Industries
All sectors, especially projects in energy transition, environmental and/or climate protection, circular economy, information and communication technologies, production, mobility transition, space, aviation, and health.

Company size
all company sizes

Development phase
The projects are eligible for funding in different business phases:

1. Pre-seed phase (no partnership or corporation established)
2. Formation and initial growth phase
3. Expansion phase

Requirements

1. The application is submitted before the start of the project.
2. The company's registered office or permanent establishment is in Austria.
3. Compliance with state aid limits according to AGVO or de-minimis.
4. The project aims to implement or use innovative, trustworthy AI.
5. The project is also focused on preparation for/or implementation of upcoming AI regulations, standards, norms, or certifications.
6. Additional for AI-Adoption: Green: significant direct measurable positive contribution to achieving goals of EU Grenn Deal

For more information on the requirements, please refer to the programm document.

Success rate
15 %

Type of funding
Non-repayable grant

Funding amount
If de-minimis is applicable:

• Up to 80 % of the eligible project costs and up to EUR 150,000

If Article 22 of the GBER (aid for young innovative enterprises) is applicable:

• Up to 80 % of the eligible project costs and up to EUR 150,000.

If Article 25 of the GBER (aid for experimental development projects) is applicable:

• Up to 25 % of the eligible project costs and up to EUR 150,000 for large companies,
• Up to 35 % of the eligible project costs and up to EUR 150,000 for medium-sized enterprises,
• Up to 45 % of the eligible project costs and up to EUR 150,000 for small enterprises.

Project duration
12 months

Eligible costs
Costs directly related to the project:

• Personnel costs, i.e. salaries, wages
• Material costs – i.e. tangible and intangible investments, such as software licenses, patents, etc.
• Third-party costs, e.g. for consulting, software development, training costs up to max. 49 % of eligible costs

Approval period
2 - 5 months

Disbursement
You will receive the grant in three tranches after reaching predefined milestones.

Repayment
Non-repayable

Costs
none

Additional funding
AI Mission Austria - Modul AI-Start
AI Mission Austria - Modul AI-Knowledge
aws KI-Marktplatz

• Projects without trustworthy artificial intelligence as a central project element.
• Projects, where the use of artificial intelligence does not bring any significant technical or economic advantage.
• Projects, in which the core know-how does not lie within the submitting company.
• Projects that do not focus on legal regulations, standards, norms or certifications.
• Projects that do not meet the formal criteria and objectives (see program document).
• Projects which started before submission of application.
• Projects, where full financing can’t be demonstrated.
• AI-Adoption: Green: Projects that do not demonstrate a significant, predominantly direct and measurable contribution to the EU Green Deal.

The Call ist open from January 1, 2024 till March 1, 2024, 12:00 (CET).

1. Application has to be exclusively sent via aws Fördermanager. There you make the selection between AI-Adoption or AI-Adoption: Green. A double submission is not possible! Please use the mandatory templates:
   Business plan
   Integral planning
2. The first review (formal and program objectives) will be carried out by aws experts according to the best-of principle.
3. Positively pre-evaluated projects present their project to an external jury. The jury evaluates the projects according to the best-of principle.
4. The funding decision will be made by aws based on the jury's funding recommendation.
5. The result is expected to be announced from May 13, 2024.
6. In any case, we will inform you about our desicion as soon as possible.