Finding Cultural Funding in Austria

Culture needs space, time, and reliable funding – whether you are planning a festival, digitizing an archive, running a venue, or developing an outreach project for new target groups. In Austria, funding is a key lever to ensure artistic quality, enable fair production, and keep cultural offerings accessible in the long term – especially when ticket sales or own funds alone are not sufficient.

Currently, many agencies particularly support the preservation and further development of cultural infrastructure, contemporary art and cultural production, as well as cultural participation. Additionally, cross-cutting themes that are becoming increasingly important in applications include digitalization (e.g., digital collections, hybrid formats, new mediation) and sustainability in the sense of “Green Culture.” If your project has an international focus, EU programs such as CREATIVE EUROPE or – depending on the region – Interreg may also be of interest.

Which funding is suitable largely depends on whether you are seeking structural/basic funding for ongoing operations or project funding for a clearly defined undertaking. Equally important are a comprehensible impact and target group concept, a sound financing plan including co-financing, as well as clear information on the team, schedule, and rights.

The Reflecta Funding Compass helps you quickly find suitable cultural funding in Austria: with matching by topic, location, and funding body, as well as support in preparing applications. It is best to start with your project profile – this way, you can quickly see which programs are realistic and which documents you should prepare.