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How it works

Four stages, one launch.

From a first call to a running business in about four months, with the coaching paid through a voucher if the Arbeitsagentur approves it. Here is the whole path, in order.

  1. Today

    Fit Call

    Twenty minutes: your situation, your timing, the next step.

  2. Weeks 1–3

    Voucher

    You ask the Arbeitsagentur; we prepare the conversation with you.

  3. About 12 weeks

    The program

    Validation, business plan, financial model, admin set up.

  4. Launch

    Your business

    Grant application submitted, first customers in sight.

Your dates

Two dates, and you know your deadlines.

The day you learned your job ends and your last day under contract decide when you must register. Enter both; the dates stay in your browser.

Enter both dates to see your deadlines.

Dates for orientation. The Arbeitsagentur decides, and your Bescheid states your real dates.

The Arbeitsagentur steps

Five steps, and the order matters.

3 monthsbefore your contract ends: register as job-seeking (arbeitsuchend) with the Arbeitsagentur. Online, by phone or in person, the day you get your notice.
3 daysafter you learn your job ends, if that comes sooner than three months. Same registration. Late usually costs a one-week Sperrzeit, a week without benefit.
150 daysof Arbeitslosengeld left on the day you apply for the Gründungszuschuss. With fewer, the grant cannot be applied for; count back from the end date in your Bescheid.

Deadlines from the SGB III. Enter your dates above to see yours.

Tick what you have done. The next open step is marked, and your browser remembers it; nothing is sent anywhere.

  1. What to do

    Online at arbeitsagentur.de, by phone or in person. Do it the day you get notice; the sooner of the two deadlines counts.

    Registering late usually means a one-week Sperrzeita block without unemployment benefit.

  2. What to do

    Eligibility depends on your contributions, not your nationality: usually 12 months of insured work in Germany within the last 30. A permit tied to one employer does not block it.

    The decision letter, your Bescheid, states the amount and the end date. You will need both later.

  3. What to do

    Name the type of coaching, not a provider. The German sentence is below; in the Fit Call we prepare the conversation with you.

    If you are asked how many units you need, the Hours Guide → gives you a number and a reason.

    The voucher is discretionary; your caseworker decides. A clear plan makes it easier to say yes.

  4. What to do

    The offer names the coaching and the number of units. Approval usually takes a few weeks.

    Nothing starts before the written approval; sessions held earlier are not covered.

  5. What to do

    You need at least 150 days of benefit left on the day you apply, a full-time business that ends your unemployment, and proof of your skills.

    The grant is discretionary; your caseworker decides. The business plan and the financial model from the program are what the expert body reviews.

What to say to your caseworker

One sentence does the job.

Say that you plan to start a business and that you want founder coaching through an AVGS. Name the type of coaching, not a provider, and ask for the voucher for a Maßnahmea measure: what the Arbeitsagentur calls a funded course or coaching under § 45 SGB III.

If you are asked how many units you need, the Hours Guide → gives you a number and a reason. In the Fit Call we prepare the whole conversation with you, in English and in German.

Say this in your first appointment

Ich möchte mich selbstständig machen und bitte um einen Aktivierungs- und Vermittlungsgutschein (AVGS) für ein Gründungscoaching nach § 45 SGB III.

“I want to become self-employed and ask for an activation and placement voucher for founder coaching under § 45 SGB III.”

If you are on a visa

Two things to clarify before you plan.

Ask an immigration lawyer

Self-employment may need permission from the Ausländerbehördethe foreigners' office first (§ 21 AufenthG); a Blue Card or a work permit does not include it by default. EU, EEA and Swiss citizens and holders of a Niederlassungserlaubnissettlement permit need no permission.

If your permit is tied to work, you must tell the Ausländerbehörde within 2 weeks of learning that your job ends (§ 82 AufenthG). The permit does not lapse by itself.

What this means for you is a question for an immigration lawyer or your Ausländerbehörde, not for this site. What to ask them →

Questions

What people ask about the process.

Can I get this while I am still employed?

Only if your job is ending: notice received or a contract that runs out. Register as job-seeking first, then ask for the voucher.

What if I quit to start my business?

Usually a Sperrzeita block of up to 12 weeks without unemployment benefit and at least a quarter less benefit overall. Starting a business does not count as a good reason to quit, and the Sperrzeit can push you below the 150 days the grant needs. Read the quit-or-wait guide → before you decide.

How long does the approval take?

A few weeks is usual. The coaching starts only once the approval is in writing, so ask early.

Is it online?

Yes, live 1:1 video sessions. Online coaching is allowed as long as it is live and synchronous.

Does the caseworker have to say yes?

No. The voucher is discretionary. A clear plan, a concrete request and the provider's offer make it easier to say yes.

What happens after the program?

You launch. An alumni circle is free; monthly accountability sessions are an optional paid extra.

Find out where you are on the path.

A few questions, no email needed. You get one of three answers and the next step for each.

Check if you qualify