VHS Bergisch Land

What VHS Bergisch Land does

VHS Bergisch Land (legal name: Volkshochschule Bergisch Land) is a public adult education institution operating as a Zweckverband jointly owned by the municipalities of Wermelskirchen, Burscheid, and Leichlingen in North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany. It delivers continuing education through three physical locations plus online channels, organized around nine program categories: language courses (10+ languages including German, English, Spanish, French, Italian, Arabic, Thai, Dutch, Russian, Turkish), professional and IT training (including Xpert Business certificates), health and wellness, cultural education, integration courses for immigrants, Bildungsurlaub intensive programs, certificates and qualifications (including school-completion tracks), the Junge VHS family/youth program, and the newly introduced MINT³-Akademie for youth STEM education.

The underlying technology stack consists of a TYPO3-based content-managed website combined with the KuferWeb course registration and management system, supporting both in-person classroom delivery at Wermelskirchen (Schillerstraße 9), Burscheid, and Leichlingen (Neukirchener Str. 1-3), and online/digital courses through the Digitales Lernen platform. Distribution relies on a multi-channel marketing approach: a printed annual Programmheft distributed at town halls, bookshops, and libraries; a TYPO3 website with online registration; an email newsletter; a YouTube channel featuring instructor portraits and ambassadors; and Facebook/Instagram accounts. Customer service operates by phone (Mon-Fri mornings) and email.

Revenue is generated almost exclusively through per-course enrollment fees (e.g., 13.90 EUR trial workshops, 61.50–103.70 EUR multi-term standard courses, 83.00 EUR annual 10-class movement pass) with select partnership discounts (e.g., 50% off Alexander-Technik courses for SV 09/35 e.V. members). The institution is supplemented by municipal contributions from its three owner municipalities; it is not a private, venture-backed, or publicly traded entity. Only 7 employees are listed as permanent staff; instructional delivery is largely handled by freelance Dozenten (instructors) who are not on the corporate payroll.

Name

VHS Bergisch Land

Legal name

Volkshochschule Bergisch Land

Website

https://vhs-bergisch-land.de

Company type

Private

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

VHS Bergisch Land is a public adult-education institution (Volkshochschule) jointly owned by the municipalities of Wermelskirchen, Burscheid, and Leichlingen in Germany, delivering language, professional, health, cultural, and integration courses in-person across three locations and online.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Wermelskirchen

HQ country

Germany

HQ region

Europe

Offices3 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Course Enrollment Fees: Revenue is generated through course enrollment fees charged to participants. Individual courses have specific fees (e.g., Rückenfit courses at 103.70 EUR per course, Zehnerkarte运动通行证 at 83.00 EUR), with pricing varying by course type, duration, and format (in-person vs. online).

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

VHS Bergisch Land (Volkshochschule Bergisch Land) is a public adult education center serving the Bergisch Land region of North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany. It offers in-person and online courses across nine program areas, including languages, professional/career development, health and wellness, cultural education, integration courses, and basic education. Courses are delivered at physical locations and via an online learning portal, with state-recognized certificates such as telc and other accredited qualifications.

Product overview

VHS Bergisch Land is a community adult education center (Volkshochschule) serving the municipalities of Wermelskirchen, Burscheid, and Leichlingen in Germany's Bergisch Land region. The organization offers a comprehensive portfolio of educational services including in-person and online courses across nine major categories: Digitales Lernen (online learning), Sprachkurse (language courses with 10+ languages), Berufliche Bildung/EDV (professional education and IT training), Umwelt und Gesundheit (health and wellness), Integrationskurse (integration courses), Bildungsurlaub (educational leave programs), Zertifikate und Abschlüsse (certificates and qualifications), Kulturelle Bildung (cultural education), and the specialized MINT³-Akademie for youth STEM education. The core offering consists of instructor-led classroom and virtual courses supported by the Digitales Lernen platform for flexible online learning.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Language Courses
• Integration Courses
• Professional Development Courses
• Health and Wellness Courses
• Cultural Education Programs
• Online Learning Portal

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles1 record

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• SV 09/35 e.V. WermelskirchenminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerSports club partnership for health and movement courses. SV 09/35 e.V. members receive 50% discount on Alexander-Technik courses. Jointly offered courses in body awareness and movement training take place at sports facilities, with certified exercise instructors.

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• Goethe-Institut: Goethe-Institut is Germany's globally active cultural institution offering German language courses and integration programs. It is a broader incumbent in the language and integration course market where VHS Bergisch Land operates, though with international rather than local scope.

Direct peers

• SGD (Studiengemeinschaft Darmstadt): SGD is a major German Fernschule offering distance-learning courses across professional development, languages, and health/wellness topics. Directly comparable in course portfolio and competes for the same price-sensitive adult learners, particularly in online and hybrid formats.
• Volkshochschule München: Münchner Volkshochschule is the largest municipal VHS in Germany, offering a comparable nine-category adult education portfolio under the same national VHS regulatory framework. Direct structural and operational peer despite larger scale.
• ILS (Institut für Lernsysteme): ILS is Germany's leading private distance-learning school, offering state-recognized certificates, language courses, and professional development via self-paced online and correspondence formats. Direct competitor particularly in the professional and language course categories VHS Bergisch Land serves.
• Volkshochschule Köln: Volkshochschule Köln is another municipal adult education institution in North Rhine-Westphalia operating under the same national VHS framework. It offers an analogous portfolio of languages, professional development, integration courses, and cultural programs, making it a directly comparable regional VHS peer.
• Hamburger Volkshochschule: Hamburger Volkshochschule is a major municipal VHS operating under the same national framework with an analogous multi-category adult education portfolio. Direct structural and operational peer across the German VHS system.
• Deutsche Angestellten-Akademie (DAA): DAA is one of Germany's largest private continuing education providers, offering professional development, language courses, and integration programs nationwide. Direct competitor in the adult continuing education and integration course markets, with overlapping course categories.
• Fernakademie für Erwachsenenbildung: Fernakademie-Klett is a German distance-learning school offering state-recognized certificates and professional development courses. Direct competitor in the adult continuing education distance-learning market, overlapping especially with VHS Bergisch Land's certificate and qualification programs.
• BBQ Berufliche Bildung: BBQ is a private vocational and professional education provider offering courses in IT, business, and career qualification. Direct competitor in the Berufliche Bildung/EDV and Xpert Business categories served by VHS Bergisch Land.

Emerging players

• Udemy: Udemy is a global online learning marketplace offering self-paced professional development, IT, and language courses at low price points. Emerging competitor that overlaps with VHS Bergisch Land's Digitales Lernen and professional development offerings via a different delivery model.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/@vhs-bergisch-land
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/vhs-bergisch-land

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

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 VHS Bergisch Land