What Stiftung Katholische Freie Schule der Diözese Rottenburg-Stuttgart does

Stiftung Katholische Freie Schule der Diözese Rottenburg-Stuttgart (SKFS) is a private, non-profit Catholic educational foundation (Stiftung) canonically established and supervised by the Diocese of Rottenburg-Stuttgart. Headquartered at Bischof-von-Keppler-Str. 5 in Rottenburg, Baden-Württemberg, Germany, the foundation functions as a unified governance and administrative vehicle for more than 90 Catholic educational institutions — spanning kindergartens, general education schools (Grundschule through Berufliche Gymnasien), special education centers (SBBZ), and vocational schools for social and nursing professions (Katholische Fachschulen) — collectively serving over 25,000 students, families, and staff across the Diocese of Rottenburg-Stuttgart. The foundation does not operate schools directly as commercial entities; rather, it acts as employer, trustee, and administrative hub through its Bischöfliches Stiftungsschulamt (BSSA), handling personnel, finance, construction, and IT for the network.

The foundation's core intellectual asset is the Marchtaler Plan, a proprietary Catholic pedagogical framework grounded in Christian-anthropological principles, developed and disseminated through its in-house Kirchliche Akademie der Lehrerfortbildung Obermarchtal (KAdL). The framework prescribes structured daily elements (Morgenkreis, Freie Stillarbeit, Vernetzter Unterricht, Fachunterricht, Mittagessen, Ungebundene/Gebundene Freizeit, Erweiterte Lerngelegenheiten) and supports a Ganztagspädagogik (full-day pedagogy) model. Supporting offerings include a three-year Schulpastoral (school pastoral care) certification program, a digital transformation initiative (Digitaler Wandel), an SBBZ inclusion program, an AZAV-certified nursing training program (Generalistik), a Freiwiliges Soziales Jahr (FSJ) program, and a long-standing international exchange with the diocesan schools of Santiago del Estero, Argentina, supported by the Freundeskreis Tinkunakuy e.V. association and the federal weltwärts funding program. The foundation also operates an institutional Prävention (protection) program addressing sexual abuse prevention, with an independent beratende Kommission.

Revenue is derived from a combination of church-tax-derived diocesan funding, state subsidies for approved substitute schools (Ersatzschulfinanzierung) under Baden-Württemberg law, and kindergarten/daycare parental contributions; no commercial pricing is published. Governance is provided by a two-member executive board — Roland Grimmelsmann (Vorstand Verwaltung) and Prof. Dr. Matthias Gronover (Vorstand Pädagogik) — and a Stiftungsrat chaired by Oliver Karpf, with representation from the diocese, the order schools (Ordensschulen Trägerverbund), the Fachschulbeirat, the SBBZ Beirat, the Gesamtelternbeirat, and external stakeholders including Robert Bosch Stiftung and the Universities of Tübingen and Weingarten.

Name

Stiftung Katholische Freie Schule der Diözese Rottenburg-Stuttgart

Legal name

Stiftung Katholische Freie Schule der Diözese Rottenburg-Stuttgart

Website

https://schulstiftung.de

Company type

Private

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

51–100 employees

Short description

Stiftung Katholische Freie Schule der Diözese Rottenburg-Stuttgart is a non-profit Catholic foundation that governs more than 90 kindergartens, schools, special education centers, and vocational schools serving over 25,000 students and families in Baden-Württemberg under its proprietary Marchtaler Plan pedagogical framework.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Catholic K-12 Education Services

NAICS

Elementary and Secondary Schools (61111)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro primary industry

Faith-Based (Religious) K–12 Schools (EDAJABAC)

akta.pro secondary industry

Subject-Specific Standards & Curriculum Councils (EDADAEAB)

Keywords

• Catholic education
• Primary and secondary schooling
• Special education services
• Vocational training
• Teacher professional development

Headquarters

HQ city

Rottenburg

HQ country

Germany

HQ region

Europe

Offices3 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Others

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

The foundation operates and governs more than 90 Catholic educational institutions (kindergartens, primary, secondary, special education centers, and vocational schools) in the Diocese of Rottenburg-Stuttgart, unified by the proprietary Marchtaler Plan pedagogical framework. It delivers classroom education, full-day care (Ganztagspädagogik), special education (SBBZ), vocational training for social professions, teacher professional development via the Kirchliche Akademie Obermarchtal, and school pastoral care, while providing centralized administration through the Bischöfliches Stiftungsschulamt.

