In about ten minutes you create a personal, well-reasoned request letter for an AVGS voucher (Aktivierungs- und Vermittlungsgutschein) to your Jobcenter or Agentur für Arbeit – with all details on the provider, the course and the AZAV approval. The questionnaire is translated for your convenience; the letter itself is in German. You sign it on screen and save it as a PDF.
- 1 About you
- 2 Your situation
- 3 Reasoning
- 4 Details & signature
Your request is ready
A copy of your request has reached us. Whether a voucher is issued is decided by the authority case by case.
You want to start your own business while on unemployment benefit or Bürgergeld and prepare it properly? An AVGS voucher (Aktivierungs- und Vermittlungsgutschein) for start-up coaching makes that possible – if the request is convincing. With the generator above you build it step by step: your business idea, your strengths, what is still missing before you start, all provider details and your signature. The result is a finished PDF for the Jobcenter or the Agentur für Arbeit.
Legal basis: preparing for self-employment
Start-up coaching with an AVGS is based on § 45 (1) sentence 1 no. 4 SGB III – measures preparing you for self-employment (Heranführung an eine selbständige Tätigkeit). For the Jobcenter this applies via § 16 (1) SGB II. The voucher is issued for a course with an AZAV-approved provider.
The AVGS for start-up coaching must be issued before you register your business (Gewerbe) or start working self-employed. Only register once the voucher and the preparation are in place.
What strong reasoning for start-up coaching contains
Your adviser needs to see that self-employment is a realistic path for you – and that you still lack specific foundations for a responsible start. The generator therefore builds your reasoning in this order:
- Starting situation: your current position and previous work.
- Why self-employment: industry experience, visible demand, no suitable jobs, contacts.
- Business idea: what you offer, to whom, and how far the idea has come.
- Existing resources: qualifications, equipment, first interested customers, contacts.
- Gaps: market and competitor analysis, business plan, financial plan, marketing, legal form, tax, insurance.
- Goal: a sound decision on whether to start and – if the check is positive – a viable start that ends benefit dependency for good.
Why honesty makes your request stronger
A good start-up request does not promise guaranteed success. It shows that you want to check responsibly whether your idea will pay off – before you take out loans or sign contracts. That is exactly what preparing for self-employment is about. The generator therefore says it plainly: if the check turns out negative, the preparation protects you from an unprofitable start. This argument works because it serves both the authority’s interests and yours.
The course in the request: Dein Gründungsweg
The letter refers to «Dein Gründungsweg – Individuelles Gründungscoaching online» by Vitavia Akademie UG, an AZAV-approved provider (certificate W-26-26826, GUTcert GmbH). The enclosed offer lists all twelve weeks – from testing the idea, market, legal form and pricing to the business plan, financial and liquidity planning and a start-up roadmap.
| Item | Details |
|---|---|
| Legal basis | § 45 (1) sentence 1 no. 4 SGB III (Jobcenter: in conjunction with § 16 (1) SGB II) |
| Scope | up to 120 UE of 45 minutes, 10 UE per week over 12 weeks |
| Format | one-to-one online coaching via Zoom, anywhere in Germany |
| Outcome | tested business idea, business plan with financial section, personal start-up roadmap |
More on content and coach: Dein Gründungsweg.
After the coaching: possible start-up funding
A business plan with a financial section is often required for further support. People receiving unemployment benefit can, under certain conditions, apply for the Gründungszuschuss. People receiving Bürgergeld can apply for Einstiegsgeld and grants for business assets of up to €5,000 (§ 16c SGB II). The authority decides on all of these case by case – the coaching prepares you, it does not guarantee them.
FAQ on the AVGS request for start-up coaching
Do I need a finished business idea?
No. An early idea is fine if you can describe what you want to offer and why you are suited to it. Pick the matching stage in the generator – honest beats polished.
I have already registered my business. Is it too late?
Usually yes, because the voucher has to be issued before registration. Talk to us before you apply so we can look at your situation together.
Does the request work for the Jobcenter?
Yes. If you receive Bürgergeld, the generator adds the reference to § 16 (1) SGB II and addresses the request to the Jobcenter.
Is this the same as applying for the Gründungszuschuss?
No. The AVGS pays for the preparation through coaching. Gründungszuschuss or Einstiegsgeld are separate benefits you apply for later.
Information as of October 2026
Describe your idea, check the reasoning, sign – and send your AVGS request today.
Prepare your AVGS requestLegal notice: the generator helps with wording; it is not legal or tax advice. Only the competent Agentur für Arbeit or Jobcenter decides on issuing an AVGS and on start-up funding, case by case. More: Impressum and Datenschutz.
Sources
- Bundesagentur für Arbeit – Aktivierungs- und Vermittlungsgutschein (AVGS): arbeitsagentur.de
- SGB III, § 45 – activation and integration measures: gesetze-im-internet.de
- SGB III, § 93 – Gründungszuschuss: gesetze-im-internet.de
- SGB II, § 16b – Einstiegsgeld: gesetze-im-internet.de
- SGB II, § 16c – support for the self-employed: gesetze-im-internet.de