What Stiftung Lebensart does

Stiftung Lebensart is a Swiss non-profit foundation headquartered in Bärau, Canton of Bern, that provides integrated residential care, vocational integration, and community-based services for elderly people with care needs and for people with psychological, intellectual, or social disabilities. The foundation operates across five main locations — Aarwangen, Bärau, Konolfingen, Oberburg, and Trubschachen — plus the Hotel & Restaurant Orchidee in Burgdorf, collectively offering approximately 155+ residential care beds, adapted workplaces, vocational training programs, and leisure/activation services. Its vertically integrated 'village' model at the Bärau campus combines residential living, vocational workshops, a market hall, garden center, hotel, gastronomy, agriculture, textile service, and a KITA (childcare center), creating a self-contained ecosystem where clients can live, work, and participate in community life.

The organization's revenue model is multi-stream. The primary revenue is generated through regulated cantonal government contracts and IV (disability insurance) commissions for residential care, nursing, vocational integration, supported employment, and apprenticeship programs. Secondary commercial revenue comes from the Markthalle Bärau retail outlet, Hotel & Restaurant Orchidee, bistros and cafés (Café Lärche, Bistro Riedli, Bistro Chisematt), the garden center, agricultural production, and handcraft workshops, where products made by people with disabilities are sold alongside regional partner products. The customer base is split between (a) institutional buyers — cantonal IV and social services authorities that commission services — and (b) individual consumers and the regional public who patronize the commercial outlets.

The enterprise technology stack is standard and non-proprietary: Swiss web hosting via Cyon, Google Fonts/Maps, YouTube, LinkedIn, and Microsoft services. No proprietary platform, app, or API is offered. The foundation is governed by a Stiftungsrat (board of trustees) and managed by a Geschäftsleitung (executive board) under Lukas Bär as Geschäftsführer. Approximately 700+ employees plus 90+ apprentices and trainees across 12+ professions support operations. The foundation returned to profitability in 2024 after prior financial challenges and is currently investing in a new integrated neighborhood development (Bäraupark) adjacent to its Markthalle.

Name

Stiftung Lebensart

Legal name

Stiftung Lebensart

Website

https://lebensart.ch

Company type

Private

Founded year

1784

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

501–1,000 employees

Short description

Stiftung Lebensart is a Swiss non-profit foundation operating residential care, vocational integration, and commercial enterprises (market hall, hotel, garden center) across five locations in the Canton of Bern, serving elderly people with care needs and people with psychological, intellectual, or social disabilities.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Social Care and Vocational Rehabilitation Services

NAICS

Continuing Care Retirement Communities (623311), Vocational Rehabilitation Services (6243)

SIC

Services-Nursing & Personal Care Facilities (8050)

akta.pro primary industry

Disability & Chronic Condition Care Coordination (EDALAFAI)

akta.pro secondary industry

Accessibility, Accommodations & Assistive Services (EDALAFAN)

Keywords

• Residential elderly care
• Vocational integration services
• Disability supported employment
• Social welfare foundation
• Apprenticeship training programs

Headquarters

HQ city

Bärau

HQ country

Switzerland

HQ region

Europe

Offices6 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Social care and residential services: Revenue is generated through cantonal government contracts and health insurance reimbursements for residential care, nursing, and support services provided to elderly clients and people with disabilities. Rates are regulated under Swiss cantonal frameworks.
2. Vocational integration and employment services: Revenue from IV (disability insurance) and social services for vocational integration programs, job coaching, and supported employment. These are commissioned services billed to cantonal authorities.
3. Commercial operations (market hall, gastronomy, gardening): Revenue from the sale of products manufactured by people with disabilities in workshops (gardening, crafts, agriculture) and from retail operations including the Markthalle Bärau, hotel & restaurant, bistros, and seasonal events. These are commercial sales generating operating revenue.
4. Vocational training services: Revenue from apprenticeship programs and vocational training placements, partially subsidized through cantonal educational funding.

