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 Karlsruhe-Rastatt or Jobcenter Stadt Karlsruhe.
Table of Contents
- 1. What is an AVGS and who is eligible?
- 2. AVGS in Karlsruhe — where to apply
- 3. What happens during the coaching?
- 4. Which training provider is responsible in Karlsruhe?
- 5. Karlsruhe's founder landscape — universities and contact points
- 6. Common mistakes when applying for the AVGS
- 7. How we support you in Karlsruhe
The AVGS (Aktivierungs- und Vermittlungsgutschein — German Activation and Mediation Voucher) is the entry point into self-employment for many founders in Karlsruhe. As the second-largest city in Baden-Württemberg, with around 310,000 inhabitants and one of Germany's strongest IT and technology hubs, it offers a diverse founder scene — from research spin-offs of the Karlsruhe Institute of Technology (KIT), a German University of Excellence, and its KIT-Gründerschmiede (one of the largest university start-up centers in Germany), through the high-tech community around the CyberForum e.V. and the Technologiefabrik Karlsruhe incubator, to the many software, engineering and service ventures across the TechnologyRegion Karlsruhe. With the AVGS, you can receive your founder coaching completely free of charge.
Karlsruhe: science tradition meets founder spirit
Karlsruhe's start-up scene is strongly shaped by its research backbone and by its IT and engineering cluster. If you found a business here, you can combine the AVGS coaching in a targeted way with the university structures of the Karlsruhe Institute of Technology (KIT) and its KIT-Gründerschmiede, the Hochschule Karlsruhe (HKA) xLab founding network, and the CyberForum e.V. high-tech network (1,200+ members). 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 Karlsruhe — where to apply
Depending on which benefit you receive, a different authority is responsible for your AVGS application. Important for Karlsruhe: the city is an independent urban district (kreisfreie Stadt), so the Jobcenter (German welfare/job placement office) for the city is the Jobcenter Stadt Karlsruhe — not the separate Jobcenter Landkreis Karlsruhe for the surrounding district.
| Your situation | Responsible authority | Address |
|---|---|---|
| ALG I | Agentur für Arbeit Karlsruhe-Rastatt | Brauerstraße 10, 76135 Karlsruhe Phone: 0721 823-2222 · 0800 4 5555 00 (toll-free) |
| Bürgergeld | Jobcenter Stadt Karlsruhe | Brauerstraße 10, 76135 Karlsruhe Phone: 0721 8319-0 |
Good to know: Karlsruhe is an independent city
The Jobcenter Stadt Karlsruhe serves the city's Bürgergeld recipients from its main office at Brauerstraße 10 (76135 Karlsruhe, Tel. 0721 8319-0). The surrounding rural district (Landkreis Karlsruhe) is served by the separate Jobcenter Landkreis Karlsruhe (Tel. 0721 823-3333) — 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 Baden-Württemberg and the TechnologyRegion Karlsruhe
- 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 Karlsruhe), IHK Karlsruhe (Chamber of Industry and Commerce) / Handwerkskammer Karlsruhe (Chamber of Crafts), tax office
- Funding: Gründungszuschuss (German start-up grant), BAFA (Federal Office for Economic Affairs and Export Control), L-Bank (Start-up BW Pre-Seed, Gründungsfinanzierung), 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 Karlsruhe?
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. Karlsruhe's founder landscape — universities and contact points
Karlsruhe offers a dynamic founder landscape — from academic research to life sciences. As a founder, you benefit from:
Universities and founder centres in Karlsruhe
| Institution | Founder program |
|---|---|
| KIT-Gründerschmiede (Karlsruhe Institute of Technology) | One of the largest university start-up centers in Germany — supports spin-offs from idea to pre-seed funding, EXIST application coaching; KIT hosts 5,500+ international students |
| Hochschule Karlsruhe (HKA) — xLab | The founding network of Karlsruhe University of Applied Sciences; start-up coaching and EXIST grant support for students and researchers |
| CyberForum e.V. | One of Europe's regionally active high-tech networks (1,200+ members) — events, mentoring, investor contacts and a start-up accelerator |
| Technologiefabrik Karlsruhe (Haid-und-Neu-Straße) | One of Germany's established start-up incubators; office space, consulting and a network for young tech and science companies, next to the FZI Forschungszentrum Informatik |
Local contact points and networks
- Technologiefabrik Karlsruhe — one of Germany's established start-up incubators (Haid-und-Neu-Straße), with office space, events and a strong tech and engineering network
- Wirtschaftsförderung Stadt Karlsruhe (City of Karlsruhe economic development office) — Zähringerstraße 65a, 76133 Karlsruhe, Phone: 0721 133-0 · advises on business locations, site questions and new founders
- IHK Karlsruhe (Industrie- und Handelskammer Karlsruhe — Chamber of Industry and Commerce) — Lammstraße 13-17, 76133 Karlsruhe, founder consulting: 0721 174-0 · a full Chamber of Industry and Commerce serving Karlsruhe and the Middle Upper Rhine region
- Handwerkskammer Karlsruhe (Chamber of Crafts) — Friedrichsplatz 4-5, 76133 Karlsruhe, business consulting: 0721 1600-0 · responsible for skilled crafts in the Karlsruhe region
- L-Bank (Landeskreditbank Baden-Württemberg) (state development bank, headquartered in Karlsruhe) — Start-up BW Pre-Seed (state contribution up to €160,000 per company plus an accredited co-investor, for innovative ventures with a Baden-Württemberg connection) and start-up/growth financing (Gründungsfinanzierung); pre-seed applications are filed via an accredited support partner 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 Karlsruhe
Business Start EU (BAFA No. 205985) supports founders from Karlsruhe and the wider Baden-Württemberg 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 Karlsruhe; 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 Sparkasse Karlsruhe)
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.