--- title: "AI Funding Austria 2026: aws, FFG, Research Premium" canonical: https://wavect.io/blog/ai-funding-austria-2026/ language: en description: "The four AI funding routes in Austria 2026: aws for adoption, FFG for R&D, the 14% research premium, KMU.DIGITAL. Honest figures and caveats." image: "https://wavect.io/img/blog/headers/header_ai-funding-austria-2026.png" --- [**Back**](/blog/overview/) [![Kevin Riedl](/img/team/kevin.webp)](/team/kevin-riedl/) [Kevin Riedl](/team/kevin-riedl/) https://linkedin.com/in/wsdt 13 min read · 19 Jun 2026 [**Next**](/blog/austrian-startup-funding-stacking-aws-ffg/) # AI Funding Austria 2026: KMU.DIGITAL, FFG, aws and the Research Premium for AI Projects TL;DR Four main funding routes for an AI project in Austria in 2026: aws funds adopting existing AI, FFG funds research and new builds, the 14% research premium (Forschungsprämie) is a tax credit on genuine R&D, and KMU.DIGITAL covers consulting plus small implementation. The honest catch: availability depends on open calls and remaining budget. KMU.DIGITAL's budget shows as exhausted mid-2026 on the official page, and aws AI calls are not open. The advertised "up to 80%" mixes grant, loan, and tax credit; the net cash grant is usually much lower. Decide the project first, then the funding. For an AI project in Austria there are four main routes in 2026. The shorthand: **aws** funds adopting existing AI, **FFG** funds research and new builds, the **research premium (Forschungsprämie)** gives a 14 percent tax credit on genuine R&D, and **KMU.DIGITAL** covers consulting plus small implementation. The honest catch: availability depends on open calls and remaining budget. As of mid-2026, KMU.DIGITAL's official page reports its total budget as exhausted, and the aws AI calls are not open right now. And the advertised "up to 80 percent" mixes grant, loan and tax credit. The net cash grant is usually well below that. This is an honest assessment, not a funding pitch. All figures are as of mid-2026 and they change (budgets, call windows, a reform of the research premium regulation). Before any planning, check the current status on the relevant program page or with WKO, FFG and your tax advisor. ## The four routes at a glance What fits what, with the verified key figures. All details as of mid-2026, double-check before you apply. | Program | For what | Rate / Maximum | Status mid-2026 | | --- | --- | --- | --- | | aws (AI Mission Austria) | Adopting and integrating existing AI | AI-Start up to 50 %, max. EUR 15,000; AI-Adoption up to 80 % (De-minimis) or 25 to 45 % (GBER), max. EUR 150,000 | Call-based, no call open right now | | FFG Basisprogramm | Genuine R&D with an AI angle, a novel model or method | SMEs up to 50 %, mix of grant and loan, max. EUR 3M per project | Rolling submission | | FFG Innovationsscheck | A first small R&D step with a research partner | 80 % on max. EUR 12,500 in costs, so max. EUR 10,000 grant, 20 % co-pay | Rolling submission | | FFG AI Ökosysteme (AIM AT) | Collaborative frontier AI research (Hybrid AI, Green AI) | Thematic call, budget around EUR 8.4M | Submission 18.05. to 06.10.2026 | | Forschungsprämie | Tax credit on ongoing, genuine R&D | 14 % of R&D expenditure, annual, no competition | Permanent, mind the 2026 reform | | KMU.DIGITAL | Consulting and small implementation | Consulting 80 % up to EUR 400 or 50 % up to EUR 1,000 (cap EUR 3,000); implementation up to 30 %, max. EUR 6,000 | Budget exhausted per the official page | ## aws: for adopting AI aws is the federal promotional bank and funds AI through AI Mission Austria. AI-Start gives up to 50 percent and a maximum of EUR 15,000 for a company's first AI project. AI-Adoption funds the adoption of trustworthy AI with up to 80 percent (De-minimis) or 25 to 45 percent under GBER, up to EUR 150,000. The key point: the aws AI programs run call-based, an application is only possible in open windows, and as of mid-2026 no call is open. That does not mean the funding does not exist, only that you have to wait for the next window. Subscribe to the newsletter and check the status on aws.at. ## FFG: for research and new builds FFG is the research track. It is relevant when there is genuine development with novelty in it, meaning your own model, a novel method or a real technological barrier you overcome. The Basisprogramm is open in scope and accepts rolling submissions, up to 50 percent for small companies as a mix of grant and loan. The Innovationsscheck is the low-barrier entry point: up to EUR 10,000 in grant, but mandatorily with a research partner. If you do collaborative frontier AI research, look at AI Ökosysteme 2026 under the AIM AT umbrella, with a submission deadline of 6 October 2026. Important for drawing the line: FFG does not fund the