The Wirtschaftsagentur Wien funds digitalisation projects of Viennese SMEs with 50 percent of eligible costs, up to €50,000 per project. Dometrics checks eligibility, delivers the digitalisation plan, project description and a quote broken down by cost type, and implements the project.
Most rejected or reduced applications do not fail because of the project, but because of form, sequence and justification.
According to the guidelines, new software or a website relaunch on its own is not eligible. Funding goes to projects that build on a coherent digitalisation plan.
If a project is commissioned or started before the application is submitted, the funding is usually lost. The sequence is decisive.
Quotes without a clear separation by cost type make the review and later settlement harder. Eligible and ineligible items get mixed up.
An application that only describes features is not convincing. What convinces is which process changes and which metric improves as a result.
The Wirtschaftsagentur reviews projects against fixed criteria. Businesses that prepare the documents in this order submit a complete application.
SME, active in Vienna for at least one year, de minimis allowance available, project from €10,000.
Starting point, goals, measures and metrics. The project is one building block of this plan, not a standalone measure.
External services, software and training clearly separated, so that review and settlement work without follow-up questions.
Online with the Wirtschaftsagentur, before commissioning and project start. The application comes from the company.
Project within the timeframe, invoices by cost type, proof of implementation. An advance payment is possible.
The same budget can fail as a standalone measure or convince as part of a plan. What matters is how the project is described.
| Criterion | Weak application | Strong application |
|---|---|---|
| Website | New design, new copy | Website connected to CRM and booking system, enquiries without media breaks |
| Tracking | Install analytics | Data model across shop, CRM and ad accounts with a dashboard for decisions |
| AI | Licences for an AI tool | AI assistant in customer service with response time and resolution rate as target metrics |
| Processes | Buy software | Digitise the quoting process, with lead time as the metric |
| Justification | Describes features | Describes starting point, change and measurable impact |
For most data and AI projects, the Förderung Digitalisierung is the right programme. If the project involves genuine development, the FFG is also an option.
Wirtschaftsagentur Wien
Data integration, dashboards, AI applications and software from €10,000 project costs, based on a digitalisation plan.
FFG
AI development with a genuine research and development share. Simply introducing existing tools is not eligible.
As of October 2026, the Wirtschaftsagentur Wien digitalisation grant (Förderung Digitalisierung) is one of the strongest open programmes for data and AI projects in Austria. Half of the eligible costs are covered, up to €50,000 per project [1]. At the same time, the deadline is close: the final submission date of the current programme is 31 December 2026.
| Feature | Förderung Digitalisierung Vienna |
|---|---|
| Funding body | Wirtschaftsagentur Wien |
| Type of funding | Non-repayable grant, de minimis aid |
| Funding rate | 50 % of eligible costs |
| Maximum grant | €50,000 per project |
| Minimum size | €10,000 in eligible project costs |
| Eligible applicants | SMEs active in Vienna for at least one year |
| Requirement | Coherent digitalisation plan |
| Submission | Online, final date 31 Dec 2026 |
| Advance payment | Up to 50 % of the approved amount possible |
All information without guarantee, as of 10 October 2026. Only the current guidelines of the Wirtschaftsagentur are binding [1].
The digitalisation plan is the core of the application. It does not describe the project itself, but the framework in which the project makes sense. According to the programme, standalone measures are not eligible: the plan turns a measure into a building block.
A Viennese online retailer plans a data project: shop, inventory management and ad accounts are connected in a shared data model, on which a dashboard and a revenue forecast for purchasing are built. External implementation and software amount to €48,000 in eligible costs. At a 50 percent funding rate, the grant is €24,000 and the company’s own contribution drops to €24,000. With eligible costs of €100,000 or more, the maximum of €50,000 is reached.
Important: The grant is de minimis aid. Under EU law, such aid may not exceed a total of €300,000 per company within three years [3]. De minimis funding already received counts towards this limit.
Good fits are projects that connect existing data with decisions or processes: GDPR-compliant tracking with a data model and dashboard, an AI assistant in customer service, automated quote generation or lead scoring with CRM integration. Weak candidates are pure design relaunches, advertising budgets and licences without a project context. If a project involves genuine development with technical risk, the FFG Basisprogramm Kleinprojekt may also be an option [4].
Remember: Application first, commission second. Plan, project description and quote must be ready by 31 December 2026. Companies that start now have enough time for a complete application.
An overview of all open and closed programmes is available under Funding for data and AI. For Lower Austria, digi4Wirtschaft is the relevant programme.
Project, company and timeframe are reviewed. If the project does not fit the programme, Dometrics says so immediately.
Digitalisation plan, project description and quote by cost type are prepared and aligned.
The company submits online to the Wirtschaftsagentur. Commissioning happens only afterwards.
Project according to plan, ongoing documentation and records for the final settlement.
Small and medium-sized enterprises that have been active in Vienna for at least one year at the time of application. The grant is de minimis aid, so the allowance for it must still be available. The binding requirements are set out in the current guidelines of the Wirtschaftsagentur.
50 percent of eligible costs are funded, up to €50,000 per project. The project must include at least €10,000 in eligible costs. The maximum amount is reached at €100,000 in eligible costs.
As of October 2026, the Wirtschaftsagentur states 31 December 2026 as the final submission date of the current programme. Since the digitalisation plan, project description and quote must be ready, preparation should start in November at the latest.
According to the programme, this includes the development and implementation of digital solutions, external consulting during implementation, training costs and tangible and intangible investments. The project must build on a coherent digitalisation plan. Standalone measures are not eligible.
Yes, if they change a specific process as part of a digitalisation plan, for example an AI assistant in customer service, automated quote generation or a forecasting model. Pure licence costs for AI tools without a project context are usually not convincing.
As with most grants, commissioning and project start come only after the application has been submitted. Whether a start after submission but before approval is permitted is governed by the guidelines. For funded projects, Dometrics only begins once the application has been filed.
According to the programme, an advance payment of up to 50 percent of the approved grant is possible. The remainder is paid out after the project has been completed and settled.
No sales pitch, no commitment. Dometrics responds with an honest assessment and says so when there is no leverage to be found.
