How Funding Agencies Really Think! What You Need to Know About AWS, FFG & Co

If your company is looking for financial support, sooner or later you will come into contact with Austrian funding agencies such as AWS or FFG. They provide non-repayable grants, low-interest loans, or consulting services and can be crucial for your growth.

But many underestimate what funding agencies actually expect. In this article, you’ll learn what really matters in a successful funding application – and how to think like a funding agency.

1. Jobs and know-how in Austria

The central mission of almost all funding agencies is: strengthening Austria as a business location. Concretely, this means:

• creating new jobs
• building expertise domestically
• securing long-term value creation

📌 Tip: In your application, show how your project creates jobs, builds knowledge, or strengthens Austria’s competitiveness. This is a central decision criterion.

2. Funding agencies avoid extreme risks

Even if you are risk-loving – funding agencies are not. They distribute public funds and must adhere to principles of efficiency and proportionality.

What doesn’t work:

• vague ideas without clear implementation
• projects with extremely low probability of success (“moonshots”)
• unrealistic financing plans

What works:

• realistic project planning
• a comprehensible business plan
• clear timeline, resources, and budget planning

📌 Tip: If your project is highly innovative but risky, consider complementing it with venture capital or alternative financing.

3. Clear goals, measurable results

Funding agencies don’t finance vague visions. What matters are:

• a clear project goal
• concrete milestones
• measurable results

Examples:

• development of a prototype
• achieving product-market fit
• entering a new industry

📌 Tip: Use simple wording in your application, visualize your project plan, and show how you measure progress (KPIs, milestones, deliverables).

4. Funding is taxpayers’ money, not free gifts

Many founders think of funding as “free money.” That’s a misconception. Funding agencies allocate public money with a specific purpose – you only receive it if your project creates societal or economic value.

Funding agencies want:

• more tax revenue through growing companies
• new jobs in structurally weak regions
• sustainable innovations with impact on environment, society, or technology

📌 Tip: Clearly show how your project contributes to Austria’s economy in the medium to long term, and highlight this in your application.

Our conclusion

Funding is not a reward for a good idea – it is a public investment in a project with added value. Those who understand this principle significantly improve their chances of success.

✅ In summary, your project should:

• create jobs or secure know-how
• be realistically planned and economically sound
• deliver clear goals and measurable results
• generate recognizable benefits for Austria