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 Frankfurt am Main or Jobcenter Frankfurt am Main.
Table of Contents
- 1. What is an AVGS and who is eligible?
- 2. AVGS in Frankfurt am Main — where to apply
- 3. What happens during the coaching?
- 4. Which training provider is responsible in Frankfurt am Main?
- 5. Frankfurt's founder landscape — universities and contact points
- 6. Common mistakes when applying for the AVGS
- 7. How we support you in Frankfurt am Main
The AVGS (Aktivierungs- und Vermittlungsgutschein — German Activation and Mediation Voucher) is the entry point into self-employment for many founders in Frankfurt am Main. As the fifth-largest city in Germany with around 760,000 inhabitants, the banking metropolis on the Main offers a diverse founder scene — from an international banking and financial hub (ECB, Deutsche Bank, Commerzbank, KfW), through fintech and tech start-ups around the TechQuartier (Hesse's largest start-up hub), to research spin-offs of the Goethe University (Goethe Unibator) and the Frankfurt University of Applied Sciences (Institute for Entrepreneurship). With the AVGS, you can receive your founder coaching completely free of charge.
Frankfurt am Main: financial centre meets founder spirit
Frankfurt's start-up scene is strongly shaped by its role as an international financial centre and by the technology cluster around the TechQuartier (Hesse's largest start-up hub, in the ECB quarter, with a fintech focus). If you found a business here, you can combine the AVGS coaching in a targeted way with the university structures of the Goethe University Frankfurt (Goethe Unibator) and the Frankfurt University of Applied Sciences (Institute for Entrepreneurship). At the same time, the local AVGS coaching market in Frankfurt 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 Frankfurt am Main — where to apply
Depending on which benefit you receive, a different authority is responsible for your AVGS application. Important for Frankfurt: the city is an independent urban district (kreisfreie Stadt), so the Jobcenter (German welfare/job placement office) for the city of Frankfurt is the Jobcenter Frankfurt am Main — not the separate Jobcenters of the surrounding rural districts (Main-Taunus-Kreis in Hofheim, Hochtaunuskreis in Bad Homburg).
| Your situation | Responsible authority | Address |
|---|---|---|
| ALG I | Agentur für Arbeit Frankfurt am Main | Fischerfeldstraße 10-12, 60311 Frankfurt am Main Phone: 0800 4 5555 00 (toll-free) |
| Bürgergeld | Jobcenter Frankfurt am Main | Mainzer Landstraße 183, 60327 Frankfurt am Main Phone: 069 2171-2222 |
Good to know: Frankfurt am Main is an independent city
The Jobcenter Frankfurt am Main serves Frankfurt's Bürgergeld recipients from its main office at Mainzer Landstraße 183 (Niederrad) plus several district branches. The surrounding areas (Main-Taunus-Kreis based in Hofheim, Hochtaunuskreis based in Bad Homburg, Offenbach am Main with its own Jobcenter, Wetterau and Main-Kinzig-Kreis) 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 the Rhine-Main region
- 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 Frankfurt), IHK Frankfurt am Main (Frankfurt Chamber of Industry and Commerce) / Handwerkskammer Frankfurt-Rhein-Main (Chamber of Skilled Crafts), tax office
- Funding: Gründungszuschuss (German start-up grant), BAFA (Federal Office for Economic Affairs and Export Control), WIBank (Wirtschafts- und Infrastrukturbank Hessen — Hessen-Mikrodarlehen up to €35,000), 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 Frankfurt am Main?
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. Frankfurt's founder landscape — universities and contact points
Frankfurt am Main offers a dynamic founder landscape — from international finance to applied research. As a founder, you benefit from:
Universities and founder centres in Frankfurt am Main
| Institution | Founder program |
|---|---|
| Goethe University Frankfurt — Goethe Unibator | Central start-up centre of the Goethe University: consulting, incubator program, EXIST application coaching, coworking on the Riedberg campus; focus on STEM, economics and computer science |
| Frankfurt University of Applied Sciences — Institute for Entrepreneurship | University of applied sciences start-up centre: consulting for students and graduates, incubation programs; focus on engineering and applied sciences |
| TechQuartier (Platz der Einheit 2, 60327 Frankfurt am Main) | Hesse's largest start-up hub in the ECB quarter; fintech focus, coworking, networking events and accelerator programs |
| EBS Universität für Wirtschaft und Recht (Oestrich-Winkel/Wiesbaden) | Private business university in the Rhine-Main region with a focus on finance and entrepreneurship; relevant for students who want to found in Frankfurt |
Local contact points and networks
- TechQuartier — the central Frankfurt start-up network (techquartier.com), with events and accelerator programs
- Wirtschaftsförderung Frankfurt GmbH (City of Frankfurt economic development office) — Hanauer Landstraße 182d, 60314 Frankfurt am Main, Phone: 069 212-01 · advises on business locations, site questions and new founders
- IHK Frankfurt am Main (Industrie- und Handelskammer Frankfurt am Main — Frankfurt Chamber of Industry and Commerce) — Börsenplatz 4, 60313 Frankfurt am Main, founder consulting: 069 2197-0, email info@frankfurt-main.ihk.de · responsible for the IHK district of Frankfurt (city of Frankfurt plus Hochtaunuskreis and Main-Taunus-Kreis)
- Handwerkskammer Frankfurt-Rhein-Main (Chamber of Skilled Crafts) — Bockenheimer Landstraße 21, 60325 Frankfurt am Main, business consulting: 069 97172-0, email info@hwk-rhein-main.de · responsible for all skilled crafts in the wider Rhine-Main region (Frankfurt plus Offenbach, Wetterau, Main-Kinzig, Hochtaunus and Main-Taunus)
- WIBank (Wirtschafts- und Infrastrukturbank Hessen) (Hessian state development bank) — Hessen-Mikrodarlehen (loan of up to €35,000, without going through a bank, backed by a guarantee from the state of Hesse) and Hessen-Kapital II (open equity capital of up to €1 million); the application must be filed BEFORE the project starts. Nationally, KfW-StartGeld provides up to €125,000.
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 Frankfurt am Main
Business Start EU (BAFA No. 205985) supports founders from Frankfurt am Main 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 Frankfurt; 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 Frankfurter Sparkasse)
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.