The International Bund (IB) Mitte gGmbH für Bildung und Soziale Dienste is part of the Internationaler Bund Group. With its association and its companies it is one of the biggest Social Enterprises for youth, social and educational work in Germany. The acceptance of social responsibility and the community involvement are integral parts of the business activities of the IB since its foundation in 1949. More than 15.000 employees in 700 facilities and offices in 300 locations all over the world are helping each year around 350.000 children, youngsters, adults and seniors in the professional and personal life planning regardless of their religion and geographical origin. In addition to its employees, in the frame of the international consulting activities IB has access to a database of consultants with more than 10.000 professionals worldwide. IB has more than 70 successful years of project management experience. The main clients of the IB are the German Federal Government, ministries, subordinate agencies and municipalities.
Internationally IB works on behalf of the European Union (EU), the German Agency for International Cooperation (GIZ) and the World Bank. The IB is a founding member and a member of several European networks, such as EVBB, EVTA, EBD, DARE, Caravan 2000, YES Forum, Solidar etc. and it has extensive contacts with social and educational institutions in Europe and worldwide. The registered seat of the IB Group and all its associations and companies is in Frankfurt am Main, whereas the regional management and administration is located in Chemnitz. The IB Group has offices, foundations and spin-offs in China, Georgia, Poland, and Turkey. All measures of IB meet the requirements of the European Foundation for Quality Management (EFQM). The portfolio of the IB is divided into three major areas:
- Social Work: Assistance, counselling and guidance are needed in many life situations; the offers of the IB are aimed for children, youngster, adults, seniors and families. The orientation issues in our complex society, but also the material poverty, lack of life assurance, social exclusion and other difficult life situations often require tailored offers of professional social work for individual life situations. International projects with more than 200 partners in more than 60 countries (Mobility projects and counselling services) are currently carried out.
- Education and employment: Education and qualification represent basic prerequisites for the individual life assurance, personal development and social development. For all education programs, IB is not limited only to the placement of necessary vocational skills. The goal is rather to promote the personality and the development of key competencies. In its 130 day care centres (kindergartens), 96 schools (primary, secondary and vocational) and 2 Universities IB practices an approach focusing on the skills and competences of the individual learners offering access to alternative educational training initiatives e.g. providing an dual approach in order to combine theoretical knowledge and practical use for a better understanding or involving specialists and experts (medical/psychological staff) individually in the educational process.
- Building bridges: IB is committed, in cooperation with its international partners to contribute to youth and adult education and to assist actively in solving social problems providing custom-fit offers. Educational seminars, internships, volunteering and exchange of professionals take centre stage in the international educational assignment of IB. Being actively engaged in international networks and together with international partners IB plays an important role to support initiatives towards an self-determined life of people with and without disabilities and supports through joint efforts developments of inclusion to improves the life of people individual life situations in several countries. IB's Vision is: Strengthening being human
