This program supports the development and commercialisation of highly innovative, impact-oriented ventures in Austria at the pre-seed stage. It is designed for entrepreneurial projects outside the DeepTech/high-tech field that aim to develop an initial proof of concept or prototype and validate the economic feasibility of a new product, service or application. Projects must demonstrate a high degree of innovation, meaningful social and/or ecological impact, and realistic market potential within a scalable business model.
Eligible Applicants and Development Stage
• Eligible applicants: natural persons, sole proprietors, partnerships and corporations outside the Austrian federal administration may apply.
• Pre-foundation projects: founders may apply before incorporating a company, making the program suitable for ventures at the Pre-seed stage.
• Recently established companies: where a registered company, partnership or corporation already exists, its first commercial-register entry generally must not be more than six months old at the time of application.
• Austrian establishment: the company to be founded, or the future business establishment, must be planned in Austria, and the majority of the project’s value creation must take place in Austria.
• Company size: already established applicants must generally qualify as independent micro or small enterprises under the applicable SME definition.
• Founder commitment: applicants or key operating shareholders must have relevant qualifications or experience, commit to implementing the project on a full-time entrepreneurial basis and pursue an above-average growth strategy. They must also be open to growth financing, including venture capital.
Innovation and Impact Requirements
• High degree of innovation: the project should create a completely new solution to an existing problem, significantly extend an existing solution, apply existing techniques, materials or processes in a new context, or address a new problem in an innovative way.
• Proof of concept: funding is intended to help pre-start-up and start-up projects develop an initial proof of concept or prototype that can serve as the basis for commercial implementation.
• Impact orientation: social and/or ecological added value must be a core component of the project rather than an incidental benefit.
• Scalability: applicants should demonstrate realistic and strong market opportunities within a scalable business model, including credible assumptions about customers, competition, pricing, costs, processes and potential partnerships.
• Growth potential: funded ventures are expected to pursue an above-average growth strategy and be open to external growth financing.
• Excluded innovations: projects that merely reflect the existing state of development in their industry or represent only minor or incremental improvements are not eligible. DeepTech projects are also excluded from this program line and are directed toward the separate aws Deep Tech programs.
Target Impact Areas
The program is Sector Agnostic, meaning applicants may come from essentially any industry except projects whose core innovation falls within DeepTech. However, the innovation-specific impact must contribute to one or more defined thematic areas.
Supported themes include:
• Diversity, equality, integration and inclusion
• Environment, resources and climate protection
• Health and care
• Education
• Mobility and transport
• Urban development, rural living and housing
The broader program is intended to support innovation across fields ranging from the creative industries and low-tech businesses to social entrepreneurship, provided the project combines innovation, impact and commercial scalability.
Financing and Project Duration
• Non-repayable grant: aws may finance up to 80% of eligible project costs, with a standard maximum grant of €89,000.
• Founder contribution: at least 10% of total project costs must normally be contributed from the financial resources of the current or future shareholders. Non-monetary contributions do not satisfy this requirement.
• Gender bonus: if one or more women participating in the venture collectively hold, or will hold, more than 25% of the shares when funding is awarded, support may increase to 90% of eligible costs, up to a maximum grant of €100,000.
• Gender bonus contribution: when the gender bonus applies, at least 5% of total project costs must come from shareholder financial resources, subject to the program’s additional ownership, qualification and management-participation requirements.
• Additional support: the program can also provide non-monetary start-up and growth consulting valued at up to €5,000 and innovation-protection consulting valued at up to €1,700.
• Eligible costs: support may cover founder and employee personnel costs, project-specific instruments and equipment, travel expenses and certain costs associated with setting up, founding and growing the company, including external experts, market development, industrial design, training and intellectual-property rights.
• Project duration: projects normally have a maximum duration of 12 months. A cost-neutral extension of up to six additional months may be possible.
• Disbursement: the non-repayable grant is paid in instalments linked to predefined project milestones and interim reporting.
Application and Selection Process
• Application modality: applications are submitted online on an ongoing basis through the aws Funding Manager.
• Required materials: applicants are generally required to submit an online application, project-cost planning, a business plan and a personal project presentation or pitch. aws additionally lists a structured pitch deck, identification documents and CVs of the project team among the mandatory submission materials.
• Evaluation: aws first assesses applications against formal and substantive criteria, followed by a content and economic evaluation of complete eligible applications.
• Jury decision: the final funding decision is made through a jury process.
• Decision schedule: jury meetings take place several times per year, generally quarterly, so applications are accepted continuously rather than through a single annual application window.
• Indicative selectivity: aws currently reports a program success rate of approximately 20%.
The current Preseed|Seedfinancing 2024–2026 framework is valid from 1 January 2024 to 31 December 2026. Applications for aws Preseed - Innovative Solutions may be submitted on an ongoing basis. Funding decisions under the current framework must be made by 31 December 2026, so this date represents the end of the current program and decision period rather than a conventional fixed application deadline.