TBS NRW

Name

TBS NRW

Legal name

Technologieberatungsstelle beim DGB NRW e.V.

Website

https://tbs-nrw.de

Company type

Private

Founded year

1983

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Labor Relations Consulting

NAICS

Management, Scientific, and Technical Consulting Services (5416), Management Consulting Services (54161)

SIC

Services-Management Consulting Services (8742)

akta.pro primary industry

Quality Tools & Problem Solving (7 QC Tools, 8D, A3, Root Cause) (EDABAKAE)

akta.pro secondary industry

EHS Management Systems & ISO Consulting (ISO 14001/45001) (BPAHAJAF)

Keywords

• Labor co-determination consulting
• Works council advisory
• Employee representation training
• Co-determination seminars
• Occupational health advisory

Headquarters

HQ city

Dortmund

HQ country

Germany

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Consulting Services: Fee-based advisory services provided by approximately 30 expert consultants to works councils, personnel representatives, and employee representation bodies on co-determination matters including IT agreements, work organization, working time, occupational health, and economic crisis management.
2. Seminars and Training: Seminar fees charged for 'von profis für profis' program delivered in cooperation with DGB Bildungswerk NRW. Seminars offered in-person, online, and inhouse formats. Cancellation and no-show policies apply per AGB.
3. Publication Sales: Sale of print media (brochures, flyers, checklists) from online shop. Some publications available for free download; others subject to a protection fee (Schutzgebühr). Payment exclusively on invoice.

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

TBS NRW provides fee-based consulting and seminar services for works councils (Betriebsräte), personnel representatives (Personalräte), and employee representation bodies on co-determination topics including IT/AI, data protection, work organization, working time, occupational health, and economic transformation. The organization also sells practice-oriented publications (brochures, checklists, knowledge briefs) and runs funded projects on AI competency and labor-market transformation. Services are delivered through approximately 30 expert consultants via on-site advising, online sessions, in-person seminars, online seminars, and inhouse training.

Product overview

TBS NRW is a consulting and seminar organization (Technologieberatungsstelle beim DGB NRW e.V.) that provides advisory services, training programs, and practical resources for works councils (Betriebsräte), staff representative bodies (Personalräte), and employee representation committees in North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany. The organization operates as a unified service offering without a modular software architecture. Its core offerings comprise consulting services (Beratung) including external expertise for works councils, negotiation support, and conflict resolution; seminar programs (Seminare) delivered in-person, online, or in-house through a cooperation with DGB Bildungswerk NRW; moderation services for strategic planning sessions; coaching services; and free media resources including brochures, checklists, and knowledge briefs. Special focus areas include AI/digitization, data protection, work organization, working time management, health and safety, and economic transformation topics. The organization also runs multiple funded projects addressing AI competency, labor market transformation, and sustainable work practices.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Beratung (Consulting Services) Advisory services for works councils (Betriebsräte) and staff representatives (Personalräte) covering topics such as AI and IT, work organization, working time management, economics, and occupational health. Includes external expertise for works councils under § 80 (3) BetrVG, negotiation support, and representation in conciliation boards (Einigungsstelle).
• Seminare (Seminar Program) Training seminars delivered by experienced practitioners covering current topics in co-determination and workplace transformation, available as in-person events, online sessions, or customized in-house training for entire works councils. Conducted in cooperation with DGB Bildungswerk NRW.
• Inhouse-Seminare (In-House Seminars) Customized training seminars delivered at the client's workplace, tailored to the specific needs and schedules of works councils and staff representative bodies.
• Moderation von Klausurtagungen (Workshop Moderation) Professional facilitation and documentation of strategic planning sessions (Klausurtagungen) for works councils and staff committees, including agenda planning and outcome documentation.
• Coaching Individual coaching and process support for works council members to develop self-directed solutions for their specific challenges and concerns.
• Einigungsstelle (Conciliation Board Support) Negotiation support and provision of expert opinion in conciliation board proceedings (Einigungsstelle) for resolving conflicts between employers and works councils on co-determination matters.
• Externer Sachverstand (External Expertise) External expertise and consultation services for works councils as defined by German works constitution law (§ 80 (3) and § 111 BetrVG), providing specialized advisory support for complex workplace issues.
• Medien (Practice-oriented Publications) Sale of practice-oriented brochures, flyers, checklists, knowledge briefs, and seminar program materials from the TBS NRW online shop. Some publications are available as free downloads; others are subject to a protection fee (Schutzgebühr). Payment is exclusively on invoice.

