Who can participate?
Anyone who

• has an innovative idea (up to 4 people per project) and would like to become self-employed
• is between the ages 18 and 30 at the time of application
• has not yet established a company with the project being submitted OR young businesses (formation of the company not longer than 6 months ago, previous net sales not more than EUR 10.000,-)

How will I be supported by aws First Incubator?

• Financially:
• Project costs of up to EUR 55.000.- will be financed. That includes personnel costs totalling EUR 4.800,- per project member. Personnel costs will be paid in 12 monthly instalments.
• Mentoring: Mentoring (by experienced founders) for one year (minimum of 6 meetings)
• Training: During several workshops, experts help you to develop your idea into a business model.
• Office facility: Leasing of workingspaces in the Austrian federal states
• Networking: By going on excursions and participating in start-up scene events and the regular aws First community meet-ups, you have the chance to exchange ideas with other young entrepreneurs.

Does it cost anything to participate in the aws First Incubator program?
No. aws First Incubator is a support programme. We fully assume all costs for services provided within the framework of aws First Incubator.
 

Do I need to have a team to get involved?
No. You can do the application alone or in a project team of up to 4 team members. For you to be able to optimally divide your work, it is of course best if you are not alone.
 

How much time do I need to set aside to participate in the aws First Incubator program?
Should you progress to the second round after your application (about which you will of course be notified by us in good time), you and other project members are obliged to take part in the aws First Start-up Camp. Only those who participate in the Start-up Camp can also participate in the aws First Incubator program.

There will be blocked training sessions (in each case Friday-Saturday/Sunday). In addition, the aws First Incubator workshops are held throughout the year (usually on Fridays). We assume the travel expenses for this. Outside of the training sessions you will of course work intensively on the further development of your project.

To help you better concentrate on your project for a whole year, we will pay you the personnel costs.
 

Which contents are covered in the trainings?
Topics covered in the blocked training sessions:

• Customer group analysis and customer benefits
• Competition analysis & prototyping
• Solution development & value proposition
• Business model creation
• Market analysis, market entry & financials

Topics covered in the 1-day workshops:

• Storytelling & pitch training
• Patent, copyright & trademark law
• Taxes & corporate forms
• Financing & funding
• Start-up marketing & sales
• Fundraising
• …

Is it possible to study/work during the course of the aws First Incubator?
Yes. What you do besides participating in the programme is of course up to you. However, please keep in mind that participating in the aws First Incubator workshops is mandatory if you get into the program and developing a business idea is not a part-time job, but requires a lot of energy and motivation. Therefore, we tend to advise against working full-time next to the aws First Incubator program.
 

Do I have to live in Vienna to be able to participate in the aws First Incubator?
No. aws is a national funding agency and our aim is therefore to provide equal support to all federal states. We coordinate the mentors, the workspaces and the locations for the training sessions with the project members’ places of residence. The aws assumes the travel costs for all programme-specific events for which travel is required.
 

What happens at the Start-up Camp?
At the Start-up Camp, we want to give our jury the opportunity to personally get to know you.

During this weekend, you have the chance to prove to the jury that you have what it takes to be an entrepreneur. We will be able to determine this through various team tasks and workshops.On top of that, the teams get to know each other better an can certainly profit form the feedback of the others.

Simply participating in the Start-up Camp is already a great distinction, because you are among the best applicants.
 

When can you apply?
All relevant information concerning the application process can be found on our homepage www.aws.at/aws-first-inkubator.

Be sure to visit our Facebook or Instagram page regularly for more information:
www.facebook.com/awsfirstinkubator or www.instagram.com/awsfirstinkubator
 

Can I withdraw from aws First Incubator?
Yes. Should you realise that self-employment is not the right path for you after all, you can always choose to discontinue the program. If you wish, we can take care of replacing your role in the project. If you wish to withdraw, please communicate this immediately to the aws First Incubator project management as well as your team.
 

Our FAQ are of course intended to be continually updated with your questions. If there are any unanswered questions, do not hesitate to contact us:
awsfirstinkubator@aws.at