Bonn Science Shop (Wissenschaftsladen (WILA) Bonn)

What Bonn Science Shop (Wissenschaftsladen (WILA) Bonn) does

Wissenschaftsladen Bonn e.V. (WILA Bonn), founded in 1984 in Bonn, Germany, is a self-governing non-profit association (eingetragener Verein) that serves as an intermediary between scientific research and civil society. It is the largest of 58 Science Shops in Europe, with approximately 35 permanently employed staff, and offers programs across education for sustainable development (BNE), sustainable urban development, civic participation, and green workforce development. Core products include the WILA Arbeitsmarkt weekly job portal (1,000+ weekly listings for academics in sustainability sectors), the WILA Bildungszentrum continuing education center, the Nachhaltige Kita sustainability certification program (360+ kindergartens certified since 2017), the Netzwerk Grüne Arbeitswelt (200+ stakeholders), and educational tools such as the award-winning Tatort Wald simulation game and the Serena Supergreen computer game. WILA Bonn operates on a cost-covering basis, funded primarily through project grants from federal and state ministries (BMBF, BMWi, Engagement Global, Stiftung Umwelt und Entwicklung NRW), EU programs (ESF+), and supplemented by membership fees, donations, modest workshop/certification fees, and publication revenue including the weekly WILA Arbeitsmarkt print and e-Paper magazine.

The organization delivers its offerings through a multi-channel model spanning project websites, a quarterly newsletter, podcasts, social media (Instagram, Facebook, LinkedIn, YouTube), in-person and online workshops, conferences, and institutional partnerships. It coordinates multiple large-scale projects including TRANS³ (vocational training for socio-ecological transformation with TU Hamburg and Otto-von-Guericke-Universität Magdeburg), IDG-Ehrenamtsnavigator (volunteer matching for 55+), StadtKlimaWandeln (with Universität Bonn), and the Klimaviertel Bonn mobile climate center covering 20 districts and 155,000 residents. Management is led by a four-chair governance structure with Gerald Knauf as 1st Chair and Managing Director and Dr. Anke Valentin as 2nd Chair and Managing Director. WILA Bonn has received multiple recognitions including the NRW 'Ort des Fortschritts' (2014), UN Decade for Biodiversity, German Nature Protection Prize, and a 2025 Circularity Champion Award finalist designation.

Name

Bonn Science Shop (Wissenschaftsladen (WILA) Bonn)

Legal name

Wissenschaftsladen Bonn e.V.

Website

https://wilabonn.de

Company type

Private

Founded year

1984

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Wissenschaftsladen Bonn e.V. (WILA Bonn) is Germany's largest Science Shop and a non-profit intermediary that connects scientific research with civil society through sustainability education, green workforce development, and civic participation programs across Germany and Europe.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Non-profit Sustainability Education and Civil Society Engagement Services

NAICS

Religious, Grantmaking, Civic, Professional, and Similar Organizations (813), Business, Professional, Labor, Political, and Similar Organizations (8139), Administration of Environmental Quality Programs (9241)

SIC

Services-Membership Organizations (8600), Miscellaneous Publishing (2741)

akta.pro primary industry

Climate Change Mitigation & Adaptation (BPAGAGAF)

akta.pro secondary industries

Forestry & Reforestation (BPAGAGAD), Monitoring, Evaluation, Research & Learning (MERL) (BPAGABAO), Waste, Recycling & Circularity (On-site Programs) (BPABAAAL)

Keywords

• Sustainability education
• Civil society engagement
• Nonprofit educational services
• Environmental education programs
• Science communication services

Headquarters

HQ city

Bonn

HQ country

Germany

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Project Grants and Public Funding: Primary revenue from government grants (federal, state, EU) for specific sustainability, education, and civil society projects. Examples include funding from Engagement Global, Bundesministerium für Bildung und Forschung, Stiftung Umwelt und Entwicklung NRW, and ESF Plus.
2. Publications and Subscriptions: Weekly magazine 'WILA Arbeitsmarkt' published as print and e-Paper; educational brochures and guides sold or distributed; revenue from subscriptions and single publication sales.
3. Membership and Donations: Non-profit association (e.V.) that operates on a cost-covering basis. Revenue includes membership fees and donations from supporters.
4. Workshop and Certification Fees: Modest participation fees for project workshops and certification programs (e.g., 80 EUR for kindergartens, 40 EUR for childminders for the sustainable Kita project).

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

WILA Bonn is a non-profit civil society association (eingetragener Verein) that bridges scientific research and civil society through sustainability education, participatory processes, and community empowerment programs. It operates the WILA Arbeitsmarkt weekly job portal, the WILA Bildungszentrum continuing education center, the Nachhaltige Kita certification program for kindergartens, and a portfolio of project-based initiatives covering climate adaptation, green jobs, and civic engagement. Offerings are delivered via workshops, publications, simulation games, online platforms, and institutional partnerships with municipalities and universities across Germany and Europe.

