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 Mannheim or Jobcenter Mannheim.
Table of Contents
- 1. What is an AVGS and who is eligible?
- 2. AVGS in Mannheim — where to apply
- 3. What happens during the coaching?
- 4. Which training provider is responsible in Mannheim?
- 5. Mannheim's founder landscape — universities and contact points
- 6. Common mistakes when applying for the AVGS
- 7. How we support you in Mannheim
The AVGS (Aktivierungs- und Vermittlungsgutschein — German Activation and Mediation Voucher) is the entry point into self-employment for many founders in Mannheim. As the largest city in the Rhein-Neckar metropolitan region, with around 330,000 inhabitants and a central hub of this economic region, it offers a diverse founder scene — from research spin-offs of the University of Mannheim and the ZEW – Leibniz Centre for European Economic Research, through Next Mannheim's founder centres such as the MAFINEX Technologiezentrum (one of Germany's largest technology centres), to services, skilled crafts and technology ventures across the Rhein-Neckar region. With the AVGS, you can receive your founder coaching completely free of charge.
Mannheim: science tradition meets founder spirit
Mannheim's start-up scene is strongly shaped by the University of Mannheim's business and economics research and by the innovation cluster around Next Mannheim's founder centres — the MAFINEX Technologiezentrum (technology), Cubex 41 (life science) and GIG7 (women founders), with co-working and incubator space for early-stage teams. If you found a business here, you can combine the AVGS coaching in a targeted way with the university's start-up service, the Mannheim Center for Entrepreneurship and Innovation (MCEI). 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 Mannheim — where to apply
Depending on which benefit you receive, a different authority is responsible for your AVGS application. Important for Mannheim: the city is an independent urban district (kreisfreie Stadt), so the Jobcenter (German welfare/job placement office) for the city is the Jobcenter Mannheim — not the separate Jobcenter Rhein-Neckar-Kreis for the surrounding Rhein-Neckar-Kreis.
| Your situation | Responsible authority | Address |
|---|---|---|
| ALG I | Agentur für Arbeit Mannheim | M 3 A, 68161 Mannheim Phone: 0800 4 5555 00 (toll-free) |
| Bürgergeld | Jobcenter Mannheim | Ifflandstraße 2–6, 68161 Mannheim Phone: 0621 18166-333 |
Good to know: Mannheim is an independent city
The Jobcenter Mannheim serves the city's Bürgergeld recipients from its main office at Ifflandstraße 2–6 plus several district branches. The surrounding district (Rhein-Neckar-Kreis) is served by the separate Jobcenter Rhein-Neckar-Kreis — 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 Rhein-Neckar 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 Mannheim), IHK Rhein-Neckar (Chamber of Industry and Commerce) / Handwerkskammer Mannheim (Chamber of Crafts), tax office
- Funding: Gründungszuschuss (German start-up grant), BAFA (Federal Office for Economic Affairs and Export Control), the L-Bank ("Startfinanzierung 80", Start-up BW Pre-Seed), 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 Mannheim?
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. Mannheim's founder landscape — universities and contact points
Mannheim offers a dynamic founder landscape — from academic research to life sciences. As a founder, you benefit from:
Universities and founder centres in Mannheim
| Institution | Founder program |
|---|---|
| University of Mannheim — Mannheim Center for Entrepreneurship and Innovation (MCEI) | Central point of contact for university start-ups — from idea to founding, with start-up consulting, EXIST application coaching, workshops and a strong founder network |
| MAFINEX Technologiezentrum (Next Mannheim) | One of Germany's largest technology centres — co-working desks, incubator space and mentoring for tech and IT founders |
| Cubex 41 / GIG7 (Next Mannheim) | Founder centres for life science and medical technology (Cubex 41) and for women founders (GIG7) |
| ZEW – Leibniz Centre for European Economic Research | A leading European economic-research institute based in Mannheim — a partner for data-driven and research-based founders |
| Start-up BW | The Baden-Württemberg-wide start-up network — connects Mannheim founders (via Next Mannheim) to accelerators, investors and events across the state |
Local contact points and networks
- Next Mannheim — the city's economic-development agency runs the founder centres MAFINEX (technology), Cubex 41 (life science) and GIG7 (women founders), with co-working, incubator space and regular founder events
- Wirtschaftsförderung Stadt Mannheim (city economic development, Rathaus E5) — advises on business locations, site questions and new founders across the city of Mannheim
- IHK Rhein-Neckar (Industrie- und Handelskammer Rhein-Neckar — Chamber of Industry and Commerce) — Haus der Wirtschaft, L 1, 2, 68161 Mannheim, founder consulting: 0621 1709-0 · a full Chamber of Industry and Commerce serving Mannheim and the Rhein-Neckar region
- Handwerkskammer Mannheim Rhein-Neckar-Odenwald (Chamber of Crafts) — B 1, 1-2, 68159 Mannheim, business consulting: 0621 18002-153 / -158 · responsible for skilled crafts in the Mannheim region
- L-Bank (development bank of Baden-Württemberg) — "Startfinanzierung 80" (a start-up loan with an 80% liability release for the house bank) and Start-up BW Pre-Seed (convertible-loan financing for innovative early-stage ventures); L-Bank 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 Mannheim
Business Start EU (BAFA No. 205985) supports founders from Mannheim and the wider the Rhein-Neckar region 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 Mannheim; 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 Rhein Neckar Nord)
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.