Preparing for your meeting at the Agentur für Arbeit Kassel
Two fillable PDFs to help you prepare for your meeting with the placement officer in Kassel — 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
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 Kassel — the largest city in North Hesse (Nordhessen) with around 197,000 inhabitants on the river Fulda, a central pole of the North Hesse economic region, with an established research and academic landscape (the University of Kassel, the Fraunhofer IEE and the Science Park Kassel) — your chances are good if your application is professionally prepared.
In Kassel, ALG I recipients often found in services, science- and craft-related fields — the environment around the University of Kassel and the Science Park Kassel attracts research and technology start-ups. For your application, the qualified expert body (fachkundige Stelle) is, depending on your venture, the IHK Kassel-Marburg (Kurfürstenstraße 9) or the Handwerkskammer Kassel. 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 Kassel?
- 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 Kassel
The Gründungszuschuss is a discretionary benefit. The Agentur für Arbeit Kassel decides at its own discretion. Applications are mainly rejected when the business plan, financial plan or viability certificate (Tragfähigkeitsbescheinigung) is not convincing or the application comes too late — a professional application makes the difference.
3. How much money do you receive?
Example calculation for Kassel
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 Kassel
The Gründungszuschuss is applied for at the Agentur für Arbeit (Federal Employment Agency) — in Kassel that is:
Agentur für Arbeit Kassel
Address: Lewinskistraße 6, 34127 Kassel
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 Kassel
A key requirement for the Gründungszuschuss is the fachkundige Stellungnahme (expert opinion) on the viability of your venture. In Kassel, depending on the type of start-up, the IHK Kassel-Marburg (commercial ventures) or the Handwerkskammer Kassel (skilled crafts) is responsible. The Agentur für Arbeit accepts opinions from:
| Qualified expert body | Address | Phone |
|---|---|---|
| IHK Kassel-Marburg (Chamber of Industry and Commerce) | Kurfürstenstraße 9, 34117 Kassel | 0561 7891-0 (start-up advice) |
| Handwerkskammer Kassel (Chamber of Skilled Crafts) | Scheidemannplatz 2, 34117 Kassel | 0561 7888-0 |
| 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 applications fail
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 Kassel
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 Kassel-Marburg, Handwerkskammer Kassel 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 Kassel.
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 — WIBank
The Gründungszuschuss covers your living costs in the start-up phase. To finance investments, in Kassel the WIBank comes into play — the development bank of Hesse. Unlike the Gründungszuschuss from the Agentur für Arbeit, these are loans and grants for your company:
| Programme | What for |
|---|---|
| Hessen-Mikrodarlehen (WIBank micro-loan) | 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, applied for via a cooperation partner (IHK, HWK or business development agency) |
| Hessen-Kapital (WIBank) | Equity and mezzanine financing for growth-oriented ventures in Hesse |
| KfW ERP-Gründerkredit StartGeld (nationwide) | Up to €200,000 (of which up to €80,000 for working capital) via your house bank — in Kassel e.g. the Kasseler Sparkasse or a regional cooperative bank |
Why this matters for your application
Anyone planning IB 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 Kassel-Marburg, Kurfürstenstraße 9) wants to see for the viability certificate. One document, three uses: Agentur für Arbeit, WIBank and your house bank.