mere adoption of existing AI, that is what aws is for. ## Research premium (Forschungsprämie): 14 percent on genuine R&D The research premium (Forschungsprämie) is different from the rest: no competition and no budget pot, but an annual legal entitlement to 14 percent of your R&D expenditure, claimed via FinanzOnline with a free FFG annual expert opinion. Eligible items include R&D staff costs, direct expenses and a notional entrepreneur's salary. What does not count is the honest part: pure routine work, rolling out standard software and building a simple GPT wrapper generally do not meet the five Frascati criteria (novelty, creativity, uncertainty, systematic approach, reproducibility). A novel model or method with a genuine knowledge objective does. Mind the 2026 reform of the research premium regulation (among other things on near-to-market R&D) and clarify the interpretation with your tax advisor. More depth in our piece on the [research premium for software development](/blog/forschungspraemie-software-development-austria/). ## KMU.DIGITAL: consulting and small implementation KMU.DIGITAL is not an AI program, but it suits the strategy work ahead of an AI project and low-barrier implementation. Consulting is funded at 80 percent up to EUR 400 (status analysis) and 50 percent up to EUR 1,000 (strategy), with an overall cap of EUR 3,000. Implementation gives up to 30 percent and a maximum of EUR 6,000, but requires a previously completed, funded consulting engagement. The important status as of mid-2026: the official page reports the budget as fully exhausted. Some consultant pages claim the opposite, but they have a business interest in the program. When in doubt, follow the official source and check the status on kmudigital.at before any planning. ## Stacking and the double-funding ban The basic rule is simple: the same euro of expenditure may not be funded twice. But different cost items of a project may come from different pots. In practice that means the research premium can be combined with a grant, but the subsidized cost base is reduced before the 14 percent are calculated. You do not claim the premium on the part that was already subsidized. On top of that, the EU state-aid maximum intensities cap the total rate per project, so stacking eventually hits a ceiling. Which combination is permissible in your case is something you settle with FFG, aws and your tax advisor. How the building blocks stack in detail is shown in our piece on [stacking aws, FFG and the research premium](/blog/austrian-startup-funding-stacking-aws-ffg/). ## Which program for which project 1. **Adopting or integrating existing AI tools** (Copilot, a RAG assistant on a standard stack, process automation): aws AI-Adoption or AI-Start, as soon as a call is open. 2. **Building something new, genuine R&D** (your own model, a novel method): FFG Basisprogramm (rolling) or AI Ökosysteme (call until 6 October 2026). 3. **A first small R&D step with a research partner:** FFG Innovationsscheck. 4. **A tax refund on ongoing R&D:** the research premium, provided genuine R&D under Frascati exists. 5. **Positioning and strategy before the project:** KMU.DIGITAL consulting, provided budget is open again. ![Kevin Riedl](/img/team/kevin.webp) "Justify the project first, then look for funding, never the other way around. If an AI project only adds up with grant money, it does not add up. And anyone who sells you the funding as the main argument rarely sells the best implementation." ## The honest part Funding is real and it pays off, but it has side effects that few people talk about. It invites over-scoping, because you inflate the project to fit a program instead of building the smallest possible thing that delivers value. The application effort is real: expert opinions, cost plans, cooperation partners, call windows and documentation can eat up the benefit on small grants. And "we will get you the funding" is not a quality criterion for an implementation partner. Whether an AI project is any good is decided by execution and impact, not by grant money. Funding is an accelerator, not a business model. Which puts the weight back on the delivery side. Our [guide to choosing a software agency](/software-development-guide/how-to-choose-a-software-agency/) covers what to ask instead of asking about grants, and [AI software development in Austria](/ai-software-development-austria/) sets out what we actually take responsibility for: the model layer, evaluations, guardrails and the product around them. [Twinsoft AI](/case-studies/twinsoft-ai/) is what that looks like delivered, with no funding story attached to it. ## Frequently Asked Questions ### What AI funding is available in Austria in 2026? Four main routes: aws (AI Mission Austria, adoption and integration