Ig Arbeit
IG Arbeit is a Swiss non-profit social enterprise in Luzern providing vocational integration services for over 350 individuals annually with mental health challenges through occupational training, job coaching, and protected employment across hospitality, craft, logistics, and retail divisions.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1984
- HeadquartersLuzern, Switzerland
- Headcount—
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingServices
What Ig Arbeit does
IG Arbeit is a non-profit association (Verein) established in 1984 and headquartered at Unterlachenstrasse 9, Luzern, Switzerland, operating as a social enterprise for vocational integration of people with mental health challenges. The organization supports over 350 individuals annually through a portfolio of integration, coaching, and protected employment programs, delivered by approximately 80-115 qualified professionals (Fachpersonen) including psychologists, social pedagogues, and work integration specialists. Operations are organized into business divisions spanning Gastronomie + Catering (Nylon 7 at Viscosistadt Emmenbrücke, Bistro EssWerk, Seminarhotel RomeroHaus with rooms and event capacity for 20-280 guests, and mobile Catering), Handwerk (WerkRaum with Schreinerei, Textilatelier, Rahmen- and Kartenatelier, and Konfektion + Versand assembly/shipping services), Administration + Büro (BüroService), Kurierdienst + Recycling (ShoppingTaxi with zone-based pricing, RecyclingTaxi on subscription, and Grünabfuhr horse-drawn green waste collection), Umzug + Haushalt (AuftragsBörse covering moving, clearing, cleaning, garden maintenance, property management, and Sofort-Transport on-demand services), and WebShop + Verkaufsstellen (Shopify-powered online shop, Tiny Store, and Luzerner Brockenhaus second-hand store). Technology stack is standard commercial infrastructure: Shopify for e-commerce at shop.igarbeit.ch, TYPO3 CMS for igarbeit.ch, Google Maps, YouTube for video, Mailchimp for newsletters (via Rocket Science Group LLC), Google Analytics, Google reCAPTCHA, Refline for ATS, and onlineumfragen.com for surveys.
Revenue is generated through three streams: (1) institutional mandates from Swiss social insurance offices (IV-Stellen), regional employment centers (RAV), and municipal social welfare departments (Sozialhilfe/Sozialdienste) funding protected workstations and integration programs; (2) commercial social enterprise revenue from hospitality, retail, craft, logistics, and moving services sold to retail consumers and B2B customers; (3) donations and foundation grants from entities including Luzerner Club der 200, Albert Koechlin Stiftung, Ernst Göhner Stiftung, MBF Foundation, and Stiftung Josi J. Meier. The primary customer segments split into institutions (IV-Stellen, RAV, municipal social services, employers engaging Novada for workplace mental health coaching) and end consumers (hotel guests, restaurant diners, retail shoppers, household recycling and moving service customers). Referrals dominate the institutional channel while commercial revenue is primarily transactional with some subscription components (RecyclingTaxi). The organization is governed by a member-based association structure with a board (Vorstand) chaired by Daniel Zimmermann with Kurt Hässig serving as CEO (Geschäftsführer); no external parent, venture capital, or public listing is involved.
Ig Arbeit firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Ig Arbeit
- Legal name
- IG Arbeit
- Website
- https://igarbeit.ch
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 1984
- Operating status
- Operating
- Short description
- IG Arbeit is a Swiss non-profit social enterprise in Luzern providing vocational integration services for over 350 individuals annually with mental health challenges through occupational training, job coaching, and protected employment across hospitality, craft, logistics, and retail divisions.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Where Ig Arbeit is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Luzern
- HQ country
- Switzerland
- HQ region
- Europe
Offices9 records
Markets served
Ig Arbeit business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D
Revenue model
- Social Insurance & Government Contracts: IG Arbeit operates under mandates from federal (Bund), cantonal (Kanton), and municipal (Gemeinden) authorities. Primary funding comes through disability insurance (IV-Stellen) mandates, social welfare contracts, and integration program funding. This represents the core operational funding model.
- Professional Services & Consulting: Novada division provides job coaching, workplace support, workshops, and training services to employers dealing with employee mental health challenges. Revenue generated through service contracts with referring institutions.
