step into action

What step into action does

step into action is a Swiss nonprofit organization (gemeinnütziger Verein) founded in 2011 in Bern that designs and delivers experiential education programs in Education for Sustainable Development (BNE). The organization serves three primary segments: Swiss secondary schools and youth (Sek II), organizations and corporate teams, and individual facilitators seeking professional development. Its methodology is built around the proprietary Facilitation Grid framework (Process, People, Space, Facilitator), combined with the 10 BNE competencies from education21 and the 23 Inner Development Goals (IDGs), and is operationalized through flagship programs including the Zukunftssummit, imp!act Workshops, iLula Facilitation Training, Catalyst Lab, stiggs Jugendforum, BNE Einführung, and SPARKS customized workshops.

The organization's revenue model is a hybrid of participant fees, donations, and foundation grants. Program fees are deliberately low to ensure accessibility: 175 CHF per school class for the Zukunftssummit, 620 CHF per person per module for iLula corporate participants, and a pay-what-feels-right model (with ~500 CHF cost coverage) for nonprofits and individuals. The iLula Handbook is sold for 38 CHF plus shipping. Donations are tax-exempt in Switzerland, and the organization is supported by foundations including Stiftung Mercator, Stiftung Wegweiser, AKS, Johnson Stiftung, and Hirschmann Stiftung. Distribution is primarily direct, delivered in-person by the 9-person core team and trained facilitator community across Switzerland, with regional offices/events in Bern, Zürich, Luzern, St. Gallen, Herisau, Nidau, Faoug, and Geneva, and a growing international footprint (prior summits in Lima, Peru and Köln, Germany). Since 2011, the organization reports it has reached 13,000+ students, trained 180 young volunteers, and certified approximately 750 facilitators across 16+ summits.

Name

step into action

Legal name

step into action global

Website

https://step-into-action.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2011

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

step into action is a Swiss nonprofit founded in 2011 that delivers Education for Sustainable Development programs to schools, organizations, and individual facilitators through summits, workshops, and modular training built on its proprietary Facilitation Grid methodology.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Sustainability Education and Facilitation Training

NAICS

Professional and Management Development Training (61143), Religious, Grantmaking, Civic, Professional, and Similar Organizations (813)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200), Services-Management Consulting Services (8742)

akta.pro primary industry

Change Management & Transformation Leadership (EDABAAAD)

akta.pro secondary industries

Sustainability Engagement, Training & Behavior Change Programs (On-site) (BPABALAK), Change Management & Transformation (Org/HR) (BPACAJAD), Teacher Training, Professional Development & Education Leadership (BPADAKAC)

Keywords

• Sustainability education
• Facilitation training
• Youth development programs
• Workshop facilitation services
• Educator professional development

Headquarters

HQ city

Bern

HQ country

Switzerland

HQ region

Europe

Offices10 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Program Fees - Schools & Organizations: step into action generates revenue through fees charged to schools and organizations for participation in its programs. The Zukunftssummit costs 175 CHF per school class. Custom organizational programs and imp!act workshops are offered as tailored services with individual pricing.
2. iLula Training Course Fees: The iLula professional development program charges fees for training modules. Private companies pay 620 CHF per person per module, while nonprofit organizations and individuals use a pay-what-feels-right model (cost coverage approximately 500 CHF per person per module).
3. iLula Handbook Sales: The iLula Facilitation Handbook is sold for 38 CHF (plus shipping), providing a supplementary revenue stream from individual customers seeking facilitation knowledge independently.
4. Donations & Grant Funding: The organization receives voluntary donations (PostFinance IBAN provided) and is supported by foundations and sponsors. Donations to step into action are tax-exempt in Switzerland.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

step into action is a Swiss nonprofit organization that designs and delivers Education for Sustainable Development (BNE) programs. Its portfolio includes multi-month summits, design-thinking workshops for school classes, modular facilitator training, and customized organizational programs, all structured around a proprietary Facilitation Grid methodology and grounded in BNE competencies and Inner Development Goals (IDGs). The organization serves schools, companies, and individual professionals in Switzerland and selectively abroad.

