KMU.DIGITAL
BMWET, WKO & aws
- Rate
- 80 / 50 / 30 %
- Maximum
- €6,000 implementation
- Status
- Budget exhausted, not continued from 2027
Status analysis, strategy consulting and implementation. New applications are no longer possible.
KMU.DIGITAL · Status 2026 · As of 10 Oct 2026 KMU.DIGITAL has expired.
KMU.DIGITAL has expired.
These are the alternatives.
The KMU.DIGITAL budget is exhausted, new applications are no longer possible, and according to the official programme page the programme will not be continued from 2027. Dometrics is a certified KMU.DIGITAL consultant and shows which grants for digitalisation projects are still open.
Eligible costs€60,000
Grant (20 %)€12,000
Documents2 / 5
- KMU.DIGITAL approval settled
- Lower Austria location checked
- Data project defined
- Quote by cost type
- Submission via funding portal
01 €0 Remaining KMU.DIGITAL 4.0 budget, no new applications
02 2027 no continuation according to the official programme page
03 50 % Alternative in Vienna: Förderung Digitalisierung
04 20 % Alternative in Lower Austria: digi4Wirtschaft
01 The starting point
What the end of KMU.DIGITAL means.
For many small businesses, KMU.DIGITAL was the entry point to funded digitalisation. The end hits projects hardest that were already planned but not yet submitted.
Planned consulting without funding
Status and strategy consulting planned for 2026 or 2027 can no longer be funded through KMU.DIGITAL. The company's own share rises to the full amount.
Implementation funding is gone
Implementation funding built on a completed consulting phase. That chain is broken, including for companies that have already completed the consulting.
Outdated information in circulation
Many websites still advertise KMU.DIGITAL funding. Enquiring there costs time that is then missing for other programmes before the end of the year.
Alternatives are regionally scattered
Instead of one nationwide programme, there are grants from the federal states with different rates, minimum sizes and deadlines. The choice depends on the location.
02 The route
From KMU.DIGITAL to the right programme.
There is a replacement for most projects. However, it often requires a larger, better justified project.
- 01 · Status
Clarify current approvals
Projects already approved are completed and settled under the terms of their approval.
- 02 · Location
Determine the region
Vienna, Lower Austria or another federal state: this determines which programme is an option.
- 03 · Project
Sharpen the project
A consulting engagement becomes a project with a plan, a measure and a metric, often with a larger scope.
- 04 · Application
Submit before year end
The open programmes in Vienna and Lower Austria end on 31 December 2026.
- 05 · Implementation
Implement and settle
Project within the timeframe, cleanly documented for the settlement.
03 Comparison
KMU.DIGITAL versus Förderung Digitalisierung Vienna.
The Vienna grant is not a one-to-one replacement, but for many data and AI projects it is the stronger programme.
| Criterion | KMU.DIGITAL (expired) | Förderung Digitalisierung Vienna (open) |
|---|---|---|
| Status | Budget exhausted, no continuation from 2027 | Submission by 31 Dec 2026 |
| Funding rate | 80 % status analysis, 50 % strategy, 30 % implementation | 50 % of eligible costs |
| Maximum | Implementation up to €6,000 | Up to €50,000 per project |
| Minimum size | Small consulting modules possible | From €10,000 in eligible costs |
| Region | All of Austria | Companies active in Vienna for at least one year |
04 Funding programmes · As of 10 Oct 2026
Programmes after KMU.DIGITAL.
As of October 2026: KMU.DIGITAL is closed, three other programmes are accepting applications.
Förderung Digitalisierung (digitalisation grant)
Wirtschaftsagentur Wien
- Rate
- 50 %
- Maximum
- €50,000
- Status
- Submission until 31 Dec 2026
Data integration, dashboards, AI applications and software from €10,000 project costs, based on a digitalisation plan.
digi4Wirtschaft: digi Investition data
State of Lower Austria & WKNÖ
- Rate
- 20 %
- Maximum
- €25,000
- Status
- 1 Oct to 31 Dec 2026, while budget lasts
Projects that connect existing operational data with decisions: integration, analysis, forecasting, AI.
Basisprogramm Kleinprojekt 2026 (small R&D projects)
FFG
- Rate
- 35–60 %
- Maximum
- €88,500
- Status
- Submission until 31 Dec 2026
AI development with a genuine research and development share. Simply introducing existing tools is not eligible.
05 In detail
What KMU.DIGITAL funded and what applies now.