- Social Enterprise Operations: Gastronomy operations (Nylon 7, Bistro EssWerk, Seminarhotel RomeroHaus), craft workshops (WerkRaum), logistics services (ShoppingTaxi, RecyclingTaxi), and retail (Luzerner Brockenhaus, Tiny Store, WebShop) generate commercial revenue through direct customer sales.
- Donations: The organization accepts charitable donations to support its mission. Donations are tax-deductible and come from individuals and organizations including the Club der 200.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Sofort-Transport Pauschal |
| Subscription | Multi-year contract | RecyclingTaxi Abonnement Private |
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | ShoppingTaxi Zone-based Pricing |
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Seminarhotel RomeroHaus Room Rates |
Go-to-market motion2 records
Distribution channels13 records
Marketing channels6 records
Ig Arbeit product offering
Product offeringCore offering
IG Arbeit is a Swiss non-profit social enterprise providing vocational integration services for people with mental health difficulties in the Luzern region. The organization delivers sheltered employment, job coaching, supported education, and workplace integration through a network of commercial divisions including gastronomy, craft workshops, logistics, retail, and office services, serving over 350 individuals annually with 115+ qualified professionals.
Product overview
IG Arbeit is a social enterprise providing vocational integration services in Luzern, Switzerland, operating a multi-brand portfolio of integration, gastronomy, craft, logistics, and administrative service products. The core offering centers on "Arbeiten + Integration" (vocational integration), supported by the Novada coaching brand and the Intake + Triage intake service. This is complemented by a network of operational businesses: Gastronomie + Catering (featuring Bistro EssWerk, Nylon 7 Viscosistadt, Seminarhotel RomeroHaus, and Catering); Handwerk / WerkRaum (craft workshops including Joinery, Textilatelier, Rahmen- and Kartenatelier, and Assembly + Shipping/Konfektion + Versand); Administration + Büro (BüroService); Kurierdienst + Recycling (ShoppingTaxi, RecyclingTaxi, and Grünabfuhr); Umzug + Haushalt (AuftragsBörse including moving, clearing, cleaning, garden maintenance, and property management); and WebShop + Verkaufsstellen (WebShop, Tiny Store, and Luzerner Brockenhaus). The organization also offers Dossier Go for job application support and Peer-Arbeit for peer-based counseling. Products are distributed through physical retail locations, an online Shopify-based WebShop, and direct B2B service delivery across the Luzern region.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Arbeiten + Integration (Vocational Integration)
- Novada Coaching + Workshops
- WebShop + Verkaufsstellen (Retail Channel)
- Luzerner Brockenhaus
- Tiny Store
- BüroService (Administration + Office Services)
- ShoppingTaxi
- RecyclingTaxi
- Grünabfuhr (Green Waste Collection)
- AuftragsBörse (Moving, Cleaning, Garden, Property Services)
- Handwerk / WerkRaum (Craft Workshops)
- Konfektion + Versand (Assembly and Shipping)
- Gastronomie + Catering
- Nylon 7 Viscosistadt
- Bistro EssWerk
- Seminarhotel RomeroHaus
- Catering
- Intake + Triage
Quantifiable outcome
- Successfully supported over 350 individuals annually in integration programs
- +2 more outcomes
Companies that use Ig Arbeit
Customer profileNamed customers3 records
Segments6 records
Ideal customer profiles4 records
Ig Arbeit technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Integration8 records
Ig Arbeit partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Four partnerships are on record, tiered minor and core.
- BADI CultureminorSustainable bag and accessory label founded by Samuel Reichmuth. BADI Culture has its showroom at Grimselweg 5 and has been working with IG Arbeit for warehousing and shipping for two years. The partnership creates new integration opportunities through the physical proximity.
- VisitLocals LuzernminorGrünabfuhr (green waste collection) service is now also listed on the VisitLocals platform for booking tours.
- Various retail partners for ShoppingTaximinorPartnership with numerous retail businesses enabling the ShoppingTaxi service to transport customers' heavy purchases home. Details available in partner list documentation.
- Hochschule Luzern Design und KunstcoreNylon 7 operates as the canteen (Mensa) for the Lucerne University of Applied Sciences and Arts - Design & Art campus at Viscosistadt Emmenbrücke, serving students, faculty, and visitors daily.
Scale indicators7 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights5 records
Ig Arbeit competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Stiftung Brändi: Swiss social enterprise based in Nidwalden running a multi-business portfolio (industry, gastronomy, services, retail) for the vocational integration of people with disabilities. Closely comparable in structure: integrated operating businesses that cross-subsidize sheltered employment for a similar client population.