of AI, call-based), FFG (Basisprogramm and AI Ökosysteme, genuine R&D), the research premium (Forschungsprämie, a 14 percent tax credit on R&D) and KMU.DIGITAL (consulting and small implementation). Availability depends on open calls and remaining budget. ### What is the research premium (Forschungsprämie)? A tax credit of 14 percent of R&D expenditure, claimed annually via FinanzOnline with an FFG annual expert opinion. No competition, but only for genuine R&D under the Frascati criteria, not for routine work. ### Can I combine aws and FFG? In principle yes, but under the double-funding ban: not the same euro twice. Different cost parts or project phases can come from different pots, EU maximum intensities cap the total. Settle the specific combination with FFG, aws and your tax advisor. ### How much KMU.DIGITAL funding do I get? Consulting: 80 percent up to EUR 400 (status analysis) or 50 percent up to EUR 1,000 (strategy), overall cap EUR 3,000. Implementation: up to 30 percent, max. EUR 6,000. But as of mid-2026 the official page reports the budget as exhausted. ### Is KMU.DIGITAL still open in 2026? The official page kmudigital.at reports the budget as fully exhausted (as of June 2026). Consultant pages sometimes claim the opposite, but they have a vested interest. Check the current status before any planning. ### Does the Innovationsscheck fund AI? Yes, if a research partner (university, university of applied sciences or research institution) is involved. Up to EUR 12,500 in eligible costs, 80 percent funding, so a maximum of EUR 10,000 grant, with a 20 percent co-pay. ### Which funding fits if I am only adopting an existing AI tool? aws AI-Adoption or AI-Start, provided a call is open, or the KMU.DIGITAL implementation. FFG and the research premium do not fit, because mere adoption is not R&D. ### Does a ChatGPT or RAG project count as research for the research premium? Usually no. Using standard tools or building a wrapper generally does not meet the Frascati criteria. Only novel models or methods with a genuine knowledge objective are eligible. ### What is the realistic effective funding rate? The advertising names up to 80 percent, but that mixes grant, loan and tax credit and assumes open calls. The net cash grant is usually well below that. Calculate it per project. ### Is the application effort worth it? For large R&D projects yes. For small grants the effort from expert opinions, documentation and call windows can eat up the benefit. Justify the project first, then look for funding. ## Final thoughts AI funding in Austria is there in 2026, but it is no sure thing. aws funds adoption, FFG funds research, the research premium gives 14 percent on genuine R&D, and KMU.DIGITAL covers consulting plus small implementation, though currently with an exhausted budget. The most important sentence: the project first, then the funding. Build the smallest possible project that delivers value, and get the funding that fits it, instead of inflating the project around the funding. And before you apply, check every figure and every call status here against the official program page, because both change quickly. ## You may also like.. [**Stacking aws, FFG and the research premium** How to legally combine the Austrian funding schemes, and where the double-funding ban draws the line.](/blog/austrian-startup-funding-stacking-aws-ffg/) [**AI Enablement vs. generic AI consultancy** One delivers a slide deck. The other a running setup on your infrastructure that your team owns and can operate.](/compare/ai-enablement-vs-generic-ai-consultancy/) Software buying and funding ## Continue through this cluster [Start with the cornerstone**Software Agency Proposal Teardown: 12 Clauses That Change Price, Scope and Ownership**](/blog/software-agency-proposal-teardown/) - [Software Agencies in Tyrol Compared 2026](/blog/software-agencies-tyrol-comparison-2026/) - [Software Agency Proposal Teardown: 12 Clauses That Change Price, Scope and Ownership](/blog/software-agency-proposal-teardown/) - [AI Consulting in Austria 2026: An Honest Guide for SMEs](/blog/ai-consulting-austria-2026/) - [MVP Development for Startups in Austria: Agencies, Cost and Selection 2026](/blog/best-software-agencies-austria-ai-mvp/) - [When Not to Hire Wavect](/blog/when-not-to-hire-wavect/) Inbox, without the noise ## Follow the work that matters to you Get a short email when we publish something new. Follow the whole blog or only the problems you care about. [**Back**](/blog/overview/) [![Kevin Riedl](/img/team/kevin.webp)](/team/kevin-riedl/) [Kevin Riedl](/team/kevin-riedl/) https://linkedin.com/in/wsdt 13 min read · 19 Jun 2026 [**Next**](/blog/austrian-startup-funding-stacking-aws-ffg/) New posts by email × × Get new posts by email A short email when we publish. 