Sectors

all sectors apart from Deep Tech

Company size

natural persons

Development phase

Pre-foundation phase

Requirements

• The application is submitted before the project starts.
• The project will be implemented in Austria.
• No company has yet been founded.
• The project includes development of a completely new solution for current problems, but also the development of significant supplements to current solutions or the application of current technologies/ materials/ procedures in a new sector or to resolve a new problem.
• Regardless fo the sector, the innovation-specific impact should cover the followin subjet areas:
  • Diversity/ equality/ integration/ inclusion
  • Environment/ resources/ climate protection
  • social and/or economic change
  • Health/ care
  • Education
  • Mobility/ transport
  • Urban development/ life in the countryside/ housing
• Projects are funded under the extended innovation concept (Soft Innovation, Low and Non-Tech), apart from high technology (Deep-Tech). If the core of innovation lies in the Deep Tech sector, the aws Preseed - Deep Tech and aws Seedfinancing - Deep Tech programmes are more suitable.
• The project has realistic and strong market prospects within the framework of a scalable business model.

Project goals

Funding is available for projects, if they are to be delivered for economic implementation by developing an initial “proof of concept” or a prototype. The focus is on innovative products, services or applications, which still have to be reviewed in terms of content and/or economic feasibility.

Success rate
Given that this is a new programme, no conclusion can presently be drawn on a success rate.

• Projects that conform to the latest technology or merely serve the goal of routine changes or gradual improvements to existing products, services and production processes (incremental innovations) cannot be funded. 
• Projects from the Deep-Tech sector
• Investments beyond the funding period
• Real estate properties, vehicles, construction of buildings or non-specific building equipment
• Costs that do not constitute an essential precondition for successful project completion and achievement of goals

• Costs incurred before the application date or the contractually stipulated project start date
• Marketing and distribution costs
• serial production
• private pension scheme, fringe benefits and other voluntary contributions, reserves, provisions, etc.
• Costs that are not deemed eligible based on provisions of EU competition law
• Costs covered in other public funding schemes
• Value added tax is not eligible. However, if input tax cannot be deducted, this shall be considered as an eligible cost component.

Type of funding

non-repayable grant

Funding amount

• max. EUR 100,000
• Granting of a subsidy up to an amount of EUR 80,000 as de-minimis funding. If the foundation team includes at least one woman with a minimum of 25% (future) shares in the business, who has the relevant qualifications for the project, the potential funding amount is increased by EUR 20,000. The shareholder's collaboration in a managerial role during the project shall be verified. 
• max. 90% of eligible total costs of the project

There is no legal entitlement to funding.

Project duration

max. 1 year

Eligible costs

1. Personell costs (e.g. salaries and wages)
2. Costs of materials (tangible and intangible investments, such as intellectual property and licensing rights, development costs for pilot and demonstration objects: machines, tools, etc.)
3. Other costs incurred directly within the framework of the project (e.g. supplies, materials)
4. Third-party costs, i.e. Additional purchase of external services (e.g. IT services, project-specific consulting services, additional purchase of market studies, costs of market research, compilation of a project-specific marketing/distribution plan)

Disbursement

You will receive the grant in tranches upon reaching predefined milestones.

Repayment

non-repayable

Costs

none

Additional funding

aws Seedfinancing - Innovative Solutions

aws Protecting Innovation

aws Connect

aws First Incubator

1. You apply for funding via the aws funding manager.
2. We will analyse the application based on content and formal criteria and check on the completeness of documents. In case of non-compliance with formal requirements, the application will be excluded from further processing.
3. Content and economic evaluation by an assessment panel of all complete applications that comply with the specified criteria.
4. Classification based on “best-of” principle in accordance with the funding criteria under the currently effective guideline specifications.
5. Final decision round with assessment panel.

In each case we will inform you of our decision as soon as possible.

Approval period

Depending on the dates of the assessment panel meetings, which are held several times a year.