Soziale Dienste Bezirk Uster

What Soziale Dienste Bezirk Uster does

Soziale Dienste Bezirk Uster (SDBU) is a public-law municipal association (Zweckverband) headquartered at Industriestrasse 27 in Volketswil, Canton of Zurich, Switzerland. Founded in 1974 by seven municipalities of the Bezirk Uster (Fällanden, Greifensee, Maur, Mönchaltorf, Schwerzenbach, Volketswil, and Wangen-Brüttisellen), the organization delivers social services to approximately 64,000 residents across those full members plus three additional contract municipalities (Dübendorf, Uster, and Egg). The association is governed by a Delegiertenversammlung (delegates assembly) and a Vorstand (board), with Pascal Scattolin serving as Geschäftsleiter (business manager) and Andrea Lüthi-Diggelmann as Head of Central Services.

SDBU's service portfolio spans the full social-services spectrum: the 'Arbeit' work-integration division runs workshops in woodworking, metalwork, gardening, recycling, and upcycling with results retailed through the 'sdbu-Frappant' store and the Hofladen farm shop; JobCoaching offers modular employment integration programs including a dedicated asylum/refugee track (JobCoaching Asyl- und Flüchtlingswesen) with three modules covering planning, implementation, and application support; Berufsbeistandschaft provides professional guardianship; Fachstelle Sucht delivers addiction counseling; Sozialberatung offers general social counseling; and Wohnen Chilegass provides housing services. The digital infrastructure is built on OneGov Cloud, an open-source Swiss digital government platform, supporting the organization's public website and authentication but no AI or API capabilities.

The financial model is a public-sector managed-services arrangement: SDBU does not charge clients directly for its services. Funding flows from mandatory municipal contributions by the seven member municipalities and service-contract fees from the three contract municipalities, with annual budgets and accounts (Jahresrechnung 2025, Budget 2026) published on the website. Modest earned income is generated through the sdbu-Frappant retail store and Hofladen farm shop, which also function as work-integration venues. Partially revised statutes approved by voters on February 9, 2025 take effect January 1, 2026, restructuring the organization's composition, services, and cost distribution.

Name

Soziale Dienste Bezirk Uster

Legal name

Zweckverband Soziale Dienste Bezirk Uster

Website

https://sdbu.ch

Company type

Private

Founded year

1974

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Soziale Dienste Bezirk Uster (SDBU) is a Swiss public-law municipal association founded in 1974, delivering social and work-integration services across ten municipalities in the Bezirk Uster serving approximately 64,000 residents.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Municipal Social Services

NAICS

Individual and Family Services (6241), Community Housing Services (62422)

SIC

Services-Social Services (8300)

akta.pro industry

PRIMARYBPAIACAJ

Housing & Neighborhood Services (Local Housing Programs)

Business & Public Services/Public Sector & Government Administration/Local/Municipal Government Administration

SECONDARYBPAGAEAB

Housing Assistance & Homeless Services

Business & Public Services/Nonprofit, NGO & Social Services/Social Services & Community Support (Food, Housing, Family)

SECONDARYBPADAHAI

Integration & Inclusion Services (Housing, Education, Employment)

Business & Public Services/International Organizations & Development/Refugee, Migration & Displacement Services

Keywords

• Municipal social services
• Work integration programs
• Job coaching services
• Addiction counseling services
• Supported housing services

Headquarters

HQ city

Volketswil

HQ country

Switzerland

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Others

Revenue model

1. Municipal contributions and government subsidies: SDBU is funded through contributions from its seven member municipalities (Fällanden, Greifensee, Maur, Mönchaltorf, Schwerzenbach, Volketswil, Wangen-Brüttisellen) and service contract fees from Dübendorf, Uster, and Egg. Annual budget and annual accounts are published publicly.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels3 records

Core offering

SDBU delivers integrated municipal social services to residents of the Bezirk Uster in the Canton of Zurich, Switzerland. Its core offering encompasses work and professional integration programs (workshops in woodwork, metalwork, gardening, upcycling, recycling, and moving/disposal), JobCoaching (including specialized modules for asylum seekers/refugees and social welfare recipients), professional guardianship (Berufsbeistandschaft), addiction counseling (Fachstelle Sucht), general social counseling (Sozialberatung), and supported housing (Wohnen Chilegass). Two associated retail outlets — the upcycling Laden «frappant» store and the self-service Hofladen farm shop — provide tangible outputs from the work-integration workshops and serve as community touchpoints.