Product overview

Stiftung Katholische Freie Schule der Diözese Rottenburg-Stuttgart operates as a unified foundation managing over 90 educational institutions (kindergartens, general education schools, special education centers, and vocational schools) serving more than 25,000 students across Baden-Württemberg. The foundation's core offering is its distinctive educational framework called the Marchtaler Plan, which is grounded in Christian-anthropological principles. Supporting this are the Kirchliche Akademie Obermarchtal for teacher professional development (offering Diplomkurs and Grundkurs Marchtaler Plan programs) and the Schulpastoral certification program for school pastoral care. The foundation also runs international exchange programs through the Santiago del Estero partnership (with associated Freundeskreis Tinkunakuy support association) and a Digitaler Wandel digital transformation initiative. Administrative services are centralized through the Bischöfliches Stiftungsschulamt, while schools can be located via the Schulfinder tool. Specialized offerings include SBBZ special education centers, Katholische Fachschulen for social professions, and a Voluntary Social Year (FSJ) program. The Prävention program provides abuse prevention services across all institutions.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Marchtaler Plan Educational Framework

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

15 partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Freundeskreis Tinkunakuy e.V.coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2008The Freundeskreis Tinkunakuy (Friends Circle Tinkunakuy) is a supporting association founded in 2008 to bundle and promote volunteer engagement around the partnership with Santiago del Estero. It has over 100 members including former interns, parents, and friends, organizes projects such as 'Hoffnung durch Handwerk' (vocational training) and 'Tinkuy de Verano' (summer school), and publishes the quarterly newsletter 'Tinkunakuy - vivir el encuentro'.
• Sede Administrativa de las Escuelas Diocesanas, Santiago del Estero, ArgentinacoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2007The foundation operates a long-running exchange program with Santiago del Estero diocese in Argentina, including student internships, voluntary service (weltwärts), and reciprocal exchanges (since 2007, with first reverse exchange in 2019). The partnership includes a Praktikumsprogramm for German school-leavers in Argentine schools and an Argentinian volunteer program in German schools.
• Kongregation der Franziskanerinnen von Bonlanden e.V.coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerOne of the founding order congregations operating Catholic schools under the SKFS umbrella. These order schools represent a tradition spanning over 100 years, contributing distinctive spiritual identity, school culture, and girls' education traditions to the Catholic school landscape of the diocese.
• Ordensschulen Trägerverbund gGmbHcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerA central holding company for order schools, representing multiple Catholic orders in operating schools under the SKFS umbrella. Wibke Tiedmann serves as representative in the SKFS Ordensbeirat advisory board.
• Sießener Schulen gGmbHminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerAn order schools company operating Catholic educational institutions under the SKFS umbrella.
• Institut für Soziale Berufe Ravensburg gGmbHcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe Institute for Social Professions in Ravensburg is one of three vocational schools (Fachschulen) represented in the SKFS Fachschulbeirat. Led by Tom Dickmann (Chair of the Fachschulbeirat), it provides vocational education in social pedagogy under the Marchtaler Plan framework.
• St. Loreto - Institut für Soziale Berufe Schwäbisch Gmünd gGmbHcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerA Catholic vocational school for social professions in Schwäbisch Gmünd, represented in the SKFS Fachschulbeirat alongside the Ravensburg and gGmbH schools for social professions.
• Schulen für soziale Berufe gGmbHcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerA Catholic vocational school entity represented in the SKFS Fachschulbeirat, providing vocational education in social work and pedagogy across the foundation's network.
• Diözese Rottenburg-Stuttgart (Bischöfliches Ordinariat)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe Diocese Rottenburg-Stuttgart is the ecclesiastical sponsor and supervisory authority of the SKFS foundation. The diocese provides the foundation with its canonical mandate and operates under the KDG (Kirchlicher Datenschutz) framework. The Hauptabteilung IX (Department IX - Schools) handles ecclesiastical school oversight, and the Stabsstelle Prävention manages child and youth protection.
• Löffler Büro für Arbeitssicherheit GmbHminorOthersOccupational safety and health consulting firm from Freiburg, Germany, providing services to the foundation's schools since 2015, including occupational safety advice and occupational medicine coordination.
• KÜHLEIS GROUP Stefan Kühleis e.K.minorOthersExternal data protection officer (Datenschutzbeauftragter) appointed since March 2026 for the SKFS foundation and its associated schools, providing GDPR and KDG compliance services.
• weltwärts (Bundesförderprogramm)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe German federal voluntary service program (weltwärts) provides financial support for the exchange program between the SKFS and Santiago del Estero. German volunteers can receive funding for their one-year placement in Argentine schools.
• Diözesanes PräventionsnetzwerkcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe foundation participates in the Diocesan Prevention Network, which includes the beratende Kommission Sexueller Missbrauch (Advisory Commission on Sexual Abuse), the Stabsstelle Prävention, Kinder- und Jugendschutz, and the Aufarbeitungskommission and Betroffenenbeirat of the diocese.
• Kirchliche Akademie der Lehrerfortbildung Obermarchtal (KAdL)coreOthersThe Kirchliche Akademie Obermarchtal (KAdL) is operated by the SKFS foundation itself as its in-house teacher training and professional development academy. It is responsible for all further education of teachers at Catholic Free Schools in the diocese and hosts the Marchtaler Plan training courses, school pastoral programs, and the exchange program with Santiago del Estero.
• Caritasverband der Diözese Rottenburg-Stuttgart e.V.minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe Caritas association of the Diocese of Rottenburg-Stuttgart serves as an advisory member of the SKFS SBBZ (special education) advisory board, contributing to the network of social care and support services for students with special needs.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Evangelische Schulstiftung in Bayern: Protestant school foundation in Bavaria operating faith-based K-12 schools with a centralized foundation structure; directly comparable denominational counterpart to SKFS in a different German state.
• Schulstiftung der Erzdiözese München und Freising: Catholic school foundation of the Archdiocese of Munich and Freising, managing a large portfolio of Catholic K-12 schools in Bavaria under a centralized Stiftung model — same institutional archetype as SKFS in a larger diocese.
• Schulwerk der Diözese Augsburg: Catholic school foundation of the Diocese of Augsburg in Bavaria, operating a comparable network of denominational K-12 schools with its own pedagogical framework — a directly analogous institutional model in a different German diocese.
• Evangelische Schulstiftung Württemberg: The Protestant equivalent of SKFS in the same Baden-Württemberg region, operating faith-based K-12 schools under a parallel denominational foundation model — directly comparable structure, geography, and target demographic.