Product overview

step into action operates as a unified program portfolio focused on Education for Sustainable Development (BNE), offering multiple interconnected programs across three main audience segments: (1) School Programs including the Zukunftssummit (multi-month future skills program), imp!act Workshops (project-based learning), and BNE Einführung for teacher training; (2) Youth Engagement including Changemaker (youth role models sharing stories), Young Facilitators (peer facilitators), and Summit Teams (youth organizers); and (3) Professional Development through iLula Facilitation Training (modular training with Essentials course and four specialization modules: Process, People, Space, Facilitator) plus iLula Consulting and Handbook. The organization also runs collaborative programs including Catalyst Lab (7-month systems change journey with Collaboratio Helvetica), stiggs Jugendforum (corporate youth forums), and SPARKS (partner-customized workshops). The offerings are unified by a shared pedagogical approach centered on the Facilitation Grid framework and competencies from education21 and the Inner Development Goals.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• iLula: A modular continuing education program for facilitation skills, with training modules covering process, people, space, and facilitator dimensions. Includes the iLula Facilitation Handbook and iLula Consulting services.
• imp!act Workshops
• stiggs
• Catalyst Lab

Products and services

• Zukunftssummit A multi-month program for Swiss upper secondary school classes (Sek II) consisting of an Introduction lesson, a Summit day event, and a Follow-up phase; priced at 175 CHF per school class and designed to help students explore future skills, values, and sustainable development.
• imp!act Workshops Workshop programs for school classes that enable students to discover their changemaker potential and develop social or ecological project ideas using Design-Thinking methods across four structured phases.
• iLula Facilitation Training Modular professional development program for individual facilitators, team leaders, teachers, and trainers, including an Essentials of Facilitation course and four specialization modules based on the proprietary Facilitation Grid framework; priced at 620 CHF per person per module for private companies with a pay-what-feels-right model for nonprofits and individuals.
• Catalyst Lab A 7-month learning journey for individuals and teams focused on systems thinking, awareness-based systems methodologies, and non-linear practices for navigating change; co-organized with Collaboratio Helvetica in Faoug, Switzerland.
• stiggs Jugendforum A platform that brings together young employees (ages 16-25) and executives to develop sustainable projects and implement them within companies through interactive workshops and team challenges; co-developed with the stiggs Jugendforum platform.
• BNE Einführung (BNE Introduction) Introduction to Education for Sustainable Development (Bildung für nachhaltige Entwicklung / BNE) for students at Pedagogical Universities such as PHBern, delivered through interactive learning parcours that engage teacher trainees with sustainability education concepts.
• SPARKS Customized programs co-created with partner organizations where the partner supplies the theme and subject-matter expertise and step into action designs and facilitates the workshops; includes Mission Zukunft for CDR network companies and the zämä gege Rassismus edition with GRA.
• Zukunftskompetenzen für Teams Team-building and collaboration strengthening program for organizational teams using facilitation methods to develop competencies in empathy, collaboration, reflection, and appreciation within organizations.
• iLula Consulting Advisory service that helps organizations design workshop formats tailored to their needs using participatory methods and interactive facilitation approaches.
• iLula Facilitation Handbook A 38 CHF (plus shipping) printed handbook that provides theoretical foundations and practical guidance on facilitation and workshop design, available for individual order via email.

Quantifiable outcome

• 13,000+ students reached since 2011
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers3 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature5 records

