Ungdomsbyen

What Ungdomsbyen does

Ungdomsbyen is a Danish nonprofit association (NGO) founded in 1963, currently operating as a small team of approximately 13 staff led by Flemming Olsen from its headquarters at Global Platform on Nørrebro in Copenhagen. The organization's core function is delivering experiential learning courses to Danish primary schools (grades 4-10), efterskoler, youth education institutions, and municipalities, using methodologies centered on role-play, simulation, board games, and Deep Democracy/non-violent communication principles rather than digital or AI-driven delivery. Its product portfolio spans five categories: (1) Financial literacy through the proprietary 'Fat om Finanserne' board game (developed with Tryg Forsikring); (2) Democratic dialogue and conflict management courses using Deep Democracy methods and the proprietary Conflict Management Wheel; (3) Sustainability education across student and teacher audiences with the proprietary Sustainability Process Wheel; (4) Multi-day vocational exploration programs (construction, SOSU, gastronomy, retail) delivered with vocational school partners (TEC, SOSU H, NEXT, Hotel- og Restaurantskolen); and (5) National coordination of the UNESCO Associated Schools Network for Verdensmålsskoler in Denmark.

The business model is hybrid professional services + grant-funded nonprofit. Direct course fees range from 3,000-5,000 DKK + moms per course depending on location (Ungdomsbyen's own facilities vs. on-site delivery at schools), with free courses provided to Copenhagen public schools through the Åben Skole KBH channel partnership. Multi-year municipal contracts are negotiated directly for brobygning programs covering vocational pathways. Foundation grants from Nordea-Fonden, Tietgenfonden, Tuborg-Fondet, Codan Fonden, and Danida support program development, alongside UNESCO-funded SDG workshop delivery. Distribution is multi-channel: self-serve booking via the website calendar (powered by the Understory platform), direct municipal sales, the Åben Skole KBH channel, and on-site delivery nationwide. Customer evidence is limited to anonymized student testimonials and named partner schools (e.g., Rødovre Skole) and partner municipalities (Brøndby Kommune); no revenue, headcount, or unit-volume figures are disclosed in the source material. The organization has 60+ years of operational history, though it transitioned from a former physical learning city in Rødovre (1963-1974) to a course-and-program delivery model after relocating to Nørrebro in 2014.

Name

Ungdomsbyen

Legal name

Ungdomsbyen

Website

https://ungdomsbyen.dk

Company type

Private

Founded year

1963

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Ungdomsbyen is a Danish nonprofit founded in 1963 that delivers experiential learning courses on financial literacy, sustainability, conflict management, and vocational exploration to Danish primary schools, efterskoler, youth education institutions, and municipalities using role-play, board games, and Deep Democracy methods.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Youth Experiential Education Services

NAICS

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

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro primary industry

Specialized Instruction & Resource Support (Inclusion, Pull-Out, Co-Teaching) (EDAJAKAC)

akta.pro secondary industry

Alternative Schools (Behavioral/Disciplinary & Nontraditional Settings) (EDAJAEAC)

Keywords

• Experiential learning courses
• Financial literacy education
• Sustainability education programs
• Vocational education exploration
• Conflict management training

Headquarters

HQ city

Copenhagen Nørrebro

HQ country

Denmark

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Course Fees: Schools and municipalities pay for courses - prices range from 3,000-5,000 kr + moms per course depending on location and duration. Some courses are free for Copenhagen public schools via Åben Skole.
2. Municipal Contracts: Brobygning programs negotiated directly with individual municipalities for vocational education bridge programs
3. Foundation Grants: Support from foundations including Nordea-Fonden, Tietgenfonden, Tuborg-Fondet, Codan Fonden for program development

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

Ungdomsbyen is a Danish nonprofit NGO that designs and delivers experiential learning courses and programs for Danish primary schools (grades 4-10), efterskoler, youth education institutions, and municipalities. Its course portfolio covers financial literacy (board game-based personal finance and budgeting), conflict management and democratic dialogue, sustainability education, and multi-day vocational exploration programs (construction, trade/retail, gastronomy, social-healthcare). The organization also coordinates the Danish UNESCO Associated Schools Network (Verdensmålsskoler). Courses are delivered either at Ungdomsbyen's facilities in Copenhagen Nørrebro or on-site at schools nationwide, with a small in-house team of learning consultants.

Product overview

Ungdomsbyen is a Danish NGO offering experiential learning courses and programs primarily for primary schools (grades 4-10), secondary schools, and youth education institutions. The portfolio consists of multiple course categories: (1) Financial Education programs ('Fat om Finanserne' - both Privatøkonomi og forsikring and Vejen fra uddannelse til job variants) using specially developed board games; (2) Conflict Management and Democratic Dialogue courses ('Plads til alle i trivsel og konflikt' and 'Demokratisk dialog og samarbejde') using Deep Democracy and non-violent communication methods; (3) Sustainability Education courses for students and teachers across all education levels; (4) Vocational Exploration Programs ('Erhvervsuddannelse – er det noget for mig?') covering Building, Trade/Retail, Gastronomy, and Social-Healthcare sectors through multi-day immersive experiences; and (5) UNESCO Global Citizenship coordination. All courses use a 'learning by doing' approach with role-play, workshops, and real-world connection as core methodologies. The organization is headquartered at Global Platform on Nørrebro in Copenhagen and serves schools nationwide.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Fat om Finanserne – Privatøkonomi og forsikring

Quantifiable outcome

• 40 free courses offered in 2026-2027 for Copenhagen schools
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers2 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles5 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration1 record

Feature5 records

Partnerships

Ten partnerships are on record, tiered core, supporting and major.