Broad incumbents

• Bund der Freien Waldorfschulen: National umbrella organization for German Waldorf schools, which are similarly organized around a distinctive proprietary pedagogical framework (Steiner/Waldorf pedagogy) — comparable as an alternative-pedagogy school network rather than a denominational one.
• Erzbischöfliches Ordinariat Freiburg: The Archdiocese of Freiburg operates its own Catholic schools in the Upper Rhine region of Baden-Württemberg, representing a neighboring Catholic school provider with overlapping target demographic and structural foundation model.

Emerging players

• Montessori Landesverband Baden-Württemberg: Regional association for Montessori schools in Baden-Württemberg; an alternative-pedagogy school provider competing for the same value-based-education parent segment as SKFS, though using a different pedagogical framework.

Others

• Bundesverband Freier Schulen: National industry association representing independent/private schools in Germany, of which SKFS schools are members — provides advocacy, benchmarking, and policy engagement for the broader ecosystem SKFS operates in.
• Caritasverband der Diözese Rottenburg-Stuttgart: Partner and advisory board member of SKFS; a Catholic social services organization in the same diocese. Closely tied ecosystem participant sharing the same parent (Diocese Rottenburg-Stuttgart) and serving overlapping families via social care and education referrals.
• Diözese Rottenburg-Stuttgart: SKFS's parent entity and ecclesiastical sponsor; the Diocese provides canonical mandate, supervisory oversight, and church-tax funding — an essential governance and funding counterparty rather than a competitor.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks7 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/Freundeskreis-Tinkunakuy-614277068614963
• Instagraminstagram.com/skfs_drs
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/stiftung-katholische-freie-schule-der-di%C3%B6zese-rottenburg-stuttgart

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles13 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about Stiftung Katholische Freie Schule der Diözese Rottenburg-Stuttgart