Sectors:
ommercial and industrial companies across all sectors; in selected cases, liberal professions. In the tourism and leisure industry, complementary to the options of ÖHT.

Company size:
All – from micro enterprises and SMEs to large companies.

Development stage:
All stages starting from company formation or acquisition; in particular for young companies there must be evidence of a Proof of Concept or Proof of Market.

Eligibility criteria:

• Registered office or permanent establishment in Austria. 
• The company operates in its own name and on its own account. 
• The project makes a positive contribution to strengthening Austria as a business location. 
• The project is carried out in Austria (exception: special conditions: Internationalisation). 
• The application is submitted before the project start (exception: non-aid guarantees and de minimis guarantees, where the project start may be up to 6 months prior to application). Balanced risk sharing – depending on loan amount and project risk.

Any additional collateral required by the bank alongside the aws guarantee depends on your project and the agreement with the financing bank, e.g. personal liability, mortgage, transfer by way of security, or retention of title (exception: special conditions: equity leverage).

For financings up to EUR 100,000, aws waives collateral, except for the personal liability of the entrepreneurs or the material shareholders.

The guarantee is granted under de minimis or the General Block Exemption Regulation (GBER), but can also be structured without state aid.

Success rate:

90 % for SMEs and large companies;
30 % for innovative start-ups.

Sectors:
Commercial and industrial companies across all sectors; in selected cases, liberal professions. In the tourism and leisure industry, complementary to the options of ÖHT.

Company size:
All – from micro enterprises and SMEs to large companies.

Development stage:
All stages starting from company formation or acquisition; in particular for young companies there must be evidence of a Proof of Concept or Proof of Market.

• Eligibility criteria: 
  Registered office or permanent establishment in Austria. 
• The company operates in its own name and on its own account. 
• The project makes a positive contribution to strengthening Austria as a business location. 
• The project is carried out in Austria (exception: special conditions: Internationalisation). 
• The application is submitted before the project start (exception: non-aid guarantees and de minimis guarantees, where the project start may be up to 6 months prior to application). Balanced risk sharing – depending on loan amount and project risk.
• Any additional collateral required by the bank alongside the aws guarantee depends on your project and the agreement with the financing bank, e.g. personal liability, mortgage, transfer by way of security, or retention of title (exception: special conditions: equity leverage).
• For financings up to EUR 100,000, aws waives collateral, except for the personal liability of the entrepreneurs or the material shareholders.
• The guarantee is granted under de minimis or the General Block Exemption Regulation (GBER), but can also be structured without state aid.

Success rate:
90% for SMEs and large companies; 30% for innovative start-ups.

• Projects without plausible prospects of success or that do not expect a sustainable positive corporate development. Equity base, market opportunities and the qualifications/experience of the management/entrepreneurs are taken into account.
• Projects not carried out in Austria (exception: special conditions: Internationalisation).
• Costs for export-related activities, in particular those directly linked to exported volumes, the establishment or operation of a distribution network, or other current expenditure related to export activities.
• Costs resulting from small invoices under EUR 150 (net).
• Projects involving the sole acquisition of company shares as a financial investment without its own project character (e.g. through a new strategic orientation).
• Projects not related to an entrepreneurial endeavour (e.g. private shares as part of project costs).
• Pure order financing, i.e. short-term loans/limit increases serving (interim) financing of individual orders.
• Subsequent collateralisation of existing loans, except under special conditions: Stabilisation.
• Costs related to the purchase/construction of a building not used by the company itself but constructed or purchased for the purpose of sale and/or rental (real estate activities).
• Repayment or interest payments on existing Covid or energy bridging loans.

Process of application and approval

1. You apply for an aws guarantee together with your bank at aws via aws Fördermanager.
2. You receive an acknowledgement of receipt from us.
3. We first review the key substantive and formal criteria.
4. If necessary, we clarify project details together with you.
5. We analyse the application in detail and decide whether your project can be supported.
6. We inform you of our decision in any case and, if positive, issue a guarantee declaration.
7. The guarantee offer must be accepted within 3 months from the date of issue by the financing institution and the company.
8. Proof of completion of the overall project and fulfillment of the necessary conditions must be submitted within three months from the end of the implementation period.
9. Approval period: Depending on the financing amount and completeness of documents: from 2 weeks up to 2 months.

Duration of the approval process

Depending on the financing amout and completeness of dokuments: from 2 weeks to 2 months.

Challenges for companies:

• Financing company formations and acquisitions.
• Financing large investments (e.g. plant expansion, new business division).
• Pre-financing orders with high capital requirements.
• Lack of collateral for bank loans.
• Complex financing structures for innovative or international projects.

Solution provided by the aws Guarantee:

• Assumption of up to 80% guarantee for loans by aws.
• Enhanced creditworthiness with banks and lessors.
• Access to debt capital even with limited collateral.
• Planning certainty through long maturities and grace periods.
• Combinable with other support, e.g. aws erp loans or OeKB financings.

The aws Guarantee is a strategic financing instrument that helps companies implement their projects securely, quickly and sustainably – regardless of size or sector.

• Company founders and company buyers
• Growth-oriented companies that want to tap into new business areas or expand existing locations
• Manufacturing companies that invest in machinery, equipment, or digitalization
• Companies in regional development areas that want to compensate for structural disadvantages
• Companies with weaker credit ratings or a lack of collateral that nevertheless want to implement economically viable projects
• Innovative SMEs and large companies that meet ESG criteria (environmental, social, corporate governance) and implement sustainable projects
• This target group is broad, ranging from locally active family businesses to internationally active industrial companies. The aws guarantee is particularly attractive when traditional bank financing fails due to a lack of collateral or when projects need to be implemented quickly.