SMartDe eG

SMartDe eG (also styled Smart Cooperative or Smart Genossenschaft) is a German registered cooperative headquartered in Berlin that provides social security and administrative infrastructure for freelancers and collectives. It is the German arm of the international SMart cooperative network, which originated in Belgium in the late 1990s and expanded to France, Italy, Austria, Spain, Sweden and other European countries. SMartDe was established to bring the same model to Germany, where self-employed workers often face irregular income, unpaid invoices and gaps in social insurance. The cooperative's core proposition is simple: members remain independent in their professional work but become employees of the cooperative. Smart takes over invoicing, payment reminders, and the payment of social security contributions and taxes, and pays members a regular salary regardless of whether their clients have paid on time. This converts the financial and legal uncertainty of solo self-employment into a predictable employment relationship, while preserving the freedom to choose projects and clients. The model is aimed at people working in education, management consulting, marketing, IT and other service sectors, as well as at collectives that want a shared legal and administrative umbrella. Beyond payroll and administration, SMartDe positions itself as a community. Members gain access to workshops, info-sessions and training on work-related topics, and the cooperative promotes networking and cooperation among its members. It also cooperates with other cooperatives in Germany and internationally, in line with the sixth cooperative principle of cooperation among cooperatives. All profits are reinvested into expanding the cooperative's services rather than distributed to outside investors. Governance follows cooperative principles: the organization is member-owned, with a board and management team that includes co-directors and heads of finance and operations. Publicly listed team members have included Magdalena Ziomek and Alicja Möltner as Co-Directors and Members of the Board, Marius Le as Head of Finance, and Marie Reiter as Head of Operations and Director of Smart Bildungswerk. The cooperative has received recognition in Germany, including first place in the Transformation category of the Berlins Soziale Unternehmen 2022 awards, reflecting its positioning as a socially transformative enterprise. SMartDe operates primarily in Germany but is part of a wider European movement of SMart cooperatives that share methodology, branding and mutual support. Its website and member portal are bilingual (German and English), and it recruits members through online info-sessions followed by individual consultations. The cooperative's stated mission is to improve working conditions for the self-employed and to promote social fairness, making the world of work more equitable and improving freelancers' financial and social security in the long term.

SMartDe eG is the German member of the SMart cooperative network, a European movement that began in Belgium in the late 1990s. The original SMart (SMartFr / SMartBe) was created to solve a structural problem: freelancers and artists often earn irregularly, wait months for payment, and struggle to access social security. The cooperative solution was to employ the freelancer, invoice clients on their behalf, and pay a regular salary, while the worker retained professional independence. Over the following two decades the model spread across Europe, with national cooperatives established in France, Italy, Austria, Spain, Sweden and elsewhere. SMartDe was founded to bring this model to Germany, where the number of solo self-employed and platform workers had grown substantially and where the legal and social insurance framework can be difficult for freelancers to navigate. The German cooperative operates under the legal form of an eingetragene Genossenschaft (eG), a registered cooperative, which gives it a member-owned governance structure and a mandate to serve members rather than outside shareholders. SMartDe's service model is built around employment. A freelancer or collective joins the cooperative, brings in client orders, and is then hired by Smart. Smart handles invoicing, payment reminders, and the payment of social security contributions and taxes, and pays the member a fixed salary on a regular schedule. Because the cooperative absorbs the risk of late or unpaid client invoices, members gain predictable income. The cooperative also provides a member portal, workshops, info-sessions and training, and it promotes networking among members. Governance and management are cooperative in character. The organization is led by co-directors and a board, with functional heads for finance and operations. Publicly listed team members have included Magdalena Ziomek and Alicja Möltner as Co-Directors and Members of the Board, Marius Le as Head of Finance, and Marie Reiter as Head of Operations and Director of Smart Bildungswerk. The cooperative states that all profits flow into the expansion of its services. SMartDe has also sought to position itself within the broader social economy. In 2022 it took first place in the Transformation category of the Berlins Soziale Unternehmen awards, which recognize social enterprises in Berlin. The cooperative emphasizes cooperation with other cooperatives in Germany and worldwide, citing the sixth cooperative principle, "Cooperation among Cooperatives." It operates bilingually in German and English and recruits members through online info-sessions followed by individual consultations. As part of the international SMart network, it shares methodology and branding with sister cooperatives while adapting to German labor, tax and social security law.

• 2022

  SMartDe takes first place in the Transformation category at the Berlins Soziale Unternehmen awards.

• 2016

  SMartDe eG is established in Germany as the German member of the SMart cooperative network.

A solidarity-based, member-owned cooperative offering socially transformative employment and administrative services that give freelancers and collectives the security of a salary with the freedom of self-employment.

• Employment with Smart

  Full-time, part-time or mini-job employment for freelancers and collectives, with Smart handling administration.

• Invoicing and payment reminders

  Smart invoices clients and follows up on payments on behalf of members.

• Social security and tax administration

  Smart pays social security contributions and taxes for employed members.

• Stable salary

  Members receive regular income regardless of when or whether clients pay.

• Smart Portal

  Online portal for member registration and administration.

• Workshops, info-sessions and training

  Community events and training on work-specific topics for members.

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2. 2About - Smart Genossenschaftsmartde.coop
3. 3SMartDe eG - Wikidatawikidata.org