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 Halle (Saale) or Jobcenter Halle (Saale).
Table of Contents
- 1. What is an AVGS and who is eligible?
- 2. AVGS in Halle (Saale) — where to apply
- 3. What happens during the coaching?
- 4. Which training provider is responsible in Halle (Saale)?
- 5. Halle (Saale)'s founder landscape — universities and contact points
- 6. Common mistakes when applying for the AVGS
- 7. How we support you in Halle (Saale)
The AVGS (Aktivierungs- und Vermittlungsgutschein — German Activation and Mediation Voucher) is the entry point into self-employment for many founders in Halle (Saale). As the largest city in Saxony-Anhalt (Sachsen-Anhalt), with around 240,000 inhabitants and a central pole of the Halle–Leipzig economic region, it offers a diverse founder scene — from research spin-offs of the Martin-Luther-Universität Halle-Wittenberg (MLU) and the Leopoldina (the German National Academy of Sciences, seated in Halle), through the technology and science cluster on the Weinberg Campus (the second-largest technology park in eastern Germany), to chemistry and life-sciences ventures across the wider Central German region. With the AVGS, you can receive your founder coaching completely free of charge.
Halle (Saale): science tradition meets founder spirit
Halle's start-up scene is strongly shaped by its research backbone and by the science and technology cluster on the Weinberg Campus (the second-largest technology park in eastern Germany, focused on natural sciences, pharmaceuticals and materials research). If you found a business here, you can combine the AVGS coaching in a targeted way with the university structures of the Martin-Luther-Universität Halle-Wittenberg (MLU) — whose Transfer & Entrepreneurship Office even runs an English-language "Startup Academy" — and the TGZ Halle (Technologie- und Gründerzentrum). 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 Halle (Saale) — where to apply
Depending on which benefit you receive, a different authority is responsible for your AVGS application. Important for Halle (Saale): the city is an independent urban district (kreisfreie Stadt), so the Jobcenter (German welfare/job placement office) for the city is the Jobcenter Halle (Saale) — not the separate Jobcenter Saalekreis for the surrounding district.
| Your situation | Responsible authority | Address |
|---|---|---|
| ALG I | Agentur für Arbeit Halle (Saale) | Schopenhauerstraße 2, 06114 Halle (Saale) Phone: 0800 4 5555 00 (toll-free) |
| Bürgergeld | Jobcenter Halle (Saale) | Neustädter Passage 6, 06122 Halle (Saale) Phone: 0345 6822-802 |
Good to know: Halle (Saale) is an independent city
The Jobcenter Halle (Saale) serves the city's Bürgergeld recipients from its main office at Neustädter Passage 6 plus several district branches. The surrounding district (Saalekreis) is served by the separate Jobcenter Saalekreis (seat in Merseburg) — 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 Saxony-Anhalt and the Halle–Leipzig 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 Halle (Saale)), IHK Halle-Dessau (Chamber of Industry and Commerce) / Handwerkskammer Halle (Saale) (Chamber of Crafts), tax office
- Funding: Gründungszuschuss (German start-up grant), BAFA (Federal Office for Economic Affairs and Export Control), Investitionsbank Sachsen-Anhalt (IB — ego.-START, IB-Gründungsdarlehen), KfW ERP-Gründerkredit 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 Halle (Saale)?
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. Halle (Saale)'s founder landscape — universities and contact points
Halle (Saale) offers a dynamic founder landscape — from academic research to life sciences. As a founder, you benefit from:
Universities and founder centres in Halle (Saale)
| Institution | Founder program |
|---|---|
| Martin-Luther-Universität Halle-Wittenberg (MLU) — Transfer & Entrepreneurship Office (Weinbergweg 23) | Central point of contact for university start-ups — from idea to pre-seed funding, EXIST application coaching; notably runs an English-language "Startup Academy" for international founders |
| Univations GmbH (Weinberg Campus) | Innovation and technology-transfer promoter supporting spin-offs; together with the Scidea idea incubator |
| Weinberg Campus | The second-largest technology park in eastern Germany, focused on natural sciences, pharmaceuticals and materials research; coworking, networking events |
| TGZ Halle (Technologie- und Gründerzentrum, Weinbergweg 23) | Founder and technology centre; office space, consulting and a network for young tech and science companies in central Germany |
Local contact points and networks
- Weinberg Campus — the central Halle science and tech park (the second-largest in eastern Germany), with events and a strong natural-sciences and materials-research network
- Wirtschaftsförderung Stadt Halle (Saale) (City of Halle economic development office) — Marktplatz 1, 06108 Halle (Saale) (Stadthaus), Phone: 0345 221-0 · advises on business locations, site questions and new founders
- IHK Halle-Dessau (Industrie- und Handelskammer Halle-Dessau — Chamber of Industry and Commerce) — Franckestraße 5, 06110 Halle (Saale), founder consulting: 0345 2126-0 · a full Chamber of Industry and Commerce serving Halle (Saale) and central Saxony-Anhalt
- Handwerkskammer Halle (Saale) (Chamber of Crafts) — Gräfestraße 24, 06110 Halle (Saale), business consulting: 0345 2999-0 · responsible for skilled crafts in the Halle region
- Investitionsbank Sachsen-Anhalt (IB) (development bank of Saxony-Anhalt) — ego.-START (coaching subsidy of up to €5,400 plus a founder stipend of €2,000 per month for up to 18 months, for graduates and researchers with innovative ventures) and IB-Gründungsdarlehen (start-up loans from €10,000 up to €500,000); 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 Halle (Saale)
Business Start EU (BAFA No. 205985) supports founders from Halle (Saale) and the wider central Germany 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 Halle (Saale); 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 Saalesparkasse)
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.