Product overview

Bonn Science Shop (WILA Bonn) operates as a non-profit civil society organization that connects science with civil society through various programs, publications, and educational offerings. The organization is structured around several core offerings: WILA Arbeitsmarkt (a weekly job portal and magazine with 1,000+ job listings for academics in sustainability sectors) and WILA Bildungszentrum (an education center for professional development). The portfolio includes certification programs like Nachhaltige Kita (sustainable kindergarten certification) and projects such as TRANS³ (vocational training for green economy), IDG-Ehrenamtsnavigator (volunteer matching for 55+), and Netzwerk Grüne Arbeitswelt (green jobs network). Educational tools include the award-winning Tatort Wald simulation game and Serena Supergreen computer game. The organization also produces publications, podcasts, and coordinates the Living Knowledge international Science Shop network. WILA Bonn functions as a coordination and publishing organization rather than a traditional product company, with offerings primarily in the public good sector focused on sustainability, education, and civic engagement.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• WILA Arbeitsmarkt

Quantifiable outcome

• Over 360 kindergartens certified as 'sustainable' since 2017
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers5 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Nine partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Katholisch-Soziales Institut (KSI)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2026Cooperation partner in the IDG-Ehrenamtsnavigator project, providing perspective from church and civil society for the workshop series targeting volunteers aged 55+.
• VHS Rhein-SiegcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2026Educational partner in the IDG-Ehrenamtsnavigator project, contributing adult education perspective and hosting workshop registrations.
• Technische Universität Hamburg (TUHH)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2026Project partner in TRANS³, contributing academic expertise from technical university perspective on vocational training and sustainability.
• Otto-von-Guericke-Universität MagdeburgcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2026Project partner in TRANS³, bringing university research capacity for evaluation and analysis of transformation projects in vocational education.
• Bundesinstitut für Berufsbildung (BIBB)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2026Professional supervision partner for the TRANS³ project, providing expert guidance on vocational education and training matters.
• Living Knowledge NetworkcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 1984International network of Science Shops that WILA Bonn participates in, facilitating knowledge exchange and collaboration among science-society intermediaries across Europe.
• Universität BonncoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerLong-standing cooperation partner in multiple projects including StadtKlimaWandeln and KlimaWandel – Learning for Future. University has established Germany's first Vice-Rectorate for Sustainability.
• Stadtverwaltung BonncoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerMunicipal government partner in climate action projects including Klimaviertel Bonn and StadtKlimaWandeln.
• ZebralogminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCo-publisher of the BNEhoch3 online training program for non-formal and informal education professionals.

Scale indicators8 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights12 records

Broad incumbents

• UNESCO Chair / UN Decade ESD networks: International bodies coordinating the UN Decade of Education for Sustainable Development and the Global Action Programme (GAP) on ESD. Comparable in convening, certification, and BNE standards work that legitimizes national providers like WILA Bonn.
• Naturschutzbund Deutschland (NABU): Germany's largest environmental NGO with nationwide membership, education programs (e.g., NABU-BNE), and project-based grant funding. Overlaps with WILA Bonn in BNE delivery, nature education, and sustainability advocacy but operates at significantly greater scale.
• Deutsche Umwelthilfe (DUH): National environmental and consumer protection non-profit active in education, climate, circular economy, and policy advocacy. Comparable grant-funded project model and BNE outreach, with stronger litigation/regulatory orientation.
• BUND – Bund für Umwelt und Naturschutz Deutschland: Major German environmental and nature protection association running education, biodiversity, and sustainability projects. Comparable as a federated non-profit delivering BNE and environmental campaigns, but with a much broader advocacy mandate than WILA Bonn.

Direct peers

• Other Science Shops in the Living Knowledge Network: The 57 other Science Shops across Europe participating in the Living Knowledge network operate the same science–civil society intermediary model. They share methodology, funding sources, and target audiences with WILA Bonn, and together define the competitive set in this niche.
• Germanwatch e.V. Bonn-based environmental and development policy non-profit delivering education, campaigns, and policy analysis on climate and sustainability. Comparable as a project-grant-funded BNE/policy organization based in the same city, with stronger policy-research focus.
• World Future Council: Hamburg-based non-profit focused on policy research and advocacy for sustainable futures, with education and outreach programming. Comparable in mission (sustainability, future viability) and in operating through project grants and convening roles.
• BildungsCent e.V. German non-profit delivering BNE training, multiplier courses, and educational materials to schools, NGOs, and trainers. Directly comparable as a BNE training and certification provider funded by public grants.

Others

• Green Jobs Network (Netzwerk Grüne Arbeitswelt partner organizations): The 200+ stakeholder organizations in WILA Bonn's own Green Jobs Network (vocational training providers, climate employers, education ministries). They are ecosystem participants rather than direct competitors, but represent the alternative delivery channels WILA Bonn coordinates.

Regional players

• BNE-Agentur NRW: North Rhine-Westphalia's official agency coordinating Education for Sustainable Development across the state, including the BNE certification scheme in which WILA Bonn participates. Operates in the same geography and BNE space, but as a state-coordinated body rather than a civil society association.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UCeFQ74xB7C6-DHKwI1k9E3Q
• Facebookfacebook.com/wila.arbeitsmarkt
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/wilabonn
• Instagraminstagram.com/wilabonn/?hl=de

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles11 records

Subsidiaries2 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 Bonn Science Shop (Wissenschaftsladen (WILA) Bonn)