Do you want to start a social enterprise?
Perhaps you already have a concrete business idea and need support with legal or financial questions. Or maybe you have an initial concept and want to explore its feasibility. We’re here to help.
Startup Consulting
Are you in the (pre-)founding or early stage of your social enterprise? Are you based in Berlin or planning to operate from here?
We offer a model free pre- and startup consultation for all social economy enterprises. The goal is to establish this service in Berlin and to support the social economy community. To take advantage of the consultation, you can get in touch directly with us or with advisors from the sector.
A list of consulting organizations, their areas of expertise, and contact details can be found below.
The specific strategies of social entrepreneurship and the challenges faced by social enterprises are only partially covered by existing economic development institutions. This offering aims to make it easier for potential social economy founders to receive tailored (pre-)startup consulting, thereby promoting more successful and sustainable startups.
Consulting organizations
101LAB
Target audience:
Social enterprises, public benefit companies, social entrepreneurs, social startups, nonprofits/NGOs, cooperatives.
Consulting Focus / Areas of Expertise:
- Sustainable & Social digitalization
- Sufficiency & Resilience
- Open source cloud infrastructure / Self-Hosting
- Data protection & GDPR cybersecurity
- Ethical AI Use & Policy design
- Digital sovereignty / Independence from Big Tech
- Digital Self-Defense
Languages: English, German
Contact: Benjamin Orgis – contact Benjamin via chat
Website: 101lab.it
Berlin Start Up School
Target audience:
Founders with an idea for a scalable digital product that makes the world a better place (impact/social startups).
Consulting Focus / Areas of Expertise:
- Idea Development
- Business Model Design
- Legal Consulting
- Strategic Business Consulting
- Marketing & Sales Strategy Development
- Financial Planning
- Defining Mission, Vision, and Values
- Market and Competitor Analysis
- Strategic Partnerships and Networking with Relevant Stakeholders
- Creation of User-Centered Prototypes (including Testing Opportunities)
Languages: English, German
Contact: Constantin “Tino” Schmutzler
Christoph Rohde
Target audience:
Social Entrepreneurs / Social Startups
Consulting Focus / Areas of Expertise:
- Development or refinement of a business model (social enterprise plan)
- Financial planning and feedback on financial plans based on the analysis or development of the business model
- Advising on financing options for social enterprises (impact investing, public funding)
- Guidance on the use of different financing instruments
Languages: English, German
Contact: Christoph Rohde
CORE Kollektiv
Target audience:
Creative industry companies and founders, social solidarity enterprises, “green economy” businesses, nonprofits.
Consulting Focus / Areas of Expertise:
- Idea development
- Mission, goals & Core values
- Deficit & Resource Analysis
- Business model Development & Refinement
- Impact model Development & Analysis
- Building networks & Supporter communities
- Legal form selection & Organizational structure
- Referrals to further specialized consulting
Languages: English, German, Russian, Ukrainian (partial)
Contact: Anastasia Zagorni – core_kollektiv@mailbox.org
Johannes Wockenfuß
Target audience:
Founders with an initial social enterprise idea aimed at addressing a societal challenge, as well as existing organizations looking to scale their offerings – particularly those with educational programs
Consulting Focus / Areas of Expertise:
- Development, refinement, and financing of a social and impact-driven business model
- Scaling of social business models
- Development of an impact framework and support in impact analysis
- Creation of a guiding framework (vision, mission, values, principles of collaboration)
- Team development, role definition, and organizational culture enhancement
- Change management and support for innovation processes
- Specialized expertise in the development of educational programs
Languages: English, German
Contact: Johannes Wockenfuß
Kevin Kuhn
Target audience:
Start-ups in the founding phase or a turnaround phase
Focus.
Consulting Focus / Areas of Expertise:
- Founding Phase, Idea Development & Prototyping (incl. legal formalities)
- Financing & Business Case Development in Growth Phases
- Positioning & Market Testing
- Impact Development & Monitoring
- Product Development & Operational Processes
- Crisis & Turnaround Support (operational and emotional/leadership coaching)
- Team Building & Human-Centered Organizational Structure
- Revenue/Cost Analysis & Path to Profitability
Languages: English, German
Contact: Kevin Kuhn – kevinkuhn@posteo.de
KoKo Beratungsgesellschaft
Target audience:
Freelancers and SMEs in the social and creative economy, cultural associations/organizations.