Product overview

Soziale Dienste Bezirk Uster (sdbu) is a municipal association providing social services across seven municipalities in the Uster district, serving approximately 64,000 residents. The organization operates a multi-faceted social services portfolio centered on professional and social integration, including the 'Arbeit' work integration program with specialized workshops (woodworking, metalwork, gardening, recycling/upcycling), job coaching services for welfare recipients and refugees, addiction counseling, social counseling, and housing services. The organization also operates retail operations including the 'Laden frapprant' upcycling store and a daily farm shop selling garden produce.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• sdbu-Frappant: A retail store operated by the organization selling upcycled and recycled products, located in Volketswil. The store is part of the Arbeit (work) division providing employment and integration opportunities.

Products and services

• Arbeit - soziale und berufliche Integration (Work and Professional Integration)
• JobCoaching
• Berufsbeistandschaft (Professional Guardianship)
• Fachstelle Sucht (Addiction Counseling Center)
• Sozialberatung (Social Counseling)
• Wohnen Chilegass (Supported Housing)
• Laden «frappant» (Upcycling Retail Store)
• Hofladen (Farm Shop)

Quantifiable outcome

• Participants gain work experience and success experiences in productive settings, with garden produce and other products sold through the farm shop and sdbu-Frappant store.

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Two partnerships are on record, tiered minor and core.

• Contract municipalities (Dübendorf, Uster, Egg)minorOthers · 1 January 1974Three additional municipalities (Dübendorf, Uster, and Egg) purchase selected individual services from SDBU via service contracts, without being full members of the association.
• Seven member municipalities (Fällanden, Greifensee, Maur, Mönchaltorf, Schwerzenbach, Volketswil, Wangen-Brüttisellen)coreOthersSeven municipalities of the Bezirk Uster formed the Zweckverband in 1974 to jointly deliver social services. They share governance through the delegate assembly and board, and collectively fund the organization through municipal contributions based on agreed cost-sharing formulas.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Broad incumbents

• Schweizerisches Rotes Kreuz: Swiss Red Cross delivers national social assistance, integration, and health-related services. Comparable in social services mission but far broader in scope than a single Zweckverband.
• Sozialdepartement Stadt Zürich: City of Zurich's social department administers social welfare, integration programs, and addiction support for Zurich residents. Comparable as a public-sector social services administrator, though at city rather than district level.
• Heilsarmee Schweiz: National Swiss social services organization providing shelter, addiction support, employment programs, and food assistance. Comparable in service breadth but operates at national scale rather than as a single municipal association.

Direct peers

• Caritas Zürich: Regional Caritas affiliate offering social counseling, debt advisory, employment integration, and refugee support across the Canton of Zurich. Comparable to SDBU's Sozialberatung and broader social assistance portfolio.
• AOZ (Asylorganisation Zürich): Municipal organization in the Canton of Zurich providing asylum and refugee integration services including job coaching and social counseling. Closely comparable to SDBU's JobCoaching Asyl- und Flüchtlingswesen module and refugee-focused reintegration work.
• Winterthur Sozialwerk: Municipal social services organization in Winterthur delivering work integration, social counseling, and related social assistance programs. Directly comparable as another Swiss city-level public social services provider with work-integration workshops.
• Sozialwerk Pfarrer Sieber: Zurich-based social services organization operating work-integration programs and shelter/housing services for people in difficult life situations. Comparable to SDBU in its combination of work-integration, social counseling, and accommodation services in the Zurich region.

Emerging players

• Pro Infirmis Kanton Zürich: Swiss disability support organization providing counseling, integration assistance, and social services. Comparable in social assistance delivery but specialized on disability populations rather than general welfare.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/sdbu

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 records

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 Soziale Dienste Bezirk Uster