What Studierendenwerk Bielefeld does

Studierendenwerk Bielefeld is a public-law institution (Anstalt des öffentlichen Rechts) established in 1968 and operating under North Rhine-Westphalia state law. It provides statutory student welfare services to approximately 40,000 students enrolled at partner universities across five cities in East Westphalia: Bielefeld, Detmold, Höxter, Lemgo, and Minden. Its service portfolio comprises student housing (424 units distributed across three addresses on Universitätsstraße and Morgenbreede), Mensen and Cafeterien dining operations, administration of federal student financial aid (BAföG), and three Kita childcare facilities serving 150+ children of students. The institution is led by Geschäftsführer Achim Landgraf, with Christian Osinga as Verwaltungsratsvorsitzender, and operates with an administrative headcount in the high teens and a larger operational workforce across dining, housing, and childcare.

The business model is funded through a mix of student semester fees, rental income from housing, dining revenues, childcare fees, and pass-through BAföG administration funded at the federal/state level. As a statutory body, Studierendenwerk Bielefeld does not face commercial competition within its mandate; its pricing is set in coordination with student government and state oversight. The institution relies on partnerships with external infrastructure providers — 1&1 for connectivity, Microsoft Teams for collaboration, and KfW/BVA for funding administration — to operate non-core functions, while retaining direct control over its physical service delivery assets (housing, dining halls, Kitas).

In 2025/2026 the organization executed a digital refresh, culminating in a full rebranding in July 2026 and a relaunched website. These actions signal modernization of the service interface rather than expansion of mandate or footprint. No M&A, funding rounds, or geographic expansion are indicated; growth is bounded by the statutory student welfare perimeter and the demographics of its partner universities.

Name

Studierendenwerk Bielefeld

Legal name

Studierendenwerk Bielefeld Anstalt des öffentlichen Rechts (AöR)

Website

https://studierendenwerk-bielefeld.de

Company type

Private

Founded year

1968

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Studierendenwerk Bielefeld is a public-law institution founded in 1968 that provides statutory student welfare services — housing, dining, BAföG administration, and Kita childcare — to approximately 40,000 students across five cities in East Westphalia, North Rhine-Westphalia.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Student Services (Public Higher-Education Support)

NAICS

Rooming and Boarding Houses, Dormitories, and Workers' Camps (72131), Educational Services (611)

SIC

Hotels, Rooming Houses, Camps & Other Lodging Places (7000), Services-Child Day Care Services (8351), Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro primary industry

University Dorms & Affiliated Summer Housing (THAMAGAA)

akta.pro secondary industries

Residential Dining & Meal Plans (EDALADAA), Off-Campus Shared Student Houses (Room-by-Room) (THAMAGAC), Student & Academic Term Monthly Housing (THAMAFAH), Guest, Visitor & Conference Housing Services (Summer/Break Housing) (EDAEAFAN)

Keywords

• Student housing services
• Campus dining services
• Student financial aid administration
• University childcare facilities
• Public student services

Headquarters

HQ city

Bielefeld

HQ country

Germany

HQ region

Europe

Offices9 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Pricing tiers

Distribution channels6 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Studierendenwerk Bielefeld operates an integrated portfolio of student services including affordable campus housing in multiple dormitories, subsidized meals and snacks across more than ten Mensen and Cafeterias in five cities, BAföG (federal student aid) application support and administration, and three on-campus Kita (kindergarten) facilities caring for over 150 children of student parents. Supplementary offerings include catering for events and schools, a Boardinghouse for temporary campus guests, and student part-time job placement.

Product overview

Studierendenwerk Bielefeld is a public service organization (AöR) providing essential student services across multiple locations in Bielefeld and Ostwestfalen-Lippe. The organization operates as a unified platform offering four core services: (1) Mensen & Cafeterien - campus dining facilities; (2) BAföG Services - student financial aid administration; (3) Kita - three childcare facilities on Campus Bielefeld; and (4) Student Housing (Wohnen) - residential halls across Bielefeld, Detmold, and Minden. Supporting services include Catering for events and educational institutions, a Boardinghouse for temporary housing, and a Kita-App for childcare management. The organization serves approximately 40,000 students from Uni Bielefeld, HSBI, TH OWL, and Hochschule für Musik.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Student Housing (Wohnen)

Quantifiable outcome

• Over 150 children cared for across three campus-based Kita facilities
• +1 more outcomes