Consulting Focus / Areas of Expertise:
- Fundraising & Sustainable Financing Strategies
- Team Building & HR Strategy (Recruiting, Volunteer Recruitment, Funding for Staff)
- Marketing & Public Relations (Positioning, Campaigns, Customer Acquisition / Scaling)
- Building Partnerships & Sponsorship Structures
- Business Plan Development & Economic Viability Analysis
- Strategic Business Development (Business Model Refinement, Competitive Positioning, Growth Analysis)
Languages: English, German, French, Spanish
Contact: Kofi Darkwa – kofi@koko-beratung.de
Website: koko-beratung.de
Kollektivberatung
Target audience:
Social solidarity enterprises, worker collectives, employee-owned businesses.
Consulting Focus / Areas of Expertise:
- Legal Forms for Self-Governance (Cooperative, Association, GmbH, GbR, etc.)
- Pros & Cons of Different Legal Forms for Self-Organized Cooperatives
- Vision Finding & Group Identity
- Development Cooperative & Democratic Organizational Development (e.g. Sociocratic Circle Structures)
- Work Organization, Decision-Making, Task & Ownership Distribution, Egalitarian Wage Systems
- Alternatives to the Classic Plenary Tools & Methods for Democratic Self-Organization (Agile, Scrum, Liberating Structures, Consent Moderation)
- Legal Design of Democratic Decision Processes, Collective Ownership & Capital Neutralization
- Planning the Next Founding Steps
- Labor Law Aspects
Languages: English, German, (Spanish)
Contact: Rupay Dahm – r.dahm@kollektivberatung.de
Website: kollektivberatung.de
Lena Celotti
Target audience:
Social enterprises, social startups, cooperatives, solidarity-based and public-benefit ventures; especially early-stage, female and neurodivergent founders
Consulting Focus / Areas of Expertise:
- (Pre-)Founding Consultation
- Idea Development & Validation
- Business Model & Impact Model
- Development Mission, Vision & Values
- Clarification Strategic Business Development
- Cooperative Governance & Organizational Structure
- Resource & Role Clarification in Founding Teams
- Network Building Scaling of Social Enterprises
Languages: English, German
Contact: Lena Celotti – lena@coachingberl.in
Website: lena-hedemann.de
Social Impact
Target audience:
All types, especially nonprofits and social economy organizations
Consulting Focus / Areas of Expertise:
- Idea Development
- Mission, Goals & Core Values
- Deficit & Resource Analysis
- Business Model Development & Refinement
- Impact Model Development & Analysis
- Market Testing & Launch of Business Activities
- Building Networks & Supporter Communities
- Legal Form Selection & Organizational Structure
- Scaling of Existing Social Enterprises
Languages: English, German
Contact: Bianca Zeller – contact form
Website: socialimpact.eu
STATTwerke consult
Target audience:
Socially responsible enterprises, green economy / environmentally focused businesses
Consulting Focus / Areas of Expertise:
- Idea development and refinement of business models and concepts
- Innovative business setup and organizational design
- Strategic business development
- Analysis of growth potential and competitive positioning
- Revenue and profitability analysis
- Financial structuring and financing models; public funding support
- Liquidity management
- Cost management and controlling
- Organization of corporate accounting
- Organizational development
Languages: English, German
Contact: Helmut Geißler
Weiberwirtschaft eG
Target audience:
Social enterprise founders.
Consulting Focus / Areas of Expertise:
- Support in idea development
- Gap and resource analysis
- Identification and refinement of a business model
- Identification and refinement of an impact model
- Team development
- Networking
- Financing models and fundraising
- Community management
- Selection of appropriate legal forms and organizational structures
- Strategies for building social capital
- Social management and marketing
Languages: English, German, (French), (Italian)
Contact: Katja von der Bey
Additional Services
Consulting Services from the Social Economy Berlin Network
101LAB
Do you want your values and mission to be reflected in your infrastructure and digital strategy from the very start? Do you want a responsible and efficient digital setup? 101LAB bundles expertise in digital independence and gets you on track — human-centered, tailored and actionable:
- Focus on Usability, Open Source & Data Protection
- 100% GDPR-Compliant Digitally
- Sovereign & Independent from Big Tech
IHK Berlin
IHK Berlin now also offers orientation consulting for business start-ups in the Social Economy at the Starter Center Berlin. We are pleased that this new offering was developed in close collaboration with Social Economy Berlin.
You can book a free 15-minute online consultation. If needed, a more in-depth, paid consultation appointment can be arranged.
