AVGS Coaching Brochure — Download
All key information about the AVGS one-to-one coaching, ready to print or hand to your caseworker at the Agentur für Arbeit Augsburg or Jobcenter Augsburg-Stadt.
Table of Contents
- 1. What is an AVGS and who is eligible?
- 2. AVGS in Augsburg — where to apply
- 3. What happens during the coaching?
- 4. Which training provider is responsible in Augsburg?
- 5. Augsburg's founder landscape — universities and contact points
- 6. Common mistakes when applying for the AVGS
- 7. How we support you in Augsburg
The AVGS (Aktivierungs- und Vermittlungsgutschein — German Activation and Mediation Voucher) is the entry point into self-employment for many founders in Augsburg. As the third-largest city in Bavaria (Bayern), the historic Fuggerstadt with around 300,000 inhabitants offers a diverse founder scene — from a strong industrial base (MAN Energy Solutions, Premium AEROTEC, KUKA Roboter, Fujitsu), through tech start-ups around the Innovationspark Augsburg (carbon, mechatronics, fibre composites) and the TechZentrum Augsburg, to research spin-offs of the University of Augsburg (HSA_funkenwerk) and the Technische Hochschule Augsburg (THA, Startup-Service). With the AVGS, you can receive your founder coaching completely free of charge.
Augsburg: industrial tradition meets founder spirit
Augsburg's start-up scene is strongly shaped by its industrial backbone and by the technology cluster around the Innovationspark Augsburg (carbon, mechatronics, fibre composites, AI production network) and the city's own TechZentrum Augsburg. If you found a business here, you can combine the AVGS coaching in a targeted way with the university structures of the University of Augsburg (HSA_funkenwerk) and the Technische Hochschule Augsburg (THA, Startup-Service). At the same time, the local AVGS coaching market in Augsburg is thinly occupied — our strength: nationwide online support with the BAFA quality standard and full business plan expertise.
1. What is an AVGS and who is eligible?
The AVGS pursuant to § 45 SGB III (German Social Code, Book III) is a funding instrument of the Bundesagentur für Arbeit (German Federal Employment Agency). It allows you to receive professional founder coaching with 100% of the costs covered.
Eligibility for the AVGS
- ALG I: You currently receive ALG I (German unemployment insurance benefit, contribution-based), or
- Bürgergeld: You receive Bürgergeld (German basic welfare benefit since 2023, formerly ALG II)
- Intent to found: You plan to enter full-time self-employment
- Remaining entitlement: You still have sufficient remaining entitlement to benefits
- Suitability: You are personally and professionally suited for self-employment
Important: no legal entitlement
The AVGS is a discretionary benefit — you have no automatic right to it. The decision lies with your case worker. A convincing founder concept and professional preparation significantly increase your chances.
2. AVGS in Augsburg — where to apply
Depending on which benefit you receive, a different authority is responsible for your AVGS application. Important for Augsburg: the city is an independent urban district (kreisfreie Stadt), so the Jobcenter (German welfare/job placement office) for the city of Augsburg is the Jobcenter Augsburg-Stadt — not the separate Jobcenters of the surrounding rural districts.
| Your situation | Responsible authority | Address |
|---|---|---|
| ALG I | Agentur für Arbeit Augsburg | Wertachstraße 28, 86153 Augsburg Phone: 0800 4 5555 00 (toll-free) |
| Bürgergeld | Jobcenter Augsburg-Stadt | Wertachstraße 30, 86153 Augsburg Phone: 0821 3151-0 |
Good to know: Augsburg is an independent city
The Jobcenter Augsburg-Stadt serves Augsburg's Bürgergeld recipients from its main office at Wertachstraße 30 (right by Augsburg central station) plus several district branches. The surrounding areas (rural district of Augsburg, Wittelsbacher Land/Aichach-Friedberg, Donau-Ries district) are served by separate Jobcenters — so the responsible authority is not the same if you move outside the city.
The path to the AVGS — step by step
Step 1: meeting with your case worker
Day 1Inform your case worker about your intent to found a business and request a consultation about the AVGS.
Step 2: prepare your founder concept
Weeks 1-2Prepare a short summary of your business idea (1-2 pages is sufficient).
Step 3: select a coach
Week 2Choose an AZAV-certified coaching provider (AZAV is the German accreditation framework for training providers under SGB III; we cooperate with certified carrier providers).
Step 4: apply for the AVGS
Weeks 2-3Submit the application to your case worker together with the provider's Maßnahmenbeschreibung (German measure description).
Step 5: start coaching
After approvalOnce approved, coaching can start immediately — with us also fully online.
3. What happens during the coaching?
AVGS founder coaching is not a theoretical training course — it is intensive 1:1 support on your way into self-employment.
