Business Stabilization

The “Business Stabilization” funding program is aimed at small and medium-sized hotel and gastronomy businesses with tourist significance or those preparing for a business takeover, supporting companies in Austria that are currently experiencing economic difficulties but have long-term prospects for success. The funding covers the development of a tailored stabilization concept by the Austrian Hotel and Tourism Bank as well as financial measures to restore a viable financial structure. This includes an interest subsidy of up to 2% p.a. for restructured loans ranging from €100,000 up to a maximum of €2,000,000 (term up to ten years) as well as the assumption of a federal guarantee of up to €4,000,000 (guarantee rate up to 80%). Eligible applicants are natural persons, legal entities, or companies that are members of the WKO Federal Division for Tourism and Leisure Industry, have their business location in Austria, and qualify as SMEs according to the EU definition.

Applications can be submitted online via the OeHT customer portal from March 1, 2024, until June 30, 2028. Eligible expenses include the design of the restructuring strategy, the interest subsidy for restructured loans, and the assumption of guarantees. Decisions are made based on criteria such as the extent of economic difficulties, the tourist significance of the business, and the existing prospects for success. Additional follow-up funding from federal states – including Burgenland, Carinthia, or Lower Austria – provides support at least equal to that of the federal government. With this funding initiative, the OeHT, in cooperation with regional funding agencies, specifically strengthens the resilience of the tourism industry and contributes to sustainably securing the profitability and competitiveness of regional businesses.