VHS Volkshochschule

What VHS Volkshochschule does

VHS Frankfurt (Oder) is a municipal public adult education institution (Volkshochschule) operating as a cultural enterprise (Kulturbetrieb) under the Eigenbetrieb KULTURBETRIEBE Frankfurt (Oder), owned by the City of Frankfurt (Oder) in Brandenburg, Germany. It serves local adult residents, migrants and immigrants, working professionals, families, seniors, and second-chance learners through a catalog of continuing-education courses spanning nine program areas: Society, Culture, Languages, Health, Computer and Career, Accessible Learning, Parent-Child Center, Basic Education, and School-Leaving Qualifications. The institution employs 42 staff and is led by Director Elisabeth Lüdeking, with Sabine Wenzke serving as Werkleiterin of the parent cultural-enterprises utility. Operational oversight falls under the Brandenburg Ministry of the Interior and for Municipal Affairs, with the Mayor of Frankfurt (Oder) as the municipal representative.

The institution runs its operations on a course management platform provided by Kufer Software GmbH, featuring online course search, shopping-cart-based registration, a returning-customer login (Stammhörer-Login) that auto-populates stored personal data, and an .ics calendar export for Outlook-compatible scheduling. Online course delivery is supported through two channels: the vhs.cloud learning environment and live online seminars via the Live-Online-Seminar (XBL) system. VHS Frankfurt (Oder) also serves as a licensed testing center for Telc, g.a.s.t., and Xpert-Business certification exams and is authorized to administer secondary school-leaving qualifications (Hauptschulabschluss, Realschulabschluss, Abitur) via the second-chance educational pathway (Zweiter Bildungsweg). The technology stack is entirely off-the-shelf with no disclosed proprietary AI, mobile application, or API layer.

Revenue is generated primarily through per-course fees structured around teaching units, with rates ranging from €1.20/unit for children's holiday programs to €4.60/unit for health courses, plus a €3.50 per-registration processing fee. Substantial subsidy flows from the Brandenburg Ministry of Education, Youth and Sport under the Brandenburg Adult Education Act, and additional federal revenue comes from BAMF-funded integration courses for migrants. Ancillary revenue streams include hourly room rental (€26.60-€131.80), gift vouchers (three-year validity), certification/exam fees, and participation-confirmation certificates. Several programs—basic education, literacy, political education, and second-chance schooling—are offered free of charge, and discounts of 25-50% apply to students, retirees, social-benefit recipients, and volunteers. The minimum course size is 6 participants; courses below threshold may be cancelled seven days before start.

Name

VHS Volkshochschule

Legal name

Volkshochschule Frankfurt (Oder)

Website

https://vhs-frankfurt-oder.de

Company type

Private

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

VHS Frankfurt (Oder) is a municipal public adult education center serving local residents, migrants, and working professionals through courses in nine program areas including languages, culture, health, and computer skills, supported by Brandenburg state and federal BAMF funding.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Adult Education Services

NAICS

Educational Services (61), Language Schools (611630), Educational Support Services (611710)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro primary industry

Language Learning Media (Audio Labs, Pronunciation, Interactive) (EDAGALAE)

akta.pro secondary industries

Language Development & ESL/Multilingual Learner Materials (Dual-Language, ELL) (EDACAJAI), Digital/Interactive Curriculum Content (Apps, Games, Multimedia Lessons) (EDACAJAK)

Keywords

• Adult education services
• Language courses
• Continuing education
• Vocational training programs
• Cultural education

Headquarters

HQ city

Frankfurt (Oder)

HQ country

Germany

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Course Fees: Per-course fees based on teaching units, with rates varying by subject area (culture/languages €4.00/unit, health €4.60/unit, IT €4.00-4.50/unit, German as foreign language €2.90/unit). Additional one-time processing fee of €3.50 per course registration.
2. Government Funding: Courses are funded by the Brandenburg Ministry of Education, Youth and Sport (Ministerium für Bildung, Jugend und Sport) to ensure basic adult education provision under the Brandenburg Adult Education Act.
3. BAMF-Funded Integration Courses: German language courses funded by the Federal Office for Migration and Refugees (BAMF) for integration program participants.
4. Certification & Exam Fees: Fees for certified exams (Telc, g.a.s.t., Xpert-Business, school completion) including a €5.80 processing fee plus licensor-set exam fees.
5. Room Rental: Hourly room rental for educational events with rates ranging from €26.60-131.80 depending on room size and duration. Commercial and private events excluded.
6. Discounted Programs: Some programs are offered free of charge including basic education, literacy, political education, and second-chance schooling (Zweiter Bildungsweg), as well as certain BAMF-funded courses.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

VHS Frankfurt (Oder) is a municipal public adult education institution offering in-person and online courses across nine program areas: Languages, Society, Culture, Health, Computer & Career, Parent-Child Center, Basic Education, School-Leaving Qualifications, and Accessible Learning. It serves individual adult learners, migrants, families, and seniors with certified language exams (Telc, g.a.s.t.), professional certifications (Xpert-Business), and second-chance secondary schooling, delivered through a combination of physical classrooms, vhs.cloud, and live online seminars.

