KOMPASS course · ESF Plus
Self-Employed and Self-Confident: Win Customers, Work Smart, Grow Securely
For women entrepreneurs who have been self-employed for at least two years and want to professionalize, stabilize, and strategically expand their business. Twelve modules live online, up to 90% funded through KOMPASS.
100 hours
in 12 weeks, 76 of them live
€500
your personal contribution with KOMPASS
12 modules
from positioning to sales
Online
live and throughout Germany
- For solo self-employed people with at least two years on the market
- Reviewed by a qualified body (fachkundige Stelle), provider with AZAV approval
- We support you with the application
- Free & no obligation
- Reply within 24 h
- Online and throughout Germany
up to 90%
Grant through KOMPASS
Qualifications & experience
Your project in experienced hands.
Our credentials and track record at a glance.
4.88 / 5
92 reviews on ProvenExpert
As of October 2026
750+
business plans written
Since 2018
Provider approval
AZAV-approved provider
UW Unternehmensweg GmbH, our sister company
AZAV provider approval Z-000392-2
What does this mean for you?
AVGS programs may only be delivered by approved providers. Our sister company UW Unternehmensweg GmbH, Leverkusen, takes care of this.
Our service
KfW financing support
We put together the documents for your loan application, which your house bank forwards to KfW, and prepare you for the bank meeting.
In practice: Since 2018 we have written more than 750 business plans. 99% of the start-up grant (Gründungszuschuss) applications we supported were approved (internally documented). The start-up grant is a discretionary benefit under § 93 SGB III; the Employment Agency decides on approval.
Track record & funding notes
AVGS programs through the AZAV-certified provider UW Unternehmensweg GmbH
4.88 out of 5 on ProvenExpert
Based on 92 reviews on ProvenExpert (as of October 2026).
Successfully self-employed: what to expect in this course
You have been self-employed for a few years and have satisfied customers, and yet much of it still feels like chance: orders come in waves, you set your prices by gut feeling, and accounting, social media, and organization eat up your evenings and weekends. This is exactly where the course comes in.
Over twelve weeks, you work on your own business, not on case studies. You clarify your positioning and offer, find a pricing logic you can stand behind with confidence, set up simple customer acquisition with social media and automation, and turn numbers, taxes, and tools into fixed routines. At the end, you have an annual plan with goals and reserves.
The course is designed as coaching for women entrepreneurs: mindset, visibility, and presence have the same place as marketing and finances. All sessions take place live online; in between, you put what you have learned into practice with templates and exercises.
Current status of KOMPASS (October 2026)
Qualification vouchers (Qualifizierungsschecks) are currently scarce. The program issues only a limited number per month nationwide, and according to initial information from the Federal Ministry of Labor and Social Affairs (BMAS) dated April 30, 2026, issuance is additionally restricted from May until probably the end of October 2026. This means you will not always get a voucher right away.
- Reserve your place now with no obligation. We will get in touch as soon as places become available again.
- Reserving a place is not a registration. You only register bindingly once you have the voucher, because registering before the voucher is issued rules out funding.
- Contact only one KOMPASS contact point (Anlaufstelle); the ESF Plus program also recommends this.
Learning objectives: what you can do after twelve weeks
The course combines five learning objectives that build on one another: mindset, marketing, finances, automation, and presence. Throughout, you work on your own business.
- Strengthen your self-confidence as a woman entrepreneur
- Reflect on and sharpen your business model and align it with growth
- Deepen entrepreneurial skills in structure, accounting, marketing, and AI
- Gain confidence in dealing with numbers, tools, and visibility
- Build self-directed learning skills and digital sovereignty
Business mindset
You develop your business further from a strengthened mindset as a woman entrepreneur.
Sustainable marketing
You implement viable strategies for positioning, marketing, and visibility.
Financial optimization
You optimize your financial planning and use funding purposefully.
Smart automation
You integrate AI tools and automation sensibly into your everyday work.
Effective public relations
You present yourself with confidence and address your customers in a targeted way.
Who the course is for
You do not need any prior knowledge of marketing, accounting, or AI; everything is explained in a practical way. The course is aimed at solo self-employed people who have been on the market for at least two years, employ at most one full-time equivalent, and run their self-employment as their main occupation (requirements of KOMPASS funding).
Women service providers and consultants
You position your offer more clearly and win customers in a planned way instead of by chance.
Creatives and coaches
You build visibility and stand up for your prices with confidence, without compromising yourself.
Self-employed people with a healthy respect for numbers
You turn accounting, taxes, and digital tools into fixed routines.
Women entrepreneurs with a growth plan
You develop digital products as an additional source of income and plan your next year with goals and reserves.
The course is tailored to women entrepreneurs. The coaching on marketing and mindset takes up questions that self-employed women often deal with: presenting yourself confidently, standing up for your prices, becoming visible without compromising yourself, and planning your week so that energy and results go together.
Requirements for KOMPASS funding
- You are solo self-employed and employ at most one full-time employee or the equivalent in several part-time employees.