Partnerships

22 partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Collaboratio HelveticacoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 13 March 2026step into action and Collaboratio Helvetica co-organize the Catalyst Lab, a 7-month systems change learning journey. This is a flagship co-development partnership combining Collaboratio Helvetica's systems change methodology with step into action's facilitation and educational expertise. The program is co-hosted with sessions in Faoug, Switzerland.
• CDR Netzwerk (Netzwerk Unternehmen für Demokratie)coreStrategic or Co-development Partnerstep into action partners with the CDR Netzwerk to deliver democracy education and future-oriented values programs in companies, including the Mission Zukunft workshop format. This partnership enables step into action to reach corporate audiences and integrate democracy education into organizational development.
• Netzwerk Nachhaltigkeitsnetzwerk Zentralschweiz (NNZ)minorOthersNNZ is listed as a partner organization, suggesting collaboration within the Central Switzerland sustainability network.
• stiggs (Jugendforum platform)coreStrategic or Co-development Partnerstep into action co-develops and co-delivers the stiggs Jugendforum, a platform bringing together young employees (16-25) and executives to develop sustainable projects for companies. The program runs in Luzern (Verkehrshaus) and St. Gallen (Uni St. Gallen) and is promoted via stiggs.ch.
• PHBern (Pädagogische Hochschule Bern)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPHBern collaborates with step into action on BNE Introduction programs for teacher trainees. step into action facilitates BNE introduction days at PHBern where student teachers engage with sustainability education concepts through interactive parcours formats.
• education21coreOthersstep into action's educational methodology is grounded in the 10 BNE competencies defined by education21, Switzerland's central coordination office for Education for Sustainable Development. This partnership informs the organization's program design and competency framework.
• IDG Foundation (Inner Development Goals)coreOthersstep into action's competency framework is informed by the 23 Inner Development Goals defined by the Swedish IDG Foundation, which complement the UN SDGs by focusing on internal competencies needed for systems change.
• myclimateminorOthersmyclimate is displayed as a partner, indicating collaboration on climate/sustainability aspects. myclimate is a Swiss nonprofit organization for climate protection and sustainable development.
• Stiftung MercatorminorOthersStiftung Mercator is displayed as a supporting partner organization, suggesting they may provide funding or programmatic support for step into action's activities.
• Stiftung WegweiserminorOthersstep into action partners with Stiftung Wegweiser on the Wegweiser Ethics Award, which youth participants at the Zukunftssummit can submit their projects to for recognition.
• VereinfairminorOthersVereinfair is listed as a collaboration partner for the Zukunftssummit program, contributing to the delivery of the summit event.
• GRA (Graubünden)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerGRA (Graubünden) partners with step into action on the SPARKS program 'zämä gege Rassismus' (together against racism), combining GRA's expertise with step into action's workshop facilitation methodology.
• EuforiacoreStrategic or Co-development Partnerstep into action was originally conceived as a Euforia project in 2011 and continues to maintain a close relationship with Euforia as a founding partner. Euforia's methodology and community provided the foundation for step into action's programs.
• PHBern (NMS) and PHBern (Pädagogische Hochschule)minorOthersBoth PHBern (NMS) and PHBern appear as partner institutions, indicating ongoing collaboration with teacher education programs in the Bern region.
• Campus für DemokratieminorOthersCampus für Demokratie's Managing Director, Carol Schafroth, serves on step into action's Advisory Board, representing this partner in strategic advisory capacity.
• forausminorOthersforaus' Co-Managing Director, Marie Hürlimann, serves on step into action's Advisory Board, representing this policy think tank in strategic advisory capacity.
• UNICEF SwitzerlandminorOthersUNICEF Switzerland is listed as a partner, suggesting alignment on youth and child-focused sustainability and development goals.
• Engage South AfricaminorOthersEngage South Africa's Co-Founder, Diana Haag, serves on step into action's Advisory Board. This connection reflects step into action's international orientation and prior summit experience in Lima.
• DISPO BielminorOthersDISPO Biel (dispo.space) is the venue partner for the Zukunftssummit 2026 in Nidau/Biel, hosting the flagship summit event.
• BBZ HerisauminorOthersBBZ Herisau (Berufsbildungszentrum) served as the venue for the step into action Summit 2024 in Eastern Switzerland.
• Verkehrshaus LuzernminorOthersVerkehrshaus Luzern (Swiss Museum of Transport) is the venue for the stiggs Jugendforum Zentralschweiz event.
• Kulturpark ZürichminorOthersKulturpark Zürich (Pfingstweidstrasse 16) is a recurring venue for iLula training modules and professional development courses.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Collaboratio Helvetica: Swiss nonprofit co-developing the Catalyst Lab with step into action; applies systems change and awareness-based methodologies to organisational transformation, mirroring step into action's experiential learning model.
• Euforia: step into action's founding Swiss civic-engagement project; both organisations target youth civic participation and education in Switzerland using sociocratic and experiential methodologies.
• La Fresque du Climat (Climate Fresk): International collaborative workshop-based climate education nonprofit; uses participatory, peer-facilitated workshop methodologies comparable to step into action's Zukunftssummit and imp!act workshop formats.
• Design for Change: International movement using a similar 'Feel-Imagine-Do-Share' design-thinking methodology to enable children and youth to prototype social/ecological projects — directly comparable to step into action's imp!act workshop flow.

Broad incumbents

• Roots & Shoots (Jane Goodall Institute): Global youth environmental action program; offers school-based project-based learning comparable to step into action's school summits and imp!act workshops but at a much larger international scale.
• Ashoka: Global changemaker network supporting social entrepreneurs and youth changemaker education; operates at much larger scale but shares step into action's focus on agency-building and changemaker identity development.
• myclimate: Switzerland's leading climate-protection foundation; delivers broader sustainability education and corporate carbon programs at significantly larger scale than step into action's BNE focus.
• education21: Swiss national coordination office for Education for Sustainable Development; defines the 10 BNE competencies underpinning step into action's curriculum and operates at a national policy-and-coordination level.
• UNICEF Switzerland: Swiss affiliate of the global UN agency; listed partner of step into action with overlapping youth-sustainability focus but at vastly larger scale and broader mandate (rights, education, emergencies).

Emerging players

• Vereinfair: Smaller Swiss nonprofit program partner co-delivering Zukunftssummit events; operates in the youth civic-engagement space at smaller scale with overlapping workshop and changemaker methodologies.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/step-into-action

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles9 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about step into action