Typical coaching content
- Business model: sharpening your idea, target group, unique selling proposition
- Market analysis: competitors, market potential, positioning in Bavarian Swabia (Bayerisch-Schwaben)
- Financial plan: capital requirements, revenue forecast, liquidity planning
- Business plan: bank-ready documentation for funding applications
- Administrative steps: trade registration (Gewerbeanmeldung with the City of Augsburg), IHK Schwaben (Swabia Chamber of Industry and Commerce) / Handwerkskammer für Schwaben (Chamber of Skilled Crafts for Swabia), tax office
- Funding: Gründungszuschuss (German start-up grant), BAFA (Federal Office for Economic Affairs and Export Control), LfA Förderbank Bayern (Bavarian state development bank — Startkredit, Universalkredit), KfW-StartGeld
Number of hours
A typical AVGS founder coaching consists of 80-120 coaching units spread over several weeks to months. The exact duration depends on your individual needs.
4. Which training provider is responsible in Augsburg?
The AVGS can only be redeemed with an AZAV-certified training provider. Business Start EU cooperates with certified carrier providers who meet the formal requirements — while we, as your coach, take care of the actual content work.
Our model
We ourselves are not AZAV-certified; instead, we cooperate with established carrier providers (e.g. Starthilfe Bildungswerk GmbH). The result for you is identical: professional coaching, 100% free of charge via the AVGS — but with the BAFA quality standard that we bring as a listed consultant.
5. Augsburg's founder landscape — universities and contact points
Augsburg offers a dynamic founder landscape — from industrial engineering to applied research. As a founder, you benefit from:
Universities and founder centres in Augsburg
| Institution | Founder program |
|---|---|
| University of Augsburg — HSA_funkenwerk | Central start-up centre of the University of Augsburg: consulting, EXIST application coaching, incubator program; focus on STEM, economics and computer science |
| Technische Hochschule Augsburg (THA) — Startup-Service | University of applied sciences start-up centre: consulting for students and graduates, sandbox program; focus on engineering, applied sciences and design |
| Innovationspark Augsburg (Am Technologiezentrum 5, 86159 Augsburg) | Technology cluster for carbon, mechatronics and fibre composite materials; coworking, networking events, AI production network |
| TechZentrum Augsburg | Founder and technology centre of the City of Augsburg; office space, consulting and a network for young tech companies in Bavarian Swabia |
Local contact points and networks
- Innovationspark Augsburg — the central Augsburg tech cluster (innovationspark-augsburg.de), with events and an AI production network
- Wirtschaftsförderung Stadt Augsburg (City of Augsburg economic development office) — Maximilianstraße 4, 86150 Augsburg, Phone: 0821 324-0 · advises on business locations, site questions and new founders
- IHK Schwaben (Industrie- und Handelskammer Schwaben — Swabia Chamber of Industry and Commerce) — Stettenstraße 1+3, 86150 Augsburg, founder consulting: 0821 3162-0, email info@schwaben.ihk.de · responsible for the entire IHK district of Swabia (city of Augsburg plus all 9 rural districts of Bavarian Swabia)
- Handwerkskammer für Schwaben (Chamber of Skilled Crafts for Swabia) — Siebentischstraße 52-58, 86161 Augsburg, business consulting: 0821 3259-0, email info@hwk-schwaben.de · responsible for all skilled crafts in Bavarian Swabia (city of Augsburg plus all 9 rural districts)
- LfA Förderbank Bayern (Bavarian state development bank) — Startkredit (investment and working-capital loan of up to €7.5 million, available up to 7.5 years after founding, with a liability exemption) and Bayern Kapital (equity capital for innovative growth companies); the application must be filed BEFORE the project starts
6. Common mistakes when applying for the AVGS
The most common reasons for problems with the AVGS application:
- Applying too early: without a clear founder concept, the funding does not appear effective
- No coach selected: without a concrete provider/coach, the case worker cannot process the application
- Weak concept: if the viability of the idea appears doubtful
- Poor communication: if the case worker cannot see the benefit for your placement into work
Our advice
Come to us before you apply for the AVGS. We help you with the preparation and ensure your application meets all success criteria.
7. How we support you in Augsburg
Business Start EU (BAFA No. 205985) supports founders from Augsburg and the wider metropolitan region online, with flexible scheduling and the quality standard you can expect from a BAFA-listed consultant. Personally, I have supported over 200 founders across Germany in recent years. We do not have an on-site office in Augsburg; all consultation sessions take place by video or phone.
Our approach
- Free initial consultation: we clarify your situation, funding options and next steps
- AVGS preparation: we help you present your business idea to the case worker
- Provider matching: we connect you with a suitable AZAV-certified provider
- Coaching: intensive 1:1 support by our experienced coaches
- Follow-up perspective: Gründungszuschuss, BAFA funding, bank meeting (e.g. with the Stadtsparkasse Augsburg)
What a BAFA-listed coach brings to the table
As BAFA-listed consultants (No. 205985), we meet strict quality criteria. Over 200 business plans, €55+ million in financing volume for our clients, zero rejections due to quality issues — that is our track record.