (HeLP): Hesse's state pedagogical institute providing comparable services to NRW's schools including curriculum support, teacher professional development, and educational quality assurance functions.
• LISA Sachsen-Anhalt (Landesinstitut für Schulqualität und Lehrerbildung): Saxony-Anhalt's state institute for school quality and teacher training, providing equivalent K-12 support services including quality development, assessment, and professional development for teachers.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights5 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/qualisnrw
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/qua-lis-nrw

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

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 QUA-LiS NRW