- When the voucher is issued, you have been on the market for at least two years.
- You run your business as your main occupation, and you live and work in Germany.
- You have not received any KOMPASS funding in the last twelve months.
- You have not yet registered for the course or started it.
If you are self-employed as a side occupation, you can take part as a self-paying participant. Do you employ more than one full-time employee? Then BAFA-funded business consulting is likely a better fit. And if you are starting a business after a period of unemployment, AVGS start-up coaching (with an Activation and Placement Voucher, Aktivierungs- und Vermittlungsgutschein) may be the right choice.
Course structure: 12 modules in 12 weeks
100 hours spread over 12 weeks: 76 hours of live online instruction and 24 hours of self-study time. For each module, the live hours and the self-study time are given.
Module 1 · Situation analysis and releasing blockages (7 live hours, 2 hours of self-study)
Joint course start with an analysis of where you stand: who are you as a woman entrepreneur, what do you sell to whom, where are the sticking points? You recognize unclear structures, recurring patterns, and mental blockages, and use a structured personality-type approach (not licensed) to reflect on your thinking, your actions, and your effect on customers.
Module 2 · Target group and offer analysis (6 + 2)
What does your market need, and how does your offer fit? You analyze your existing services, simplify where it makes sense, and learn to make the benefit visible in clear language. Result: an offer that sells without confusing.
Module 3 · Positioning and ideal customers (7 + 2)
You build an authentic brand identity and a clear positioning, with templates for target customer profile, unique selling proposition, and brand core, and develop your presence without compromising yourself.
Module 4 · Money mindset and pricing (7 + 2)
You analyze your beliefs about money, develop viable pricing logic and offer structure, and practice standing up for your prices with confidence and handling objections calmly, without undercutting yourself.
Module 5 · Social media strategy (6 + 2)
Which platform fits your offer, and which content reaches your target group? You develop an editorial plan with topics, formats, and repurposing strategies.
Module 6 · Customer acquisition and automation (6 + 2)
From visibility to orders: you build simple funnels that guide prospects automatically; tools such as ManyChat or Mailerlite are introduced in a practical way. Goal: more structure, less manual work.
Module 7 · Time management and efficiency (6 + 2)
From the to-do list to a weekly structure: planning techniques, cycle-oriented organization, and focused work for more time, energy, and results.
Module 8 · Digital tools and business workflows (7 + 2)
Which tools really help in everyday work and how they work together, with examples for accounting, communication, organization, and content planning. Goal: less searching, more doing.
Module 9 · Accounting and taxes (6 + 2)
Taxes, cash-basis accounting (Einnahmenüberschussrechnung, EÜR), and revenue without panic: you learn how accounting works digitally, simply, and cleanly; tools such as Lexoffice or sevDesk are taught in practice.
Module 10 · Your field as a woman entrepreneur and annual planning (6 + 2)
Revenue and goal planning, reserve strategy, and your vision for the coming year, tied together with everything you have learned into a realistic implementation strategy.
Module 11 · Digital products and passive income (6 + 2)
You develop ideas for e-books, online courses, or templates, get to know tools and platforms for implementing them, and create a mini funnel for automated selling.
Module 12 · Learning to sell and handling objections, with co-working and Q&A (6 + 2)
You present your offers convincingly, practice sales conversations and respectful handling of objections, and use the implementation time with group coaching and feedback.
Between the live sessions, you keep working with templates and small assignments, for example on your target customer profile, your editorial plan, or your pricing logic. Week by week, this builds a toolkit that you continue to use after the course.
Fact sheet: scope, costs, and funding
All key facts at a glance. The course fee and personal contribution apply to participation with a qualification voucher.
100 hours in 12 weeks
76 hours online, breaks included (12 × 60 minutes)
24 hours with templates and exercises
12 modules, each with 6 to 7 live hours and 2 hours of self-study
€5,000
€500
up to 90% of the course fee, at most €4,500
Certificate of participation (Teilnahmebescheinigung)
UW Unternehmensweg GmbH, AZAV provider approval Z-000392-2
Tatjana Pichlmeier-Radojevic and Natascha Morina
Sample calculation with KOMPASS
Course fee €5,000 − grant €4,500 (90%) = €500 personal contribution. You apply for the reimbursement after the course with the certificate of participation, supported by your contact point.
We will give you the dates when you request a place. The KOMPASS contact point decides on the funding. As of: October 2026.
How the funding works: four steps to the course
KOMPASS is a program of the Federal Ministry of Labor and Social Affairs and is funded by the European Social Fund Plus (ESF Plus) and the federal government. The qualification voucher is issued by a KOMPASS contact point in your region, not by the course provider. We tell you the nearest contact point and support you with the application.
Consultation at the contact point
You arrange a free consultation at a KOMPASS contact point; we tell you the nearest one. The consultation is mandatory and takes place in person or online.