Product overview

VHS Frankfurt (Oder) operates as a comprehensive adult education center (Volkshochschule) offering a diverse catalog of in-person and online courses across multiple categories including Languages (German, Polish, English, Japanese, Arabic), Society/Politics, Culture/Arts, Health/Fitness, Computer/Professional Skills, Family/Parent-Child Programs, Basic Education, and School-Leaving Qualifications. The institution delivers courses primarily in-person at its facilities on Gartenstraße 1, supplemented by online offerings via vhs.cloud and live online seminars (XBL). The digital infrastructure includes a customer portal (Stammhörer-Login) for registration and account management, a course search system, calendar export (.ics), shopping cart functionality for enrollment, and support services for technology questions. Course delivery spans multiple formats including regular courses, workshops, lectures, excursions, study trips, and projects.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Language Courses (Sprachen) Foreign language courses including German as a Foreign Language (Deutsch als Fremdsprache, A1–C1), Polish, English, Japanese, and Arabic, with certified examination options (Telc, g.a.s.t.).
• Society Courses (Gesellschaft) Courses covering politics, society, environment, law, and civic education, including topics such as inheritance law, senior mediation in schools, and democracy discussions.
• Culture Courses (Kultur) Cultural and creative courses including arts, crafts, creative writing, photography, music, and regional history presentations.
• Health Courses (Gesundheit) Health and wellness courses including yoga, Pilates, aqua fitness, step-aerobic, Kundalini yoga, and mindfulness yoga.
• Computer and Career Courses (Computer und Beruf) Computer literacy, professional development, and workplace-skills courses including smartphone/PC support sessions and Xpert-Business certification preparation.
• Parent-Child Center Programs (Eltern-Kind-Zentrum) Family-oriented courses and parent-child groups including play meetings, Arabic literacy for children, and parenting forums on digital topics.
• Basic Education Programs (Grundbildung) Literacy and basic education services delivered through a dedicated basic education center, offered free of charge as part of the institution's mandated basic adult education provision.
• School-Leaving Qualifications Programs (Schulabschlüsse) Secondary education completion programs (Hauptschulabschluss, Realschulabschluss, Abitur) delivered through the Zweiter Bildungsweg (second educational pathway), offered free of charge.
• Accessible Learning Programs (Lernangebote barrierefrei und inklusiv) Barrier-free and inclusive learning offerings designed for participants with accessibility needs.
• Online Courses via vhs.cloud and XBL Live Online Seminars Virtual courses delivered through the vhs.cloud online learning platform and XBL live online seminars for remote participation across the program catalog.
• Gift Vouchers (Gutscheine) Gift vouchers valid for three years for any VHS course offering, with partial amounts credited upon redemption.
• Smartphone and PC Support Sessions (Smartphone- und PC-Sprechstunde) Advisory course offering tips for smartphone, tablet, and PC operation and setup, delivered as a recurring scheduled session.

Quantifiable outcome

• Minimum 6 participants required per course for operation
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers3 records

Segments6 records

Ideal customer profiles5 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration9 records

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Two partnerships are on record, tiered core.

• Telc and g.a.s.t. (Language Testing Organizations)coreTechnology or IntegrationLicensed examination providers for certified language exams. VHS serves as an authorized testing center, transmitting participant data for certification purposes.
• Kufer Software GmbHcoreTechnology or IntegrationSoftware provider for the course management and registration system (website technical maintenance). Located in Mühldorf, Bavaria.

Scale indicators2 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Others

• Bundesamt für Migration und Flüchtlinge (BAMF): The federal funding partner that commissions integration courses; comparable as the counterparty that defines curriculum and reimburses VHS Frankfurt (Oder) for DaF instruction, making it a key ecosystem participant rather than a competitor.
• Deutscher Volkshochschul-Verband (DVV): The national umbrella association of German Volkshochschulen, providing shared standards, advocacy, and digital infrastructure such as vhs.cloud that VHS Frankfurt (Oder) relies on for course delivery.
• Telc GmbH: The licensed German language certification body that partners with VHS Frankfurt (Oder) to administer standardized exams; comparable as an ecosystem participant that channels certified-testing revenue to the VHS.

Direct peers

• Volkshochschule Hamburg: A large city-state Volkshochschule delivering the same core categories (languages, health, culture, professional development) with comparable BAMF integration and certified exam offerings.
• Volkshochschule Berlin: Germany's largest municipal Volkshochschule, offering a directly comparable curriculum across language, integration, health, culture, and professional development, and serving as a benchmark for service breadth and digital delivery.
• Volkshochschule München: A large municipal Volkshochschule with a directly comparable program catalog including Telc-certified language courses, BAMF integration courses, and a broad continuing-education portfolio.
• Volkshochschule Köln: A municipal Volkshochschule with a directly comparable adult-education catalog, including certified language exams and integration courses for migrants.
• Volkshochschule Stuttgart: A municipal Volkshochschule offering a directly comparable mix of language, integration, professional, and cultural courses within the same German adult-education regulatory framework.
• Volkshochschule Frankfurt am Main: A larger Volkshochschule operating in the same-named major city, offering a directly comparable catalog of language, integration, cultural, and professional courses funded under a similar state adult-education framework.

Broad incumbents

• Goethe-Institut: Germany's flagship publicly funded institution for German language and cultural education abroad; a broader incumbent that overlaps with VHS language and certification offerings but operates at international scale and focuses on DaF rather than general adult education.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/VolkshochschuleFFO
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/vhs-volkshochschule

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 VHS Volkshochschule