Named customers3 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Four partnerships are on record, tiered core.

• DGB Bildungswerk NRW e.V.coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerTBS NRW cooperates with DGB Bildungswerk NRW e.V. to deliver the 'von profis für profis' seminar program. The DGB Bildungswerk handles booking administration for these seminars under a commissioned processing agreement. The partnership combines TBS's advisory expertise with DGB Bildungswerk's training infrastructure.
• TBS-Netz (9 Partner Institutions)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerTBS NRW is part of the TBS-Netz, a network of 10 technology consulting institutions across 8 German federal states that support works councils, personnel representatives, and employee representation bodies. The network facilitates continuous exchange on current developments, organizes specialist conferences, coordinates activities, and develops cross-regional offerings for trade unions and works councils.
• Gewerkschaften in NRW (Trade Unions in NRW)coreOthersTBS NRW is sponsored and governed by the trade unions in North Rhine-Westphalia. Trade unions are founding members and ongoing supporters of the organization.
• Ministerium für Arbeit, Gesundheit und Soziales NRW (NRW Ministry of Labor, Health and Social Affairs)coreOthersTBS NRW operates under a state mandate (Landesauftrag) from the NRW Ministry of Labor, Health and Social Affairs, which co-sponsors the organization alongside trade unions. The ministry's support aligns with TBS's mission to shape an employment-oriented and socially acceptable structural change in NRW.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• WisoDisc: WisoDisc / WISO-Diskurs is a commercial provider of works council seminars and political education across Germany; it competes directly with TBS NRW on seminar content and on DGB-affiliated training budgets.
• INPUT Consulting: INPUT Consulting is a non-profit consulting and research institute that advises works councils, supervisory boards, and employee representatives on co-determination, restructuring, and transformation — the same persona as TBS NRW, with similar academic-staffed advisory and project-based funding model.

Others

• WSI – Wirtschafts- und Sozialwissenschaftliches Institut: WSI is the Hans-Böckler-Stiftung's economic policy institute, generating research and policy advice on labor relations and co-determination that intersects with TBS NRW's policy and consulting work on works council topics.
• ifaa – Institut für angewandte Arbeitswissenschaft: ifaa researches work organization, lean/lean management, and ergonomics — adjacent to TBS NRW's work-organization and lean/agile advisory topics that it services for works councils.

Broad incumbents

• Arbeit und Leben (DGB/VHS): Arbeit und Leben is the DGB/VHS-affiliated adult education network with sites across Germany; it offers works council-related political education alongside broader labor-focused training, overlapping with TBS's seminar and political education remit on a multi-state basis.
• ver.di Bildungswerk: ver.di Bildungswerk is the training arm of the ver.di services union, providing seminars and education to works councils and member representatives in the service sector — a partial-overlap peer adjacent to TBS's works council advisory niche.
• Hans-Böckler-Stiftung (Mitbestimmungsportal): The Hans-Böckler-Stiftung, the DGB-affiliated research and co-determination foundation, operates the Mitbestimmungsportal and provides research, training, and advisory that overlaps with TBS NRW's co-determination content and labor-economics expertise.
• DGB Bildungswerk NRW: DGB Bildungswerk NRW is TBS NRW's core cooperation partner for the 'von profis für profis' seminar program; it operates a much broader union-affiliated adult-education portfolio across NRW, giving it an incumbent position in works council training where TBS provides specialist content.

Emerging players

• Betriebsrat Online (Bund-Verlag): Bund-Verlag's digital Betriebsrat-Online offering serves works councils with legal reference, online training, and subscriptions; it is adjacent to TBS's publications/seminar business and an emerging digital competitor in co-determination content.

Regional players

• IG Metall Vorstand / Bildungszentren: IG Metall operates its own Bildungszentren delivering union and works council education in other German states; while not directly competing in NRW, it is the most analogous union-side training institution outside TBS-Netz.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/user/TBSNRW
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/tbs-nrw

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles5 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 TBS NRW