Funding for Children and Youth in Austria

Children and young people need services that provide protection, enable development, and ensure genuine participation – especially when resources are scarce. Funding in Austria helps you to establish sustainable projects in child and youth welfare, prevention and violence prevention, poverty reduction, or extracurricular youth work. It makes it possible to finance personnel, training, spaces, digital tools, or low-threshold counseling services – thereby creating impact where it is needed most.

Currently, there is a strong focus on equal opportunities (access to education, school-to-work transition), mental health and psychosocial support, as well as integration and inclusion – for example, for children and young people with disabilities or refugee and migration backgrounds. At the same time, digital skills, media education, and online safety are gaining importance. For startups and SMEs, the appropriate entry points often lie in innovation and digitalization funding (e.g., for EdTech, prevention apps, or digital youth services) rather than in “pure” youth funding lines.

Since responsibilities in Austria are often divided between the federal government, states, and municipalities, a close look is worthwhile: Who is the right funder for your target group and region? And what documentation do you need? A convincing application clearly demonstrates the need, describes measurable goals, includes a protection and data privacy concept, and shows cooperation with schools, youth centers, social work, or health services.

The funding compass from Reflecta supports you in finding suitable funding, comparing requirements, and preparing the application process in a structured way. This way, you move faster from the idea to a sustainable project – and can focus on what matters: good services for children and young people.