Start Your Business for Free with AVGS Coaching in Hamburg

That depends on your benefit. If you receive ALG I, the Employment Agency in Hamburg is responsible (Kurt-Schumacher-Allee 16, 20097 Hamburg (St. Georg); phone 0800 4555500). If you receive basic income support (ALG II), your local Jobcenter Hamburg is responsible. In both cases your caseworker decides on the AVGS. In-person visits are only possible by appointment; we prepare you flexibly online for the conversation.

You can find an official list of AZAV-certified providers in the KURSNET of the Federal Employment Agency (Bundesagentur für Arbeit). We, UW Unternehmensweg GmbH, are an AZAV-certified provider (provider certificate Z-000392-2, area 1) based in Leverkusen that offers AVGS programs nationwide. Our programs are delivered entirely online, flexibly and without travel. We offer two programs: “Businessweg” (Z-000482-2) for start-up coaching and “JobWeg” (Z-001366-3) for applicant & job coaching.

The approval time depends on your caseworker and the current workload of the relevant Hamburg office. It typically takes 2–4 weeks from application to approval. For well-prepared applications with a clear rationale and a viable concept, the approval rate is considerably higher. We prepare you for the conversation with your caseworker, online and at flexible times that suit you. The Employment Agency’s hotline is 0800 4555500, and you can reach the team.arbeit.hamburg ServiceCenter at 040 2485 1444.

In 2025, the Statistikamt Nord counted 20,716 business registrations in Hamburg, most of them in the districts of Mitte (5,125) and Wandsbek (4,152). According to figures from the Startup-Verband (German Startups Association), 212 new start-ups were founded in Hamburg in the first half of 2026; these are not official statistics. Startup Port advises students and researchers from ten universities and research institutions, and hei. advises everyone else with free initial advice. During Start-up Week from November 16 to 22, 2026, the events include the Female Entrepreneurship Week of Startup Port and HAW Hamburg (Hamburg University of Applied Sciences) and several formats by hei.

The Jobcenter assigns responsibility by neighborhood. Altona (Behringstraße 122) covers Bahrenfeld, Ottensen, Altona-Nord, Altona-Altstadt, and Sternschanze, and Osdorf (Achtern Born 135) covers the Elbvororte (the western suburbs along the Elbe) and Lurup. Eimsbüttel (Troplowitzstraße 7) and Lokstedt (Hugh-Greene-Weg 2) share the district of Eimsbüttel, and Nord (Krohnstieg 45) is responsible for the area from Eppendorf to Langenhorn. In the east, there are Barmbek (Oberaltenallee 40), Bramfeld (Bramfelder Straße 121), Wandsbek (Friedrich-Ebert-Damm 160), and Rahlstedt (Meiendorfer Straße 205d), as well as Billstedt (Billstedter Hauptstraße 44-48), Mümmelmannsberg (Feiningerstraße 14), and Bergedorf (Ludwig-Rosenberg-Ring 41). Since October 7, 2026, Mitte (Norderstraße 103) has also covered St. Pauli. South of the Elbe, Wilhelmsburg (Mengestraße 19), Harburg (Blohmstraße 14), and Süderelbe (Neugrabener Markt 5) are responsible. If in doubt, the location search on the Jobcenter’s website or the ServiceCenter at 040 2485 1444 can help.

The fastest way is the agency’s online appointment booking. Since July 20, 2026, all seven Hamburg locations have given personal appointments only this way, and the agency promises an available appointment within three working days; the meeting is also possible by video. You can reach the agency by phone at 0800 4555500 (Mon–Thu 8:00 a.m.–6:00 p.m., Fri 8:00 a.m.–2:00 p.m.). Without an appointment, you can come to the entrance areas on Tuesday mornings, and in urgent cases to the service unit at Nagelsweg 9. Mention starting a business and the AVGS right when you book so that your specialist is prepared.

€50 including VAT; you receive the invoice after the meeting. The Handelskammer only issues it for commercial start-ups in Hamburg that belong to the chamber; for the skilled crafts and freelance professions, you need a different qualified body. You submit the cover letter and the agency’s form, your CV with certificates, a business plan of 10 to 20 pages, your private financial needs, a revenue plan or profitability forecast for 24 months, a monthly liquidity plan for 24 months, and a capital requirements and financing plan. Allow at least 14 days for processing. Which other qualified bodies exist is described on our page Start-up grant in Hamburg.

The district office where your business is located is responsible. The easiest way is the online service “Gewerbeanzeige” (business notification) on HamburgService, without a form or signature, for example with the online ID function of your ID card. The Handelskammer also accepts registrations of businesses that do not require a permit, and the Chamber of Crafts accepts those of craft businesses. Registration costs €25, for partnerships €25 per partner; the confirmation usually arrives within two weeks. Register at the same time as you start, and then send the questionnaire for tax registration to your tax office via ELSTER within one month.

Not the Hamburg offices, because all three cities belong to Schleswig-Holstein. For Norderstedt and Pinneberg, the Employment Agency Elmshorn is responsible, with offices at Rathausallee 92 in Norderstedt and at Damm 25 in Pinneberg. Ahrensburg belongs to the Employment Agency Bad Oldesloe, office at Bogenstraße 28-28a. The Jobcenter is then also one in Schleswig-Holstein, and Hamburg state programs such as the IFB loans require a business based in Hamburg. Our start-up coaching with an AVGS takes place online, so you can also take part from Norderstedt, Pinneberg, or Ahrensburg.

Primarily ALG I recipients whose caseworker sees a need for counseling get an AVGS. People receiving basic income support (ALG II) can also receive an AVGS in certain cases. Issuing the AVGS is at the caseworker’s discretion; there is no legal entitlement to start-up coaching. Important: you must apply for the AVGS BEFORE the counseling begins, otherwise later funding is not possible.

With an AVGS voucher: 100% funded after written approval, so you pay nothing at all. The costs are billed entirely through your activation voucher. If you do not receive an AVGS, there are alternative routes: BAFA-funded consulting with a reduced personal contribution, or self-pay consulting. In the free initial consultation we clarify which route fits your situation.

AVGS coaching comprises up to 120 teaching units (UE), spread over 2–6 months. The exact number is stated in your AVGS voucher. We align the schedule flexibly with your availability, for example 2–3 sessions per week of 90 minutes, online via Zoom or Teams. Content: business plan, financial plan, marketing, and preparing the start-up grant application.

The AVGS is a COUNSELING voucher for coaching (for example start-up coaching). The start-up grant is direct FINANCIAL support for your living costs during the start-up phase (6 months of ALG I plus €300 per month). The two can be combined: AVGS coaching can be exactly the way to prepare your start-up grant application professionally. The process, qualified bodies, and deadlines for Hamburg can be found on our page Start-up grant in Hamburg.