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 Kassel or Jobcenter Kassel.
Table of Contents
- 1. What is an AVGS and who is eligible?
- 2. AVGS in Kassel — where to apply
- 3. What happens during the coaching?
- 4. Which training provider is responsible in Kassel?
- 5. Kassel's founder landscape — universities and contact points
- 6. Common mistakes when applying for the AVGS
- 7. How we support you in Kassel
The AVGS (Aktivierungs- und Vermittlungsgutschein — German Activation and Mediation Voucher) is the entry point into self-employment for many founders in Kassel. As the largest city in North Hesse (Nordhessen), with around 197,000 inhabitants and a central pole of the North Hesse economic region, it offers a diverse founder scene — from research spin-offs of the University of Kassel and the Fraunhofer Institute for Energy Economics and Energy System Technology (Fraunhofer IEE), through the Science Park Kassel on the university campus (the region's central incubator and co-working hub), to services, skilled crafts and technology ventures across North Hesse. With the AVGS, you can receive your founder coaching completely free of charge.
Kassel: science tradition meets founder spirit
Kassel's start-up scene is strongly shaped by its research backbone and by the innovation cluster around the Science Park Kassel on the university campus (co-working, incubator space and the CoCreationLab for early-stage teams). If you found a business here, you can combine the AVGS coaching in a targeted way with the university structures of the University of Kassel and its start-up service, the UniKasselTransfer incubator (UNIKAT). 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 Kassel — where to apply
Depending on which benefit you receive, a different authority is responsible for your AVGS application. Important for Kassel: the city is an independent urban district (kreisfreie Stadt), so the Jobcenter (German welfare/job placement office) for the city is the Jobcenter Kassel — not the separate Jobcenter Landkreis Kassel for the surrounding district.
| Your situation | Responsible authority | Address |
|---|---|---|
| ALG I | Agentur für Arbeit Kassel | Lewinskistraße 6, 34127 Kassel Phone: 0800 4 5555 00 (toll-free) |
| Bürgergeld | Jobcenter Kassel | Kölnische Straße 35, 34117 Kassel Phone: 0561 701-0 |
Good to know: Kassel is an independent city
The Jobcenter Kassel serves the city's Bürgergeld recipients from its main office at Kölnische Straße 35 plus several district branches. The surrounding district (Landkreis Kassel) is served by the separate Jobcenter Landkreis Kassel — 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 Hesse and the Kassel–Göttingen 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 Kassel), IHK Kassel-Marburg (Chamber of Industry and Commerce) / Handwerkskammer Kassel (Chamber of Crafts), tax office
- Funding: Gründungszuschuss (German start-up grant), BAFA (Federal Office for Economic Affairs and Export Control), WIBank (Hessen-Mikrodarlehen, Hessen-Kapital), 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 Kassel?
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. Kassel's founder landscape — universities and contact points
Kassel offers a dynamic founder landscape — from academic research to life sciences. As a founder, you benefit from:
Universities and founder centres in Kassel
| Institution | Founder program |
|---|---|
| University of Kassel — UniKasselTransfer incubator (UNIKAT) (Science Park Kassel) | Central point of contact for university start-ups — from idea to founding, with Gründungsberatung, EXIST application coaching, workshops and a business-plan competition |
| Science Park Kassel (university campus) | The region's central founder and innovation centre — co-working desks, incubator space and the CoCreationLab (around 40 start-ups on site) |
| Fraunhofer IEE | The Fraunhofer Institute for Energy Economics and Energy System Technology — a research partner for energy, grid and technology founders in Kassel |
| StartHub Hessen | The Hesse-wide start-up network — connects Kassel founders (via the Science Park) to accelerators, investors and events across the state |
Local contact points and networks
- Science Park Kassel — the region's central founder and innovation centre on the university campus, with co-working, incubator space, the CoCreationLab and regular founder events
- Wirtschaftsförderung Region Kassel GmbH (regional economic development) — advises on business locations, site questions and new founders across the city and district of Kassel
- IHK Kassel-Marburg (Industrie- und Handelskammer Kassel-Marburg — Chamber of Industry and Commerce) — Kurfürstenstraße 9, 34117 Kassel, founder consulting: 0561 7891-0 · a full Chamber of Industry and Commerce serving Kassel and North Hesse
- Handwerkskammer Kassel (Chamber of Crafts) — Scheidemannplatz 2, 34117 Kassel, business consulting: 0561 7888-0 · responsible for skilled crafts in the Kassel region
- WIBank (development bank of Hesse) — the Hessen-Mikrodarlehen (a micro-loan of €3,000 up to €35,000, term up to 7 years, up to 100% of eligible costs, no standard bank collateral required) and Hessen-Kapital / the Gründungs- und Mittelstandsförderprogramm Hessen (equity and mezzanine financing for growth ventures); WIBank funding is applied for 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 Kassel
Business Start EU (BAFA No. 205985) supports founders from Kassel and the wider North Hesse 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 Kassel; 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 Kasseler 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.