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration7 records

Feature4 records

Partnerships

Eleven partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• bwc Werbeagentur GmbHcoreTechnology or IntegrationOsnabrück-based advertising agency responsible for web design and technical implementation of the Studierendenwerk Bielefeld website. Partnered on the 2025/2026 website relaunch project including user experience optimization and visual redesign.
• Integrity GmbHminorOthersExternal ombudsman service handling whistleblower reports for the organization. Receives all reports submitted via hotline or online portal, ensuring confidentiality and anonymity for whistleblowers per the German Whistleblower Protection Act (Hinweisgeberschutzgesetz) and EU Directive 2019/1937.
• Microsoft Ireland Operations LimitedcoreTechnology or IntegrationProvider of Microsoft Teams platform used for online meetings, video conferences, and digital communications. Data processing occurs in Ireland with appropriate safeguards per GDPR requirements.
• 1&1 Telekommunikation SEcoreTechnology or IntegrationTelecommunications provider supplying high-speed fiber internet (Glasfaseranschluss) to all student dormitories. Provides broadband connectivity essential for student accommodation facilities.
• IT-NRW (Landesbetrieb Information und Technik Nordrhein-Westfalen)coreTechnology or IntegrationState IT service provider serving as IT infrastructure and data center operator for the BAföG administration software (Fachprogramm). Processes BAföG data under data processing agreements per Art. 28 GDPR.
• Kreditanstalt für Wiederaufbau (KfW)coreOthersGerman development bank managing student loan administration for BAföG recipients. Handles loan repayment processing and data exchange with Bundesverwaltungsamt (BVA) for students with verzinsliches Bankdarlehen according to §18c BAföG.
• Bundesverwaltungsamt (BVA)coreOthersFederal Administrative Office responsible for loan administration and collection for BAföG loans. Receives student data including address and account information for payment processing and debt collection activities.
• Universität BielefeldcoreOthersPrimary university partner for which Studierendenwerk provides comprehensive student services including housing, dining, BAföG, and childcare. Located adjacent to main campus in Bielefeld.
• TH OWL (Technische Hochschule Ostwestfalen-Lippe)coreOthersUniversity of Applied Sciences partner with campuses in Detmold, Gütersloh, Höxter, and Lemgo. Studierendenwerk operates dining facilities at multiple TH OWL campuses.
• HSBI (Hochschule Bielefeld)coreOthersBielefeld University of Applied Sciences campus in Minden. Studierendenwerk provides dining services through Mensa/Cafeteria HSBI Minden.
• Hochschule für Musik DetmoldminorOthersMusic conservatory in Detmold served by Studierendenwerk dining facilities. Student services extend to music students at this specialized institution.

Scale indicators7 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• Studierendenwerk Münster: NRW AöR for the University of Münster region, offering the same student services mix. Comparable scale, mandate, and operating model to Studierendenwerk Bielefeld.
• Studierendenwerk Köln: Larger NRW AöR serving the University of Cologne and TH Köln; provides the same statutory services and is frequently benchmarked against smaller NRW Studierendenwerke.
• Studierendenwerk Düsseldorf: NRW AöR providing student services for HHU Düsseldorf and related institutions. Direct comparable in mandate, services, and regulatory framework.
• Studierendenwerk Dortmund: NRW AöR serving TU Dortmund and other Dortmund universities. Operates the same housing/dining/BAföG/Kita model under identical NRW state law.
• Studierendenwerk Paderborn: Neighboring NRW AöR serving Paderborn University and TH OWL campuses. Direct peer due to overlapping regional responsibility for TH OWL students in parts of OWL.
• Studierendenwerk Aachen: AöR student services organization for RWTH Aachen and other Aachen universities, offering the same four-service model (housing, dining, BAföG, Kita) under the same NRW Studierendenwerksgesetz. Closest functional peer.
• Studierendenwerk Bonn: NRW AöR providing housing, dining, BAföG, and childcare for University of Bonn and other Bonn institutions. Operates under the same statutory mandate as Studierendenwerk Bielefeld.

Broad incumbents

• Deutsches Studentenwerk (DSW): National umbrella association for all 57 German Studierendenwerke, including Studierendenwerk Bielefeld. Sets common standards, advocates for student services, and provides a direct comparability frame for the entire system.

Others

• Gemeinnützige Studentenwohnheime (various local): Local non-profit student housing associations in Germany that operate alongside the Studierendenwerke. Comparable in mission and tenancy model but narrower in service scope.

Emerging players

• Youniq (Youniq Living): Private student-housing operator with properties near several German universities. Represents the competitive commercial alternative to Studierendenwerk housing in markets with capacity shortages.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/@studierendenwerkbielefeld
• Instagraminstagram.com/mein_stwbi
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/studierendenwerk-bielefeld

Compliance2 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles5 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 Studierendenwerk Bielefeld