Qualification plan and voucher
The contact point draws up a qualification plan with you; if the course fits your needs, you receive the qualification voucher.
Registration and participation
With the voucher, you register with us. The course must be completed within six months; with a duration of twelve weeks, it fits well within this time frame.
Certificate and reimbursement
After the course, you receive the certificate of participation. With the help of the contact point, you apply for reimbursement from Deutsche Rentenversicherung Knappschaft-Bahn-See via the funding portal Z-EU-S. Up to 90% of the course fee is reimbursed, at most €4,500; your personal contribution is €500.
The KOMPASS contact point decides on the funding; there is no legal entitlement.
Your instructors: Tatjana Pichlmeier-Radojevic and Natascha Morina
Two women entrepreneurs with long practical experience in consulting, finance, and marketing lead the course. They divide the topics according to their areas of expertise and support you with exercises, templates, and feedback.
Tatjana Pichlmeier-Radojevic
Diplom-Kauffrau (FH) and entrepreneur
Diplom-Kauffrau (FH; university of applied sciences degree in business administration) and entrepreneur with more than 24 years of experience in auditing, risk prevention, and digital process optimization. Her focus areas are start-up consulting, introducing efficient digital processes, funding advice, accounting, and organizational and project management. She is listed in the BAFA register of consultants and cooperates with several educational institutions.
Areas of expertise:
- Start-up consulting and business model development
- Digital process optimization and organizational management
- Funding advice and financial planning
- Accounting and legally compliant self-employment
- Building structure and efficient business processes
Role in the course: Tatjana leads the courses “Accounting and Taxes” and “Self-Employed and Self-Confident” in terms of content and method. She structures the content in a practice-oriented way, contributes templates and tools, and guides you through all topics with expert advice, targeted exercises, and clear structure.
Natascha Morina
Business consultant, coaching for mindset and visibility
Entrepreneur with more than 13 years of experience as a business consultant and HR manager. Her focus areas are the optimization of business processes and the financial stability of companies; with further training in stress management and mindset coaching, she helps self-employed people work more productively and achieve their goals. In social media management, she helps companies become visible and reach their target group.
Areas of expertise:
- Process optimization and operational efficiency
- Financial management and company stability
- Coaching for visibility, presence, and addressing target groups
- Social media strategies and branding
Role in the course: Natascha shapes the focus areas of mindset, visibility, positioning, and marketing and guides you with exercises, reflection sessions, and tools for a confident presence.
Frequently asked questions about the course “Self-Employed and Self-Confident”
Who can receive KOMPASS funding?
Solo self-employed people who live and work in Germany, are self-employed as their main occupation, have been on the market for at least two years, and employ at most one full-time employee. The KOMPASS contact point checks whether you meet the requirements.
How much is my personal contribution?
The course fee is €5,000. KOMPASS reimburses up to 90% of the course fee, at most €4,500. Your personal contribution is therefore €500.
How do I get the qualification voucher?
You arrange a consultation at a KOMPASS contact point. There you draw up a qualification plan; if the course fits it, the contact point issues the voucher. Only then do you register with us. We tell you the nearest contact point and support you with the application.
What happens if no vouchers are being issued at the moment?
Issuance is limited nationwide, according to the Federal Ministry of Labor and Social Affairs probably until the end of October 2026. Some contact points only offer new appointments in spring 2027, for example the IHK Bonn/Rhein-Sieg (Chamber of Industry and Commerce) from March 2027 (as of October 1, 2026). Reserve your place with us; we will get in touch as soon as places become available again. Without a voucher, you can take part as a self-paying participant.
Can I take part if I am self-employed as a side occupation?
Yes, but without KOMPASS funding: the program requires self-employment as your main occupation. If you are self-employed as a side occupation, you can take part as a self-paying participant.
Do I need prior knowledge?
No. The course does not require any knowledge of marketing, accounting, or AI; all tools are introduced in the course and applied to your own business.
Does the course take place online?
Yes. All 76 live hours take place online, so you can take part from anywhere in Germany. You organize your self-study time as you like. We will give you the next dates when you request a place.
Do I receive a certificate?
Yes. After the course, you receive a certificate of participation. It is also the basis for applying for reimbursement through KOMPASS.
Can I take several KOMPASS courses?
KOMPASS funding is possible once within twelve months. You decide with the contact point in the qualification plan which course comes first. The two courses are coordinated with one another; start with the one that resolves your biggest bottleneck.
Official sources on KOMPASS funding
For further reading: the ESF Plus program page, the federal funding database, and the current notice from a KOMPASS contact point.
External links to official bodies, checked on October 18, 2026. Content and conditions may change; the source itself is always authoritative.
More KOMPASS courses
Both courses are coordinated with one another, reviewed by a qualified body, and eligible for funding through KOMPASS. KOMPASS funding is possible once within twelve months; we are happy to work out with you which course would make the biggest difference right now.
Take the next step as a woman entrepreneur
Request a place now with no obligation. Together we will clarify dates, funding, and the way to the contact point.