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels6 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Stiftung Lebensart is a Swiss non-profit foundation that provides residential care and nursing for elderly people (Wohnen mit Pflege), vocational integration and supported employment for people with disabilities (Arbeiten, Berufliche Integration, angepasste Arbeitsplätze), and leisure/activation programs (Freizeit & Aktivierung) across five locations in the Canton of Bern. The foundation runs an integrated commercial operations platform (Gastronomie, Werkbetriebe, Gärtnerei, Landwirtschaft, Textilservice, Markthalle Bärau, Hotel & Restaurant Orchidee) that creates meaningful employment for clients while generating revenue to support the social mission. It also operates apprenticeship and continuing education programs across 12+ professions for over 100 trainees.

Product overview

Stiftung Lebensart operates as an integrated care and social services foundation offering a unified platform of residential care, vocational rehabilitation, and recreational services. The core offerings include Wohnen (residential living with varying levels of care from assisted to nursing), Arbeiten (vocational services including Berufliche Integration for employment support), and Freizeit (leisure and activation programs). These core services are supported by a network of integrated business enterprises including Gastronomiebetriebe, Werkbetriebe/Handwerk & Kunst, Gärtnerei, Landwirtschaft, Textilservice, Markthalle Bärau retail, and Hotel & Restaurant Orchidee hospitality operations. Educational services include Ausbildungsangebote (apprenticeship programs in 12+ professions) and Weiterbildungsangebote (continuing education and internship programs). The foundation operates across multiple locations in the Emmental and Oberaargau regions of Switzerland, with the Bäraupark housing development expanding their community integration model. The enterprise operations serve dual purposes: creating meaningful employment for people with disabilities while generating revenue to support the foundation's social mission.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Wohnen (Residential Living) Comprehensive residential care services including assisted living, nursing care with professional support, short-term stays (Kurzzeitaufenthalt), and supported housing for people with disabilities and elderly individuals requiring varying levels of care. Includes Wohnen mit Pflege, betreutes Wohnen, and ambulante Wohnbegleitung across five locations.
• Arbeiten (Vocational Services) Vocational integration services providing employment support, professional training, job coaching, and supported employment for people with disabilities to enable independent working lives. Includes angepasste Arbeitsplätze (adapted workplaces) and Tagesstätte (day center) offerings.
• Berufliche Integration (Vocational Integration) Specialized program for vocational rehabilitation including occupational assessment, career guidance, training placements, supported education, and job coaching for individuals with barriers to mainstream employment. Referred by IV and social services.
• Freizeit & Aktivierung (Leisure & Activation) Recreation and activation programs including sports, creative activities, outings, and social events designed to promote well-being, self-determination, and community participation for residents across all locations.
• Gastronomiebetriebe (Gastronomy) Food service operations including Café Lärche (Bärau), Bistro Riedli (Aarwangen), and Bistro Chisematt (Konolfingen), serving meals to residents, visitors, and the general public while creating employment opportunities for people with disabilities.
• Werkbetriebe (Workshops: Crafts & Arts) Workshop operations producing handcrafted goods and artistic products, offering meaningful work and training opportunities for people with disabilities. Output is sold through the Markthalle Bärau and partner retail channels.
• Gärtnerei (Garden Center and Nursery) Garden center and nursery operations including seasonal flower arrangements, plant sales, and events such as the annual Blütenzauber flower exhibition, providing work and training opportunities for people with disabilities.
• Landwirtschaft (Agriculture) Agricultural operations providing work and training opportunities in farming activities for clients, with produce contributing to the Markthalle and gastronomy supply.
• Textilservice (Textile Service) Textile care and laundry services operating as part of the integrated business operations, providing employment and training opportunities.
• Markthalle Bärau (Market Hall) Market hall retail operation selling products made by people with disabilities alongside regional partner products, with integrated Bistro 1784. Open Mon-Fri 06:30-18:30, Sat 08:00-17:00.
• Hotel & Restaurant Orchidee Hotel and restaurant operation in Burgdorf's old town center, providing hospitality training and employment opportunities for people with various abilities. Open to the general public.
• Lebensart KITA (Childcare) Childcare services at the Bärau campus, providing early childhood education and care as part of the integrated community ecosystem.
• Ausbildungsangebote (Apprenticeship Programs) Vocational training programs offering over 100 apprenticeships across 12+ professions including healthcare, care, hospitality, commerce, gardening, agriculture, and floristry. Recognized as a performance-sport-friendly employer by Swiss Olympic.
• Weiterbildungsangebote & Praktika (Continuing Education and Internships) Tertiary-level continuing education including internships for social pedagogy and social work students, as well as shortened training programs (FABE-E/FAGE-E) for adult employees in healthcare and care roles.

