AVGS coaching brochure to download
All key information about AVGS founder coaching summarised in a compact format — for printing or for your meeting with your case worker at the Agentur für Arbeit Schwerin / Jobcenter Schwerin.
Table of Contents
- 1. What is an AVGS and who is eligible?
- 2. AVGS in Schwerin — where to apply
- 3. What happens during the coaching?
- 4. Which training provider is responsible in Schwerin?
- 5. Schwerin's founder landscape — state capital with all MV funding authorities on site
- 6. Common mistakes when applying for the AVGS
- 7. How we support you in Schwerin
The AVGS (Aktivierungs- und Vermittlungsgutschein — German Activation and Placement Voucher) is the entry point into self-employment for many founders in the state capital of Schwerin. As the seat of the Mecklenburg-Vorpommern (MV) state government, the state parliament and numerous state authorities — and in particular the funding bodies GSA and LFI — Schwerin offers short distances to all MV funding programmes. With the AVGS you can receive your founder coaching completely free of charge.
Schwerin: state capital with all MV funding authorities on site
Schwerin is the smallest state capital in Germany (99,687 inhabitants) — and that is precisely the locational advantage for Schwerin founders: the GSA mbH (approval body for the MV Gründerstipendium founder scholarship and the Mikrodarlehen MV micro-loan) and the Landesförderinstitut M-V (LFI — MV state development bank) are based directly in Schwerin — short administrative paths to all state-level funding. Close to higher education: Hochschule Wismar (RSI/StartUpYard, ~25 km), TGZ Schwerin/Wismar (incubator), InnovationPort Wismar with IHK consultation days. The AVGS coaching market here is even thinner than in Rostock — anyone starting out with a clear concept faces little competition and can genuinely differentiate via state-level funding connections.
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 Schwerin — where to apply
Depending on which benefit you receive, a different authority is responsible for your AVGS application. Practical advantage for Schwerin: the Agentur für Arbeit Schwerin and the Jobcenter Schwerin share the same building (Am Margaretenhof 14-16, 19057 Schwerin). For the surrounding district of Ludwigslust-Parchim, however, a separate Jobcenter is responsible — if your residence is in the city of Schwerin, always use the Jobcenter Schwerin.
| Your situation | Responsible authority | Address |
|---|---|---|
| ALG I | Agentur für Arbeit Schwerin | Am Margaretenhof 14-16, 19057 Schwerin Phone: 0800 4 55 55 00 (toll-free) |
| Bürgergeld | Jobcenter Landeshauptstadt Schwerin (Jobcenter of the state capital Schwerin) | Am Margaretenhof 14-16, 19057 Schwerin Phone: 0800 4 5555 00 · Public services number 115 |
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 Schwerin and the Westmecklenburg region
- Financial plan: capital requirements, revenue forecast, liquidity planning
- Business plan: bank-ready documentation for funding applications
- Administrative steps: trade registration, IHK/HWK (Chambers of Commerce and Skilled Crafts), tax office
- Funding: Gründungszuschuss (German start-up grant), BAFA (Federal Office for Economic Affairs and Export Control), MV Gründerstipendium (MV founder scholarship), Mikrodarlehen MV (MV micro-loan)
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 Schwerin?
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. Schwerin's founder landscape — state capital with all MV funding authorities on site
Schwerin is the smallest state capital in Germany (99,687 inhabitants with primary residence, as of 31 Dec 2024) and is shaped by a different founder scene than the maritime Rostock — here, public administration, the insurance industry, the healthcare sector (Helios Kliniken as a major private employer) and established industry (plastics processing, mechanical engineering, brewing) dominate. The real locational advantage: all MV funding authorities are based directly in Schwerin — short distances, quick clarifications.
Universities and founder centres in the Schwerin area
Schwerin itself has no state university. The integrated higher-education ecosystem for Schwerin founders:
| Institution | Founder programme |
|---|---|
| Hochschule Wismar — Robert-Schmidt-Institut (RSI) | ~25 km from Schwerin; StartUpYard, idea competitions „Inspired" / „IdeaCamp", mentoring up to 5 years after graduation |
| InnovationPort Wismar | Innovation and start-up hub; IHK Schwerin offers founder consultation days here |
| Technologie- und Gewerbezentrum Schwerin/Wismar (TGZ — Technology and Business Centre) | Incubator + coworking + office space for young companies; close cooperation with HS Wismar and FHM Schwerin |
| BTZ of the HWK Schwerin (Training Centre of the Schwerin Chamber of Skilled Crafts) | Foundation seminars on starting a business + specialist seminars + coaching for skilled-crafts start-ups |
| GründerMV / Region Westmecklenburg | State-wide start-up community + Westmecklenburg regional overview for coworking spaces and networks |
Local contact points and funding authorities in Schwerin
- IHK zu Schwerin (Industrie- und Handelskammer — Schwerin Chamber of Industry and Commerce) — Graf-Schack-Allee 12 (Ludwig-Bölkow-Haus), 19053 Schwerin, Phone: 0385 5103-0 · fachkundige Stelle (qualified expert body) for the Gründungszuschuss
- Handwerkskammer Schwerin (Schwerin Chamber of Skilled Crafts) — Friedensstraße 4a, 19053 Schwerin, Phone: 0385 7417-0 · qualified expert body for skilled-crafts start-ups + BTZ start-up seminars
- GSA mbH (Gesellschaft für Struktur- und Arbeitsmarktentwicklung — Company for Structural and Labour-Market Development) — based in Schwerin · approval body for the MV Gründerstipendium (founder scholarship of €1,200–1,400/month for innovative start-ups) and the Mikrodarlehen MV (micro-loan of up to €25,000)
- Landesförderinstitut M-V (LFI — MV State Development Bank) — Werkstraße 213, 19061 Schwerin · GRW investment funding (Joint Task „Improvement of Regional Economic Structure"), other state programmes
- Fachgruppe Wirtschaft und Tourismus, Stadt Schwerin (Department of Economy and Tourism, City of Schwerin) — support for existing local businesses, settlement support, signposting function (no city-level grants of its own)
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 (Tragfähigkeitsbescheinigung — German business viability certificate later required for the Gründungszuschuss) appears doubtful
- Wrong Jobcenter: in Schwerin the rule is: ALG I → Agentur für Arbeit Schwerin, Bürgergeld → Jobcenter Schwerin (both at Am Margaretenhof 14-16). For the district of Ludwigslust-Parchim, a separate Jobcenter is responsible.
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 Schwerin
Business Start EU (BAFA No. 205985) supports founders from Schwerin and the wider Mecklenburg-Vorpommern 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 — including from Mecklenburg-Vorpommern. We do not have an on-site office in Schwerin; 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, MV Gründerstipendium (for innovative start-ups), bank meeting
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.