- AVGS coaching
- AVGS at the Employment Agency & Jobcenter
AVGS at the Employment Agency & Jobcenter
AVGS at the Employment Agency & Jobcenter: Am I Entitled?
A legal entitlement under § 45 para. 7 SGB III exists only to a placement voucher (Vermittlungsgutschein) for private job placement: if you receive unemployment benefit (Arbeitslosengeld) and have been unemployed for at least six weeks in the last three months. The agency approves start-up coaching at its discretion.
Legal Entitlement Only to the Placement Voucher (§ 45 para. 7 SGB III)
The Activation and Placement Voucher (Aktivierungs- und Vermittlungsgutschein, AVGS) has its legal basis in § 45 SGB III (measures for activation and vocational integration). A legal entitlement arises under § 45 para. 7 SGB III only for the placement voucher (paragraph 4 sentence 3 no. 2) if you receive unemployment benefit and, within the last three months, were unemployed for at least six weeks and were not placed in a job.
For start-up coaching as a MAT (measure at a provider) under § 45 para. 1 sentence 1 no. 4 SGB III, there is no legal entitlement; the agency selects the program at its discretion. Saying that start-up coaching is “guaranteed” would therefore be wrong; in practice, however, the voucher is regularly issued when the rationale is good.
Employment Agency or Jobcenter: Which One Is Responsible?
Employment Agency (Agentur für Arbeit; ALG I): If you receive unemployment benefit I (ALG I), the funding runs directly through § 45 SGB III.
Jobcenter (basic income support / ALG II; Grundsicherungsgeld, formerly Bürgergeld): Here the funding comes through § 16 para. 1 SGB II in conjunction with § 45 SGB III. So even if you receive basic income support, you can get an AVGS for start-up coaching.
The three types of programs, MAT, MPAV, and MAG, and how they differ are explained in the AVGS voucher guide. For how to submit the application in practice, see Apply for the AVGS.
Sources
- § 45 SGB III – gesetze-im-internet.de
- BA (Federal Employment Agency) – technical directives (Fachliche Weisungen), MAT (PDF)
- BA (Federal Employment Agency) – technical directives (Fachliche Weisungen), MPAV (PDF)
Facts as of June 2026.
Frequently Asked Questions About Entitlement & Responsibility
Do I have a legal entitlement to an AVGS?
Under § 45 para. 7 SGB III, a legal entitlement to a placement voucher for private job placement arises if you receive unemployment benefit and, within the last three months, were unemployed for at least six weeks and were not placed in a job. For start-up coaching as a MAT there is no legal entitlement; the agency decides at its discretion. In practice, the voucher is regularly issued when the rationale is good.
What is the difference between the Employment Agency and the Jobcenter?
The Employment Agency is responsible for people receiving ALG I (funding directly through § 45 SGB III). The Jobcenter looks after people receiving basic income support (ALG II); here the funding runs through § 16 para. 1 SGB II in conjunction with § 45 SGB III. In both cases, the AVGS is possible.
What types of programs are there?
Three: MPAV (private job placement), MAG (measure at an employer), and MAT (measure at a provider). Start-up coaching is a MAT. You will find details and how the types differ in the AVGS voucher guide.
What does “discretionary benefit” (Ermessensleistung) mean in practice?
For start-up coaching, the agency selects the specific program at its due discretion. It is therefore not obliged to approve exactly the start-up coaching you want. A clear, well-reasoned preparation for the conversation is decisive.
Related service
Entry allowance: start-up funding from basic income support
If you receive basic income support, you do not qualify for the start-up grant (Gründungszuschuss), but you can qualify for the entry allowance (Einstiegsgeld) under § 16b SGB II. We will check with you which route is open to you.
About the author
Pavel Deuble
Start-up consultant & BAFA-registered business consultant · Owner of Unternehmenswerk
Pavel Deuble is the owner of unternehmenswerk and managing director of UW Unternehmensweg GmbH. He is listed in the BAFA register of consultants (consultant ID 191790); the AVGS programs run through the AZAV-certified UW Unternehmensweg GmbH (provider approval Z-000392-2). Since 2018 more than 750 business plans, 4.88 out of 5 on ProvenExpert from 92 reviews.
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