Quantifiable outcome

• 36 apprentices successfully completed training in 2022 across 15 professions; all 36 trainees and students with 2023 graduation passed successfully with an average grade of 5.15 (very good)
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers5 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles5 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Two partnerships are on record, tiered minor.

• LudotrailminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 6 July 2021Ludotrail collaborates with Stiftung Lebensart to feature games and activities designed and crafted by Lebensart's residents and employees at various stops along the trail routes through the Emmental region. Lebensart workshop participants produce custom wooden game pieces and elements for the trail.
• Regional producers and suppliers (Markthalle Bärau partners)minorOthersThe Markthalle Bärau stocks products from carefully selected regional partners alongside items produced by Lebensart clients. This creates a curated marketplace offering that supports the local economy while providing Lebensart's clients with exposure to commercial market standards.

Scale indicators9 records

Recent moves8 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Others

• Insos Schweiz: National industry association of Swiss social services providers for people with disabilities. Lebensart is a member-type organization — directly relevant as the sectoral framework and network for cantonal commissioning, vocational integration standards, and peer benchmarking.
• Caritas Schweiz: Major Swiss social services organization providing a broad range of services including social integration, vocational programs, and care for vulnerable populations. Relevant as a comparable non-profit social services structure operating at national scale, though with a broader mission than Lebensart.
• Pro Infirmis: Switzerland's largest disability advocacy and support organization with regional branches. Comparable because it operates adjacent services (consulting, supported employment, housing guidance) for the same disability population served by Lebensart's disability division.

Direct peers

• Senevita AG: One of Switzerland's largest elderly care and assisted living operators with multiple residential homes across the country. Comparable to Lebensart's residential care and nursing operations, with broader geographic reach and a more commercial operating model.
• Tertianum AG: Major Swiss operator of residential and care facilities for elderly people, with a significant portfolio across German-speaking Switzerland. Directly comparable to Lebensart's elderly care (Wohnen mit Pflege) service line in terms of resident profile and service offering.
• Stiftung Rübisbalm: Swiss foundation offering residential living, vocational integration, and daytime activities for people with disabilities in the Bern area. Directly comparable to Lebensart's integrated housing, work, and integration model under a regional Stiftung structure.
• Dahlia Oberaargau: Operating multiple elderly care homes in the Oberaargau region (Attiswil, Herzogenbuchsee, Niederbipp, Wiedlisbach) that are directly linked from Lebensart's own website. Highly comparable as a regional Swiss non-profit nursing and care home operator with a similar service model and target demographic.
• Domicil Bern: Bern-based non-profit operator of multiple elderly care homes in the Canton of Bern. Comparable to Lebensart's Wohnen mit Pflege operations in geographic proximity and care model, though focused exclusively on elderly care rather than the integrated disability + elderly model.
• Stiftung Brüttelenbad: Swiss non-profit foundation providing residential care, vocational integration, and supported employment for people with disabilities in the Bern region. Closely comparable to Lebensart's integrated model combining Wohnen, Arbeiten, and vocational integration under a Stiftung structure.
• Stiftung Profil: Swiss foundation specializing in vocational integration and supported employment for people with disabilities. Directly comparable to Lebensart's Berufliche Integration, PrA, and angepasste Arbeitsplätze product lines, with similar cantonal commissioning relationships.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/stiftung-lebensart

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles14 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 Stiftung Lebensart