For several years, KMU.DIGITAL was the best-known funding programme for the digitalisation of small and medium-sized enterprises in Austria. The programme, run by the Ministry of Economic Affairs and the Austrian Economic Chamber (WKO) and administered through the aws, financed a large share of consulting and implementation. As of October 2026, the budget is exhausted, and according to the official programme page KMU.DIGITAL will not be continued from 2027 [1].
What KMU.DIGITAL funded
Most recently, the programme consisted of three building blocks that built on each other. The status analysis was funded at 80 percent, up to €400 per topic. Strategy consulting at 50 percent, up to €1,000. This could be followed by implementation funding at 30 percent, up to €6,000. Consulting could only be carried out by certified consultants. Dometrics is listed as such a consultant in the e-commerce and online marketing area.
Why the programme is ending
The official programme page cites consolidation measures in the federal budget as the reason [1]. As of October 2026, no successor programme at federal level has been announced. For companies, this means that funded digitalisation will in future run mainly through the federal states and through research funding.
Important: Companies holding a KMU.DIGITAL approval should check the deadlines in the approval now. Approved projects are completed and settled under their terms. A missed settlement deadline cannot be compensated through a new programme.
The alternatives by location
| Location | Programme | Conditions | Deadline |
|---|---|---|---|
| Vienna | Förderung Digitalisierung, Wirtschaftsagentur Wien | 50 %, up to €50,000, from €10,000 project costs | 31 Dec 2026 |
| Lower Austria | digi4Wirtschaft, digi Investition data | 20 %, up to €25,000, from €5,000 project costs | 31 Dec 2026, while budget lasts |
| Austria | FFG Basisprogramm Kleinprojekt | 35–60 %, up to €88,500, only with a development share | 31 Dec 2026 |
| Other federal states | Programmes of the state funding bodies | varies by state | depends on programme |
All information without guarantee, as of 10 October 2026 [2][3][4].
A consulting engagement becomes a project
The most important difference from KMU.DIGITAL is size. KMU.DIGITAL funded even small consulting modules. The open programmes require a project with a plan, a measure and measurable impact, in Vienna from €10,000 in eligible costs. For many companies this is an opportunity: instead of a funded analysis, the project that follows from the analysis is funded, for example GDPR-compliant tracking with a dashboard or AI automation.
Remember: KMU.DIGITAL is over, funded digitalisation is not. It is shifting to the federal states and to larger, better justified projects.
Details on the strongest alternative are available under Digitalisation grant Vienna. The full overview of all programmes is on the page Funding for data and AI.
06 Scope of work
What Dometrics offers after KMU.DIGITAL.
- Check whether an approved KMU.DIGITAL project can still be completed on time
- Matching the project to the right state or federal programme
- Expanding a consulting engagement into an eligible implementation project
- Digitalisation plan, project description and quote by cost type
- Implementation and documentation ready for settlement
07 Process
How the project runs
Clarify status
Is there a current approval or a completed consulting engagement? The next step depends on it.
Choose programme
Location, project size and content determine which open programme fits.
Application
Documents are prepared and the company submits before year end.
Implementation
Project according to plan, documentation for the settlement.
08 FAQ
Frequently asked questions
Can KMU.DIGITAL still be applied for in 2026?
No. The KMU.DIGITAL 4.0 budget is exhausted and new applications for consulting and implementation are no longer possible. According to various sources, this also applies to the KMU.DIGITAL & GREEN funding line.
Will KMU.DIGITAL return in 2027?
According to the official programme page, KMU.DIGITAL will not be continued from 2027 due to consolidation measures in the federal budget. As of October 2026, no direct successor programme has been announced.
What happens to projects that have already been approved?
Approved projects are completed and settled under the terms of their approval. The deadlines stated in the approval are decisive. Companies that are unsure should review their documents now and not leave the settlement until the last day.
What did KMU.DIGITAL fund most recently?
Most recently, status analyses were funded at 80 percent, up to €400 per topic, strategy consulting at 50 percent, up to €1,000, and implementation projects at 30 percent, up to €6,000. The consulting could only be carried out by certified consultants.
Which grant is available instead of KMU.DIGITAL?
That depends on the location. In Vienna, the Wirtschaftsagentur funds digitalisation projects at 50 percent, up to €50,000, for projects from €10,000. In Lower Austria, digi4Wirtschaft funds data projects at 20 percent, up to €25,000. For development projects there is the FFG Basisprogramm Kleinprojekt. Other federal states have their own programmes run by their state funding bodies.
Is Dometrics still a KMU.DIGITAL consultant?
Yes, Dometrics is listed as a certified consultant in the e-commerce and online marketing area. Since the programme no longer accepts applications, Dometrics now applies this experience to applications in the open programmes.
