Living Room Downtown
One-time non-repayable grant for the establishment and expansion of retail, service, and gastronomy businesses in the Villach city center area. Valid from 01.01.2024, unlimited applications possible.
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Grant criteria
Funding objective
The objective of the focus area "Living Room City Center" is to establish retail and service businesses in the Villach city center in order to strengthen the downtown area as a shopping destination for locals and visitors, and to offer an attractive mix of sectors in a thriving urban center through increased foot traffic.
Eligible expenses
- Investments and expenses related to business start-up
- Net rent and operating costs for the first 6 months
Non-eligible expenses
- Personnel costs
- Land purchases or building leasehold interest
- Purchase or leasing of motor vehicles
- Mobile phones, tablets, household items
- Consumables and cost of goods sold
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Eligible to apply
- Founders
- Companies
Funding requirements
- Company founders
- Existing businesses for the first time in the city center zone
- Sales area expansion in the city center zone
- Chain businesses with a maximum of 5 branches
- Registered office or business premises in the living room city center zone
Documents required for application
- Fully completed application form
- Presentation of the business idea and project description including schedule
- Detailed total cost estimate
- Economic plan calculation for the next two fiscal years (upon request)
- Annual financial statements of the last fiscal years (upon request)
- Current tax office extract (upon request)
- Current social security extract (upon request)
Description
The non-repayable grant “Living Room Downtown” has been promoting the establishment and expansion of retail, consumer-oriented service, and gastronomy businesses on the ground floor of the Villach city center zone since January 1, 2024. The program’s goal is to increase shopping attractiveness for locals and visitors, boost foot traffic in the city center, and thereby establish a vibrant mix of sectors. Eligible applicants include business founders, existing businesses opening a location for the first time in the designated zone or significantly expanding their sales area, as well as chain companies with a maximum of five branches. Eligibility for funding is determined by the location of the business premises within the “Living Room Downtown Zone” according to the zoning plan.
Investments and expenses related to the business opening, as well as the net rent including operating costs for the first six months, are funded. The grant amount is a flat sum of up to €10,000; the funding rate varies between 15% of the opening expenses and 50% of the rental costs (max. €500 per month). Projects must be completed within 12 months. The funding is paid out in two installments: initially up to 75% after contract signing and submission of the lease agreement, with the final payment after six months of operation. The application must include, among other documents, the fully completed form, a description of the business idea including a timeline, a detailed cost estimate, and upon request, annual financial statements and a tax office certificate. Applications can be submitted online on an ongoing basis until the available funds are exhausted.
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