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The honest catch: availability depends on open calls and remaining budget. KMU.DIGITAL's budget shows as exhausted mid-2026 on the official page, and aws AI calls are not open. The advertised \"up to 80%\" mixes grant, loan, and tax credit; the net cash grant is usually much lower. Decide the project first, then the funding.", "articleBody": " Blog overview/Business and regulation/Software buying and funding AI Funding Austria 2026: KMU.DIGITAL, FFG, aws and the Research Premium for AI Projects TL;DR Four main funding routes for an AI project in Austria in 2026: aws funds adopting existing AI, FFG funds research and new builds, the 14% research premium (Forschungsprämie) is a tax credit on genuine R&D, and KMU.DIGITAL covers consulting plus small implementation. The honest catch: availability depends on open calls and remaining budget. KMU.DIGITAL's budget shows as exhausted mid-2026 on the official page, and aws AI calls are not open. The advertised \"up to 80%\" mixes grant, loan, and tax credit; the net cash grant is usually much lower. Decide the project first, then the funding. For an AI project in Austria there are four main routes in 2026. The shorthand: aws funds adopting existing AI, FFG funds research and new builds, the research premium (Forschungsprämie) gives a 14 percent tax credit on genuine R&D, and KMU.DIGITAL covers consulting plus small implementation. The honest catch: availability depends on open calls and remaining budget. As of mid-2026, KMU.DIGITAL's official page reports its total budget as exhausted, and the aws AI calls are not open right now. And the advertised \"up to 80 percent\" mixes grant, loan and tax credit. The net cash grant is usually well below that. This is an honest assessment, not a funding pitch. All figures are as of mid-2026 and they change (budgets, call windows, a reform of the research premium regulation). Before any planning, check the current status on the relevant program page or with WKO, FFG and your tax advisor. The four routes at a glance What fits what, with the verified key figures. All details as of mid-2026, double-check before you apply. ProgramFor whatRate / MaximumStatus mid-2026 aws (AI Mission Austria)Adopting and integrating existing AIAI-Start up to 50 %, max. EUR 15,000; AI-Adoption up to 80 % (De-minimis) or 25 to 45 % (GBER), max. EUR 150,000Call-based, no call open right now FFG BasisprogrammGenuine R&D with an AI angle, a novel model or methodSMEs up to 50 %, mix of grant and loan, max. EUR 3M per projectRolling submission FFG InnovationsscheckA first small R&D step with a research partner80 % on max. EUR 12,500 in costs, so max. EUR 10,000 grant, 20 % co-payRolling submission FFG AI Ökosysteme (AIM AT)Collaborative frontier AI research (Hybrid AI, Green AI)Thematic call, budget around EUR 8.4MSubmission 18.05. to 06.10.2026 ForschungsprämieTax credit on ongoing, genuine R&D14 % of R&D expenditure, annual, no competitionPermanent, mind the 2026 reform KMU.DIGITALConsulting and small implementationConsulting 80 % up to EUR 400 or 50 % up to EUR 1,000 (cap EUR 3,000); implementation up to 30 %, max. EUR 6,000Budget exhausted per the official page aws: for adopting AI aws is the federal promotional bank and funds AI through AI Mission Austria. AI-Start gives up to 50 percent and a maximum of EUR 15,000 for a company's first AI project. AI-Adoption funds the adoption of trustworthy AI with up to 80 percent (De-minimis) or 25 to 45 percent under GBER, up to EUR 150,000. The key point: the aws AI programs run call-based, an application is only possible in open windows, and as of mid-2026 no call is open. That does not mean the funding does not exist, only that you have to wait for the next window. Subscribe to the newsletter and check the status on aws.at. FFG: for research and new builds FFG is the research track. It is relevant when there is genuine development with novelty in it, meaning your own model, a novel method or a real technological barrier you overcome. The Basisprogramm is open in scope and accepts rolling submissions, up to 50 percent for small companies as a mix of grant and loan. The Innovationsscheck is the low-barrier entry point: up to EUR 10,000 in grant, but mandatorily with a research partner. If you do collaborative frontier AI research, look at AI Ökosysteme 2026 under the AIM AT umbrella, with a submission deadline of 6 October 2026. Important for drawing the line: FFG does not fund the mere adoption of existing AI, that is what aws is for. Research premium (Forschungsprämie): 14 percent on genuine R&D The research premium (Forschungsprämie) is different from the rest: no competition and no budget pot, but an annual legal entitlement to 14 percent of your R&D