• UNESCO ASP (Verdensmålsskoler)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerUngdomsbyen coordinates the Danish UNESCO ASP network for Verdensmålsskoler (World Goals Schools). This is a national coordination role where Ungdomsbyen provides pedagogical support, organizes conferences, network meetings, and study trips in cooperation with Danish and international partners. The global network consists of 11,500 schools in 180 countries.
• Tryg ForsikringcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaboration on Fat om Finanserne - a financial literacy program developed together with Tryg. Tryg employees participate in course delivery. 40 free courses offered in 2026-2027. Also developed teaching materials for teachers and students.
• Københavns Kommune (Åben Skole KBH)coreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorMunicipal partnership providing free courses for Copenhagen public schools through the Åben Skole program. Limited number of free course spots available first-come-first-served.
• SOSU H (Social- og Sundhedsuddannelsen Hovedstaden)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerVocational school partnership for SOSU career exploration program. Students visit the school on day 2 of the 3-day program to experience student life and learn about healthcare education.
• Hotel- og RestaurantskolencoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerVocational school partnership for gastronomy career exploration. Students visit school on day 2 to cook with professional chefs and experience culinary education.
• NEXT (Erhvervsskole)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerVocational school partnership for commerce/retail career exploration program. Students visit on day 2 to learn about commercial education paths.
• TEC (Trade and Engineering College)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerVocational school partnership for building/construction career programs.
• Øens Have (City Farm)supportingStrategic or Co-development PartnerNordens største bylandbrug (Nordic's largest urban farm) - partner for gastronomy program day 4. Students harvest crops, cook over fire, and serve a farm-to-table meal.
• Brøndby KommunemajorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorMunicipality partnership for building industry career program developed with support from Nordea-, Tietgen- and Codan Fonden.
• Global Platform (Civilsamfundsmiljø)coreOthersHost organization and environment on Nørrebro where Ungdomsbyen is located. An activist youth environment housing multiple civil society organizations.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves10 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Emerging players

• Dansk Naturfredningsforening: Denmark's largest environmental NGO with growing school-facing programming on sustainability and biodiversity. Comparable to Ungdomsbyen's sustainability education portfolio (Bæredygtighed courses for grundskoler, efterskoler, ungdomsuddannelser), though DN's school work is a smaller and more recent part of its broader advocacy mission.

Direct peers

• Fonden for Entreprenørskab: Danish foundation promoting entrepreneurship education in primary and secondary schools nationwide. Comparable in mission (experiential, real-world learning for Danish K-12), in target customers (Danish schools and municipalities), and in operating model (foundation-funded programs delivered in partnership with schools).
• Friluftsrådet (Outdoor Council Denmark): Danish membership organization promoting outdoor and nature-based experiential learning in schools. Comparable in delivering hands-on, real-world educational experiences to K-12 students and in working closely with municipalities on school-based programming.
• iCivics: US-based non-profit providing civic and citizenship education resources to K-12 students and teachers. Comparable to Ungdomsbyen's citizenship, conflict management, and democratic dialogue offerings, though iCivics operates primarily through digital rather than in-person delivery.
• Experimentarium: Denmark's leading science center offering hands-on, experiential learning programs for school classes both on-site at the Copenhagen center and via outreach. Closely mirrors Ungdomsbyen's experiential methodology, K-12 target market, and dual-location (in-house + on-site) delivery model.
• Generation Citizen: US-based non-profit bringing action-oriented civics education into secondary schools. Directly comparable to Ungdomsbyen's Demokratisk dialog og samarbejde and Plads til alle i trivsel og konflikt programs in terms of pedagogical approach (experiential democratic dialogue) and K-12 school delivery.
• JA Danmark (Junior Achievement Denmark): Danish non-profit delivering financial literacy, work readiness, and entrepreneurship programs to K-12 students through partnerships with schools and municipalities — directly comparable to Ungdomsbyen's Fat om Finanserne and vocational exploration offerings, with similar target audience and supplemental-to-schoolcourse delivery model.

Broad incumbents

• EVERFI: Larger US-based education company offering digital courses on financial literacy, social-emotional learning, and life skills to K-12 students. Comparable in subject matter to Ungdomsbyen's Fat om Finanserne and conflict management programs, but operates at significantly broader scale and via a different (digital, self-serve) delivery modality.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks7 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UCCdVbgBkaOen2Zf9n_cHYmw
• Facebookfacebook.com/ungdomsbyen
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/ungdomsbyen-paedagogisk-udvikling-forloeb
• Instagraminstagram.com/ungdomsbyen/?hl=da

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles11 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 Ungdomsbyen