Erlangen RSS

What Erlangen RSS does

ZSL Erlangen (Zentrum für Selbstbestimmtes Leben Behinderter e.V.) is a German non-profit registered association founded in 1988 to advance self-determined living and full social participation for people with disabilities. Operating under the motto "Nothing about us without us," the association is governed and operationally led primarily by people with disabilities themselves — a structural requirement embedded in its articles of association. Headquartered at Luitpoldstraße 38/42/44 in Erlangen, Bavaria, the organization delivers a defined portfolio of human-delivered services: Personal Assistance (AssistenzOrganisation – AO), Counseling/Education/Encounters (OBA), federally-funded free EUTB participation counseling under §32 SGB IX, School and Inclusion Support (SIB), and outpatient assisted living (ABW Bamberg). Complementary projects — Perspektivwechsel (sensitivity training with self-experience modules), Alles was Recht ist (rights education), and Herzensmensch (partnership and sexuality support) — extend the organization's reach into schools, companies, and public institutions. Service delivery occurs across seven EUTB consultation sites in Middle Franconia Northeast (Fürth, Erlangen, Baiersdorf, Buckenhof, Eckental-Eschenau, Gremsdorf/Höchstadt, and Weisendorf/Herzogenaurach) plus the Bamberg ABW location.

The technology footprint is minimal and intentionally so: the organization operates a standard CMS-based website (zsl-erlangen.de) available in German, English, French, and Spanish, with Leichte Sprache (easy-language) versions for accessibility. There are no public APIs, no mobile applications, no AI capabilities, and no proprietary technology products. All core services are human-delivered, peer-based, and rely on direct relationships between disabled advisors/counselors and disabled clients — a model explicitly designed around lived experience rather than automation.

ZSL's business model is funded primarily through Germany's statutory social welfare system rather than direct customer payment. Personal assistance, school support, and assisted living services are commissioned and paid by statutory cost bearers (Eingliederungshilfe under SGB IX, Jugendamt under SGB VIII, and other social insurance providers). EUTB counseling is provided free of charge and funded by the Federal Ministry of Labor and Social Affairs under §32 SGB IX. Supplementary revenue comes from annual membership fees (€30 per year, due June 30), donations, and project-specific grants (e.g., for Perspektivwechsel, Alles was Recht ist, Herzensmensch). Distribution is regional and direct: services are delivered at the organization's own locations, in clients' homes, on-site at schools, and through community events such as Kaffeeklatsch and FGQ-Stammtisch meetings. The organization is overseen by an Association Council of five members and, since July 1, 2025, by Managing Director Christian Pfeuffer.

Name

Erlangen RSS

Legal name

Zentrum für Selbstbestimmtes Leben Behinderter e.V. Erlangen

Website

https://zsl-erlangen.de

Company type

Private

Founded year

1988

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

ZSL Erlangen is a German non-profit association founded in 1988 providing peer-led personal assistance, counseling, school support, and outpatient assisted living services for people with disabilities across Middle Franconia and Bamberg, funded through Germany's statutory social welfare system.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Disability Social Services

NAICS

Services for the Elderly and Persons with Disabilities (62412), Individual and Family Services (6241), Social Assistance (624)

SIC

Services-Social Services (8300)

akta.pro industry

PRIMARYBPAGAEAG

Disability Services & Independent Living Support

Business & Public Services/Nonprofit, NGO & Social Services/Social Services & Community Support (Food, Housing, Family)

SECONDARYBPAGALAM

Disability Services & Assistive Solutions (Accessibility, Assistive Tech)

Business & Public Services/Nonprofit, NGO & Social Services/Social Enterprises & Impact Organizations

SECONDARYBPADAHAI

Integration & Inclusion Services (Housing, Education, Employment)

Business & Public Services/International Organizations & Development/Refugee, Migration & Displacement Services

Keywords

• Disability personal assistance
• Independent living counseling
• School inclusion support
• Outpatient assisted living
• Participation advisory services

Headquarters

HQ city

Erlangen

HQ country

Germany

HQ region

Europe

Offices7 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Social Services Funding: Core services (personal assistance, counseling, school support, outpatient assisted living) are funded through Germany's social welfare system, including Eingliederungshilfe (reintegration assistance under SGB IX), Jugendamt (youth welfare office under SGB VIII), and other statutory insurance providers. Services are commissioned and paid by cost bearers (Kostenträger) rather than direct customers.
2. Membership Fees: Annual membership fees provide supplementary funding. Fee is €30 per year (as of 2026), due by June 30.
3. Donations and Project Grants: The organization accepts donations and receives project-specific funding for initiatives like Perspektivwechsel (sensitivity training), Alles was Recht ist (legal rights awareness), and Herzensmensch (partnership/sexuality support).

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

ZSL Erlangen provides social services for people with disabilities, including personal assistance for independent living, peer-led participation counseling (EUTB), school and inclusion support for children with disabilities, and outpatient assisted living. Services are commissioned and funded through Germany's statutory social welfare system (Eingliederungshilfe, Jugendamt, § 32 SGB IX) and complemented by awareness projects on disability rights and inclusion.