expenditure, claimed via FinanzOnline with a free FFG annual expert opinion. Eligible items include R&D staff costs, direct expenses and a notional entrepreneur's salary. What does not count is the honest part: pure routine work, rolling out standard software and building a simple GPT wrapper generally do not meet the five Frascati criteria (novelty, creativity, uncertainty, systematic approach, reproducibility). A novel model or method with a genuine knowledge objective does. Mind the 2026 reform of the research premium regulation (among other things on near-to-market R&D) and clarify the interpretation", "articleSection": "Business & Legal", "author": { "@id": "https://wavect.io/team/kevin-riedl/#person", "@type": "Person", "name": "Kevin Riedl", "sameAs": [ "https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q139796365", "https://www.linkedin.com/in/wsdt", "https://github.com/wsdt" ], "url": "https://wavect.io/team/kevin-riedl/" }, "dateModified": "2026-07-07", "datePublished": "2026-06-19", "description": "Four main funding routes for an AI project in Austria in 2026: aws funds adopting existing AI, FFG funds research and new builds, the 14% research premium (Forschungsprämie) is a tax credit on genuine R&D, and KMU.DIGITAL covers consulting plus small implementation. The honest catch: availability depends on open calls and remaining budget. KMU.DIGITAL's budget shows as exhausted mid-2026 on the official page, and aws AI calls are not open. The advertised \"up to 80%\" mixes grant, loan, and tax credit; the net cash grant is usually much lower. 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Availability depends on open calls and remaining budget." }, "name": "What AI funding is available in Austria in 2026?" }, { "@type": "Question", "acceptedAnswer": { "@type": "Answer", "text": "A tax credit of 14 percent of R&D expenditure, claimed annually via FinanzOnline with an FFG annual expert opinion. No competition, but only for genuine R&D under the Frascati criteria, not for routine work." }, "name": "What is the research premium (Forschungsprämie)?" }, { "@type": "Question", "acceptedAnswer": { "@type": "Answer", "text": "In principle yes, but under the double-funding ban: not the same euro twice. Different cost parts or project phases can come from different pots, EU maximum intensities cap the total. Settle the specific combination with FFG, aws and your tax advisor." }, "name": "Can I combine aws and FFG?" }, { "@type": "Question", "acceptedAnswer": { "@type": "Answer", "text": "Consulting: 80 percent up to EUR 400 (status analysis) or 50 percent up to EUR 1,000 (strategy), overall cap EUR 3,000. Implementation: up to 30 percent, max. EUR 6,000. But as of mid-2026 the official page reports the budget as exhausted." }, "name": "How much KMU.DIGITAL funding do I get?" }, { "@type": "Question", "acceptedAnswer": { "@type": "Answer", "text": "The official page kmudigital.at reports the budget as fully exhausted (as of June 2026). Consultant pages sometimes claim the opposite, but they have a vested interest. Check the current status before any planning." }, "name": "Is KMU.DIGITAL still open in 2026?" }, { "@type": "Question", "acceptedAnswer": { "@type": "Answer", "text": "Yes, if a research partner (university, university of applied sciences or research institution) is involved. Up to EUR 12,500 in eligible costs, 80 percent funding, so a maximum of EUR 10,000 grant, with a 20 percent co-pay." }, "name": "Does the Innovationsscheck fund AI?" }, { "@type": "Question", "acceptedAnswer": { "@type": "Answer", "text": "aws AI-Adoption or AI-Start, provided a call is open, or the KMU.DIGITAL implementation. FFG and the research premium do not fit, because mere adoption is not R&D." }, "name": "Which funding fits if I am only adopting an existing AI tool?" }, { "@type": "Question", "acceptedAnswer": { "@type": "Answer", "text": "Usually no. Using standard tools or building a wrapper generally does not meet the Frascati criteria. Only novel models or methods with a genuine knowledge objective are eligible." }, "name": "Does a ChatGPT or RAG project count as research for the research premium?" }, { "@type": "Question", "acceptedAnswer": { "@type": "Answer", "text": "The advertising names up to 80 percent, but that mixes grant, loan and tax credit and assumes open calls. The net cash grant is usually well below that. Calculate it per project." }, "name": "What is the realistic effective funding rate?" }, { "@type": "Question", "acceptedAnswer": { "@type": "Answer", "text": "For large R&D projects yes. For small grants the effort from expert opinions, documentation and call windows can eat up the benefit. Justify the project first, then look for funding." }, "name": "Is the application effort worth it?" } ] } ```