Preparing for your meeting at the Agentur für Arbeit Augsburg
Two fillable PDFs to help you prepare for your meeting with the placement officer in Augsburg — the start-up project overview (Gründungsvorhaben-Übersicht) and the official BA template for the expert opinion (fachkundige Stellungnahme). They complement the bank-ready business plan we prepare for you. Note: the forms are in German, as required by the Agentur für Arbeit.
Table of contents
- 1. What is the Gründungszuschuss?
- 2. Requirements — who qualifies in Augsburg?
- 3. How much money do you receive?
- 4. Where to apply in Augsburg
- 5. The qualified expert body in Augsburg
- 6. Why 90% of applications are rejected
- 7. Step by step to an approved application
- 8. Regional follow-up funding — LfA Förderbank Bayern
The Gründungszuschuss (start-up subsidy) is the most important funding for ALG I recipients on the path into self-employment. It is aimed at internationals, skilled workers and expats in Germany who are currently drawing unemployment insurance benefit (ALG I) from prior insured employment. In Augsburg — the third-largest city in Bavaria (Bayern) with around 300,000 inhabitants on the Lech, the historic "Fuggerstadt", with an established industrial and academic landscape (University of Augsburg, Augsburg University of Applied Sciences, KUKA, MAN) — your chances are good if your application is professionally prepared.
In Augsburg, ALG I recipients often found in tech- and craft-related fields — the environment around KUKA, MAN and the Innovationspark attracts engineering and mechatronics start-ups. For your application, the qualified expert body (fachkundige Stelle) is, depending on your venture, the IHK Schwaben (Stettenstraße 1+3) or the Handwerkskammer für Schwaben. A cleanly derived financial plan is the crux with both.
1. What is the Gründungszuschuss?
The Gründungszuschuss under § 93 SGB III is a subsidy from the German Federal Employment Agency (Bundesagentur für Arbeit) for unemployed people who want to become self-employed on a full-time basis. It consists of two phases:
The two phases
| Phase | Duration | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Phase 1: Base funding | 6 months | Your ALG I + €300/month for social insurance |
| Phase 2: Build-up phase | 9 months (on request) | €300/month for social insurance |
2. Requirements — who qualifies in Augsburg?
- ALG I entitlement: You currently receive Arbeitslosengeld I (unemployment insurance benefit — not Bürgergeld!)
- Remaining entitlement: At least 150 days of remaining ALG I entitlement at the time of founding
- Full-time: The self-employment must be your main occupation (at least 15 hours/week)
- Expert opinion: Viability confirmed by the IHK, HWK or a BAFA-listed consultant
- Personal suitability: Professional and personal requirements met
Important: no legal entitlement — the reality in Augsburg
The Gründungszuschuss is a discretionary benefit. The Agentur für Arbeit Augsburg decides at its own discretion. Around 90% of all applications — in Augsburg too — are rejected or never even submitted; a professional application makes the difference.
3. How much money do you receive?
Example calculation for Augsburg
Assumption: Your ALG I is €1,400/month
Phase 1 (6 months):
(€1,400 + €300) x 6 = €10,200
Phase 2 (9 months):
€300 x 9 = €2,700
Total: €12,900
The higher your previous salary was, the higher your Gründungszuschuss will be — so the total can rise well above the figure in this example.
4. Where to apply in Augsburg
The Gründungszuschuss is applied for at the Agentur für Arbeit (Federal Employment Agency) — in Augsburg that is:
Agentur für Arbeit Augsburg
Address: Wertachstraße 28, 86153 Augsburg
Phone: 0800 4 5555 00 (free)
Online: The application can also be filed via the Federal Employment Agency portal
Important: Submit the application before you register your business (Gewerbe). The funding starts on the day of founding — there is nothing paid retroactively.
5. The qualified expert body in Augsburg
A key requirement for the Gründungszuschuss is the fachkundige Stellungnahme (expert opinion) on the viability of your venture. In Augsburg, depending on the type of start-up, the IHK Schwaben (commercial ventures) or the Handwerkskammer für Schwaben (skilled crafts) is responsible. The Agentur für Arbeit accepts opinions from:
| Qualified expert body | Address | Phone |
|---|---|---|
| IHK Schwaben (Chamber of Industry and Commerce) | Stettenstraße 1+3, 86150 Augsburg | 0821 3162-0 (start-up advice) |
| Handwerkskammer für Schwaben (Chamber of Skilled Crafts) | Siebentischstraße 52-58, 86161 Augsburg | 0821 3259-0 |
| BAFA-listed consultants | e.g. Business Start EU (BAFA no. 205985) | 06221 - 3215930 |
Our offer
As a BAFA-listed consultant, we can issue the expert opinion (fachkundige Stellungnahme) for you — based on a professional business plan that we develop together with you.
6. Why 90% of applications are rejected
The most common reasons for rejection:
- Weak financial plan: Unrealistic figures, no clear derivation, no scenarios
- Viability not demonstrated: "Can this person make a living from it?" — if unclear, the application is rejected
- Business plan too thin: No clear target group, no unique selling point
- Negative expert opinion: Doubts from the IHK carry over to the Agentur für Arbeit
- Remaining entitlement too low: Fewer than 150 days of ALG I entitlement
The Agentur asks itself:
Can this person make a living from it? Are the figures realistic? Have they thought of everything? — If you cannot answer these questions clearly, your application will be rejected.
7. Step by step to an approved application in Augsburg
Step 1: Consultation with your placement officer
Week 1Announce your intention to start a business and ask for the application documents.
Step 2: Create the business plan and financial plan
Weeks 2-4A professional business plan with a complete financial plan — the heart of your application.
Step 3: Obtain the expert opinion
Weeks 4-5The IHK Schwaben, Handwerkskammer für Schwaben or a BAFA-listed consultant reviews the viability of your venture.
Step 4: Submit the application
Weeks 5-6Submit your complete file to the Agentur für Arbeit Augsburg.
Step 5: Approval and founding
Weeks 6-10Once approved: register your business (Gewerbe) and get started. The subsidy begins on your founding date.
8. Regional follow-up funding — LfA Förderbank Bayern
The Gründungszuschuss covers your living costs in the start-up phase. To finance investments, in Augsburg the LfA Förderbank Bayern comes into play — the development bank of the Free State of Bavaria. Unlike the Gründungszuschuss from the Agentur für Arbeit, these are loans and equity capital for your company:
| Programme | What for |
|---|---|
| Startkredit Existenzgründer (start-up loan) | Investment and working-capital loans up to €7.5 million, with the LfA's liability exemption, via your house bank |
| Bayern Kapital | Equity capital for innovative growth companies — a fit for the tech scene at the Innovationspark Augsburg |
| KfW-StartGeld (nationwide) | Up to €125,000 via your house bank — in Augsburg e.g. Stadtsparkasse Augsburg or Augusta-Bank Raiffeisen-Volksbank |
Why this matters for your application
Anyone planning LfA or KfW financing alongside the Gründungszuschuss needs a bank-ready business plan with a financial plan anyway — the same basis that the qualified expert body (IHK Schwaben, Stettenstraße 1+3) wants to see for the viability certificate. One document, three uses: Agentur für Arbeit, LfA Förderbank Bayern and your house bank.