Guarantees under the SME Promotion Act, Liability
Assumption of guarantees for long-term financing of business startups, successions, growth, research, development, innovation, as well as environmental protection and energy efficiency in Austria. Applications can be submitted at any time.
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Grant criteria
Funding objective
Facilitation and enabling of economically desirable investments, participations, and non-capitalizable measures to increase the growth potential and competitiveness of Austria as a business location, as well as to create and secure value creation and jobs domestically.
Eligible expenses
- Capitalizable investments
- Non-capitalizable expenses
- Research and development costs
- Environmental protection and energy efficiency measures
Non-eligible expenses
- Costs for export-related activities
- Small invoices under EUR 150
- Projects without plausible chances of success
- Costs for pure financial participations without project character
- Private shares as part of project costs
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Eligible to apply
- Companies
- Founders
Funding requirements
- SMEs with headquarters or place of business in Austria
- No ongoing insolvency proceedings or at least 1 year since cancellation without a plan
- Maximum guaranteed liability per individual project EUR 2 million
- No grounds for exclusion according to § 13 GewO 1994
Documents required for application
- Electronic submission via the aws funding manager
Evaluation criteria
- Bank-standard risk assessment
- Proof of macroeconomic added value
- Creditworthiness and collateral
- Compliance with state aid regulations
Description
In Vienna, a federally funded guarantee option is available for the long-term financing of business start-ups, successions, growth, as well as research, development, and innovation projects. In addition to classic investments, projects in environmental protection and energy efficiency enhancement are also supported. The guarantee covers up to 80% of a loan, but no more than an aws exposure of EUR 30 million, with terms ranging from 36 to 240 months. The objective is to enable economically desirable investments and to strengthen value creation and employment domestically. Enterprises of all sizes with headquarters or operations in Austria are eligible for funding, particularly small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), start-ups, and founders. Applications can be submitted continuously via the electronic aws funding manager.
The aim is a sustainable increase in growth potential and competitiveness. Requirements include, among others: SME status, no pending insolvency proceedings or at least one year since their conclusion, no grounds for exclusion pursuant to § 13 GewO 1994, and a project ceiling of EUR 2 million per funding measure. Eligible expenses include capitalizable investments, non-capitalizable expenditures, research and development costs, as well as environmental protection and energy efficiency measures. Non-eligible costs include, among others, export-related expenses, small invoices under EUR 150, projects without plausible chances of success, purely financial participations, private shares, or pure contract financing. Selection is based on bank-standard risk assessment, economic added value, creditworthiness, and state aid regulations.