Requirements for participation:
- Planning a commercial activity in Berlin (excluding craft/trade activities)
- The activity is not freelance
- The company has not yet been founded
- A social objective is the primary focus
Website: IHK Berlin Einstiegsberatung
Koordinierungsstelle für Kreislaufwirtschaft, Energieeffizienz und Klimaschutz im Betrieb (KEK)
The “Koordinierungsstelle für Kreislaufwirtschaft, Energieeffizienz und Klimaschutz im Betrieb” (KEK) supports the identification and implementation of energy efficiency, resource conservation and climate protection measures. From information and awareness-raising in initial consultations to exchange and networking formats, through to detailed SME consulting and individual company workshops, KEK offers a versatile and flexible range of services to best meet your needs.
The free and provider-neutral support services can be used by small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), associations and nonprofit organizations (e.g. foundations) based in Berlin.
Consulting Focus Areas / Topics:
- Circular Economy, Energy Efficiency & Climate Protection Consulting
- On-Site Consulting by Energy Advisors (Detailed SME Consulting)
- Individual Workshops
- Group Workshops
- Basic & Funding Consulting
- Online Events & Network Building
Further information on KEK’s support services and consulting examples can be found at: https://www.berlin.de/service-energieeffizienz-kreislaufwirtschaft/
KEK is a collaborative support initiative of the Berlin Senate Department for Economic Affairs, Energy and Enterprise and the Berlin Senate Department for Mobility, Transport, Climate Protection and the Environment.
Platform Coops eG
Platform Coops eG advises founding teams and common-good enterprises on cooperative ways of doing business: from inclusive business models and joint corporate governance, to the steps for establishing democratic corporate forms, impact measurement, and climate-friendly practices.
As a pioneer in the cooperative digital economy, the team can share best practices and experiences from a global network of socially and cooperatively run organizations, creating significant innovation impact in Germany. Topics such as cooperative business succession and Web3 organizations are also addressed.
Website: Platform Coops eG
Social Impact gGmbH
Free Retreats & Consulting for Purpose-Driven Organizations!
Do you want to strengthen your team, develop your organization further, or sharpen your growth strategy—but lack the budget for external consulting?
Then the Scale for Good Retreats are just what you need!
What to expect:
- Multi-day retreats with interactive workshops in Flieth-Stegelitz
- Strategic guidance from experienced social impact coaches
- Exchange with other purpose-driven organizations
- Free participation through funding
Retreat Overview:
- 14–17 October 2025 | Scaling
All information & registration can be found HERE
The Scale for Good project is made possible through funding from ESF+ Germany and the Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Climate Action.
SIGU Plattform
The platform for social innovation and purpose-driven enterprises provides information, support services, and networking opportunities for social enterprises and founders across Germany.
Plattform für Soziale Innovationen & Gemeinwohlorientierte Unternehmen
Consulting Services for Berlin’s Social Economy
Humanitarian Logistics Organisation e.V.
Tools for Impact Instead of Overhead: As a social business, you want to grow, measure your impact, and operate efficiently – without getting lost in a jungle of tools. Humanilog offers an integrated digital solution specifically for social entrepreneurial organizations.
Whether it’s accounting, ERP, CRM, or impact measurement, Humanilog combines technical infrastructure with purpose-driven consulting. Modular, scalable, and values-based.
Learn more and get a free consultation today.
EquiNet
EquiNet offers practical consulting and workshop formats for social enterprises, start-ups and organizations in the Social Economy that want to structurally anchor Diversity, Equity & Inclusion (DEI). Using an intersectional approach, we support the reflection of existing structures and the development of concrete, actionable measures.
Offerings:
- Short Consultations & DEI Office Hours
- Workshops on Inclusive Organizational Development & Leadership
- Practice-Oriented Toolkits
- Exchange & Networking Formats
The target group includes in particular socially oriented enterprises and BIPOC entrepreneurs.
Further information can be found here.
Contact at Social Economy Berlin
Your contact person at Social Economy Berlin regarding startup consulting is:
Alexander Behm
Project Associate, TechNet
alexander.behm@socialeconomy.berlin
+49 30 46 988 227
The free and professional pre-startup and startup consulting, as well as follow-up support services, are part of a reliable support infrastructure for the Social Economy in Berlin. The startup consulting provided within this project is continuously analyzed and evaluated to ensure its long-term continuation.
Information for Advisory Institutions
The services offered by Social Economy Berlin are aimed at (prospective) founders in the field of the Social Economy. In addition, we raise awareness among business development institutions about the impact mechanisms and specific needs of social enterprises in order to improve framework conditions in Berlin in the long term. To this end, we offer seminars and workshops on topics related to the Social and Solidarity Economy as well as social entrepreneurship for interested participants.
Are you interested in further information on (startup) consulting for social enterprises?
Please feel free to contact us at: info@socialeconomy.berlin