aws Guarantee
With the aws guarantee, companies increase their chances of obtaining bank loans through up to 80% coverage. Investment and operating resources of commercial and industrial companies in Austria are supported. Applications can be submitted at any time.
Discover your potential with AI support
- Find out if this grant matches your project
- Develop your application together with AI
- Get matched with many more suitable grants
Grant criteria
Funding objective
Support for companies in obtaining loans by providing guarantees that cover credit risks, and strengthening Austria as a business location through the promotion of investment and growth projects.
Eligible expenses
- Tangible and intangible investments (e.g., machinery, goods, operational and business equipment, structural measures)
- Research and development costs (e.g., personnel costs, prototype costs, test materials, external costs)
- Non-capitalizable growth and innovation measures (operating resources, e.g., rent, personnel, goods, materials)
- Marketing and sales costs
Non-eligible expenses
- Projects without plausible chances of success or sustainable business development
- Projects not carried out in Austria (exception: internationalization)
- Costs for export-related activities
- Costs from small invoices under EUR 150 net
- Projects involving sole acquisition of company shares without own project character
- Show more
Eligible to apply
- Companies
- Founders
Funding requirements
- ["The company's registered office or place of business is in Austria.", "The company must be operated 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/terms: internationalization).", "The application is submitted before the project start (exception: aid-free guarantees and guarantees under De minimis, where the project start may be up to 6 months before the application is submitted).", "Balanced risk sharing – depending on the loan amount and project risk.", "Any loan collateral in addition to the aws guarantee depends on your project and coordination with the financing credit institution, e.g., personal liability, mortgage, transfer of ownership as security, or retention of title (exception: leveraging equity).", "For financings up to EUR 100,000, aws waives collateral, except for the personal liability of the entrepreneurs or the principal shareholders.", "The guarantee is granted under De minim
Description
With the aws Guarantee, Austria Wirtschaftsservice (aws) specifically creates risk mitigation solutions to relieve credit institutions in financing investments and working capital for commercial and industrial companies in Austria. The program offers a default guarantee covering 50% to 80% of the loan amount – with a maximum aws exposure of EUR 30 million per project and terms ranging from three to twenty years. Considering balanced risk-sharing and the waiver of additional collateral for amounts up to EUR 100,000, start-ups, solo entrepreneurs, SMEs, and large companies alike benefit. As an ongoing funding opportunity, the aws Guarantee strengthens creditworthiness and scope for expansion, contributes to innovation promotion and growth of domestic businesses, and fosters a sustainable investment climate throughout Austria.
Prerequisites for funding include a company headquarters or operating site in Austria, autonomous management, and a positive contribution to strengthening the economic location. Applications can be submitted at any time until December 31, 2025, together with the financing credit institution via the aws funding manager and must be submitted before the project starts. Eligible expenses include tangible and intangible investments (e.g., machinery, construction measures), research and development costs, non-capitalizable operating and growth funds, as well as marketing and sales expenses. Excluded are projects without sustainable prospects of success, export-related activities, micro-invoices under EUR 150 net, pure contract or refinancing, as well as projects without entrepreneurial relevance.