The voucher for startup coaching, explained.
If you are looking for work in Germany and want to become self-employed, the Agentur für Arbeit or the Jobcenter can finance coaching. This overview explains the procedure in plain English and refers to the official information of the Federal Employment Agency (in German). It comes from my consulting practice and may be passed on.
What it is about
The activation and placement voucher, „Aktivierungs- und Vermittlungsgutschein“ or AVGS for short, is a benefit under section 45 of the Third Book of the German Social Code (SGB III). With it you can take part in a programme that prepares you for self-employment. The Agentur für Arbeit or the Jobcenter covers the costs of the programme within the approved scope.
Important, right at the start. There is no legal entitlement to the voucher. It is a discretionary benefit: your placement officer decides on each case individually.
Who can generally be considered
- You are registered as unemployed, as a jobseeker, or are at risk of unemployment, for example after a dismissal during the notice period
- You are seriously pursuing the goal of becoming self-employed
Receiving benefits is not a requirement. Whether you receive unemployment benefit (Arbeitslosengeld) or citizen's income (Bürgergeld) mainly decides who is responsible for you: the Agentur für Arbeit or the Jobcenter. Whether the requirements are met in your case and coaching makes sense is decided by your placement officer.
If you have already resigned or been dismissed, you can register as a jobseeker early and do not have to wait until the employment ends.
The procedure, step by step
Register as a jobseeker. With the Agentur für Arbeit or the Jobcenter, depending on which office is responsible for you.
Appointment with the placement officer. Describe your project. It helps if you can already say what you are planning and why you need support for it.
The officer's decision. The officer decides whether a voucher is issued, for what scope and for what period.
Choose the programme and the provider. With the voucher you choose a suitable programme yourself, run by a training provider approved under AZAV, the German accreditation regulation for employment promotion. Whether a particular coach can be assigned, you clarify with the provider before redeeming the voucher.
Wait for confirmation and approval. The provider confirms that its approved programme matches your voucher. You then inform your placement officer and wait for the approval notice. Only start once the approval is in writing.
Coaching. The provider invoices the agency. If your placement officer has approved your participation in writing beforehand, the programme costs you nothing. Travel and childcare costs are clarified separately before the start.
My role in this
To be clear: I am not a training provider. The programme is run by a provider approved under AZAV, which holds the accreditation and invoices the agency. I am the coach who works with you.
In practice this means: if you want to work with me, we clarify in the first call how that is possible, and I take care of the coordination with the provider. Before you redeem the voucher, the provider confirms that I can be assigned.
Common misunderstandings
Will I get the voucher if I meet the requirements?
Not automatically. The requirements are necessary but not sufficient. The officer decides at their discretion whether the programme makes sense in your case.
Can I choose my coach?
You choose the programme, and with it the provider, yourself with the voucher. Whether you get a particular person as your coach within a provider is up to the provider. Ask there directly before redeeming the voucher.
Do I have to pay in advance?
Not for the programme within the scope of the voucher; the provider invoices the agency or the Jobcenter. If you are asked for a payment anyway, ask exactly what it is for, and if in doubt speak to your placement officer.
What happens if I decide not to become self-employed after all?
Coaching can also lead to the well-founded decision not to start a business. Reaching that conclusion before the start is cheaper than after. What it means for the ongoing programme, you clarify with the provider and the agency.
Do I need to speak German?
Not for the coaching with me; it can take place entirely in English. Appointments at the agency and official documents are generally in German. Documents for German authorities are prepared in German, and we go through them together so you know exactly what you are submitting.
How you best prepare the conversation with your placement officer depends on your personal situation. That is why we discuss it in a one-to-one call.
Status of this page: October 2026. Binding is the information of the Federal Employment Agency on programmes with a provider (in German).