- Brühlgut Stiftung: Winterthur-based Swiss foundation providing vocational integration, sheltered workplaces, and supported employment for people with disabilities. Comparable in mission (work integration for persons with disabilities), multi-site operating model, and reliance on cantonal welfare referrals.
- Stiftung Battenberg: Biel-based Swiss foundation offering work-integration programs, sheltered workshops, and supported employment for people with mental-health or psychosocial disabilities. Highly comparable in target population (mental-health focus), Swiss sheltered-employment model, and IV-Stellen funding dependency.
Others
- Inclusion Handicap: Swiss national umbrella association of disability organizations providing advocacy, policy work, and coordination across disability service providers. Not a direct operational peer, but adjacent as a sector-shaping body whose policy positions influence IV-Stellen funding and disability-employment regulation relevant to IG Arbeit.
Emerging players
- Meinplatz.ch: Swiss online job-matching platform for people with disabilities or psychosocial challenges seeking employment in the primary labor market. Comparable as a Swiss vocational-infrastructure player in the same disability-employment space, but operating purely as a digital marketplace without IG Arbeit's sheltered-workstation infrastructure.
Broad incumbents
- Pro Infirmis: National Swiss disability advocacy and service organization offering employment-related services among a much broader portfolio (housing, assistive technology, legal advice). Comparable as a national-scale Swiss disability-services provider, but its work-integration work is one of many service lines rather than a multi-business operating model.
- Adeco Stiftung: Swiss foundation affiliated with Adecco Group focused on labor-market integration of disadvantaged groups including people with mental-health challenges. Comparable in Swiss work-integration mission and use of Supported Employment methodology, but operating through placement partnerships rather than a multi-business sheltered-employment portfolio.
Regional players
- Lebenshilfe Österreich: Austrian federation supporting people with intellectual and psychosocial disabilities through sheltered workshops, supported employment, and social services. Comparable internationally as a German-speaking multi-site work-integration organization with a sheltered-workshop operating model, though Austria operates under a different social-disability legal framework.
- Schweizerisches Rotes Kreuz Luzern (SRK Luzern): Regional chapter of the Swiss Red Cross providing social and integration services in the Luzern canton. Comparable as a Luzern-based social-services provider operating in the same cantonal welfare ecosystem and serving overlapping beneficiary populations.
- Caritas Luzern: Regional branch of Caritas Schweiz operating social services, employment programs, and integration support in the same Luzern geography. Comparable in serving the same regional welfare-referral population and operating in adjacent cantonal funding channels, though Caritas's work-integration scope is narrower and not built around a multi-business operating portfolio.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat5 records
Key risks5 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
Ig Arbeit social profiles
Digital presenceIg Arbeit financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Ig Arbeit leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles15 records
Ig Arbeit funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Ig Arbeit M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Ig Arbeit
What does Ig Arbeit do?
IG Arbeit is a Swiss non-profit social enterprise providing vocational integration services for people with mental health difficulties in the Luzern region. The organization delivers sheltered employment, job coaching, supported education, and workplace integration through a network of commercial divisions including gastronomy, craft workshops, logistics, retail, and office services, serving over 350 individuals annually with 115+ qualified professionals.
Is Ig Arbeit a public or private company?
Ig Arbeit is a private company. It is classified as nonprofit foundation owned and is currently operating.
When was Ig Arbeit founded?
Ig Arbeit was founded in 1984.
Where is Ig Arbeit based?
Ig Arbeit is headquartered in Luzern, Switzerland, in the Europe region.
How does Ig Arbeit make money?
Four revenue lines are on record. Social Insurance & Government Contracts are the primary driver. The others are professional Services & Consulting, social Enterprise Operations and donations.
Who are Ig Arbeit's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Stiftung Brändi, Brühlgut Stiftung and Stiftung Battenberg. Inclusion Handicap is listed as an others. Meinplatz.ch is listed as an emerging player. Broad incumbents are Pro Infirmis and Adeco Stiftung. Regional players are Lebenshilfe Österreich, Schweizerisches Rotes Kreuz Luzern (SRK Luzern) and Caritas Luzern.
Does Ig Arbeit have an API?
No public API is recorded for Ig Arbeit.