Product overview

ZSL Erlangen is a non-profit association providing a portfolio of social services for people with disabilities. The core offerings include Personal Assistance (AO), Counseling.Education.Encounters (OBA), Supplementary Independent Participation Counseling (EUTB), School and Inclusion Support (SIB), and Outpatient Assisted Living (ABW Bamberg). These services are complemented by awareness projects including Perspektivwechsel (Change of Perspective), Alles was Recht ist (Rights Education), and Herzensmensch (Partnership Support). The organization operates as a unified advocacy and service provider focused on self-determination and inclusion, with services available in multiple languages (German, English, French, Spanish) and easy-language versions.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• AO (AssistenzOrganisation): Personal assistance organization enabling people with disabilities to lead self-determined lives
• OBA (Beratung.Bildung.Begegnung)
• EUTB (Ergänzende unabhängige Teilhabeberatung)
• SIB (Schul- und Inklusionsbegleitung)
• ABW Bamberg (Ambulant begleitetes Wohnen)
• Perspektivwechsel
• Alles was Recht ist
• Herzensmensch

Products and services

• AssistenzOrganisation (AO) - Personal Assistance Personal assistance service enabling people with disabilities to lead independent lives in their chosen living environment, with assistants providing holistic care, household support, and individual assistance.
• Beratung.Bildung.Begegnung (OBA) - Counseling.Education.Encounters Comprehensive counseling service covering all questions related to disability including authorities, forms, social benefits, aids, barriers, personal problems, and assistance. Also offers educational programs and community meetings.
• Ergänzende unabhängige Teilhabeberatung (EUTB) - Supplementary Independent Participation Counseling Free, independent, and confidential counseling for people with disabilities or chronic illnesses, provided by peer counselors based on § 32 SGB IX, funded by the Federal Ministry of Labor and Social Affairs.
• Schul- und Inklusionsbegleitung (SIB) - School and Inclusion Support School accompaniment supporting children and youth with disabilities to participate independently in lessons and school life, working with parents, schools, and funding bodies.
• Ambulant begleitetes Wohnen (ABW Bamberg) - Outpatient Assisted Living Assisted living service supporting people with disabilities to live independently in their own apartment or shared living arrangement, with flexible support from few hours per week to intensive assistance.
• Perspektivwechsel - Change of Perspective Awareness project offering seminars, workshops, and lectures about living situations of people with disabilities, including self-experience modules with wheelchairs and blindfolds to promote empathy and inclusion.
• Alles was Recht ist - Everything About Rights Project strengthening people with disabilities to actively enforce their rights, informing about new rights and sensitizing service providers and lawyers to the realities of disabled people in the legal system.
• Herzensmensch - Kindhearted Person Project supporting people with disabilities to live their right to partnership, sexuality, family, and friendship, addressing the difficulty of finding contacts or partnerships outside their immediate environment.

Quantifiable outcome

• Founded in 1988 and actively participated in negotiations for the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities

Named customers3 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

One partnership is on record.

• ACCESS - Inklusion im Arbeitsleben gemeinnützige GmbHcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerZSL Erlangen participates in ACCESS - Inklusion im Arbeitsleben gGmbH (Inclusion in Working Life), a charitable company based in Erlangen. According to the statutes (§2), the organization promotes inclusion of people with disabilities in working life through its participation in ACCESS. Upon dissolution, remaining ZSL assets would transfer to ACCESS.

Scale indicators2 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Broad incumbents

• Diakonie Bayern: Protestant welfare association providing a wide range of social services including disability support, school accompaniment, and counseling across Bavaria. Comparable in service breadth and statutory funding reliance, though much larger and more diversified than ZSL Erlangen.
• Caritasverband für die Diözese Eichstätt e.V. Large Catholic welfare provider with regional operations across Middle Franconia offering disability assistance, family services, and counseling. A broader incumbent that competes for the same Eingliederungshilfe and SGB VIII/XI funding streams as ZSL Erlangen.

Direct peers

• EUTB Teilhabeberatung (other regional providers): Other federally funded §32 SGB IX EUTB counseling offices across Germany that share the same peer-led counseling model and federal funding line. Direct peers for the EUTB Mittelfranken Nordost operation specifically.
• ISL (Interessenvertretung Selbstbestimmt Leben in Deutschland e.V.): National umbrella association of ZSL centers in Germany. Coordinates the network of regional ZSL organizations, sets shared advocacy priorities, and is the closest comparable peer in terms of mission, peer-led philosophy, and statutory framework engagement.
• ZSL Berlin (Zentrum für Selbstbestimmtes Leben Berlin e.V.): One of the original ZSL centers in Germany, also operating under the 'Selbstbestimmt Leben' peer-led model with personal assistance, counseling, and advocacy services for people with disabilities. Directly comparable in mission, service mix, and statutory funding model to ZSL Erlangen.
• ZSL München (Zentrum für Selbstbestimmtes Leben München e.V.): Peer-led disability center in Munich offering personal assistance (Assistenz), EUTB-style counseling, and inclusion advocacy. Operates the same §32 SGB IX Teilhabeberatung model and is part of the same national ZSL movement as ZSL Erlangen.

Others

• Bundesvereinigung der Deutschen Arbeitgeberverbände (Disability Inclusion Programs): Adjacent ecosystem player driving employer-side disability inclusion training demand that ZSL Erlangen's Perspektivwechsel project serves. Comparable as a buyer/partner channel rather than a competitor.

Regional players

• Lebenshilfe Erlangen-Höchstadt: Local Lebenshilfe chapter providing disability services in the same Erlangen region. Operates a broader portfolio including workshops and residential care but overlaps with ZSL on personal assistance and family counseling for people with intellectual disabilities.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/zsl.erlangen.de
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/erlangen-rss
• Instagraminstagram.com/zsl.erlangen

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles10 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 Erlangen RSS