aws Grants for Digitalisation and AI 2026: Programmes and Amounts

Last updated: September 2026

If you are planning a digitalisation or AI project in Austria, you can get grants for it. The most important points of contact are the aws (Austria Wirtschaftsservice), the KMU.DIGITAL programme and, in Styria, the SFG. This article shows what the programmes offer, how large the grants are and where applications most often fail.

The most important rule applies to almost every programme: the application must be submitted before the project begins.

What is the aws digitalisation grant?

The aws is Austria's federal promotional bank. AWS here stands for Austria Wirtschaftsservice, not Amazon Web Services. Under the name "aws Digitalisierung" it awards non-repayable grants for digitalising products, services and processes and for e-commerce. Depending on the programme, grants of up to €150,000 are possible.

Consulting and implementation costs are eligible. The company needs a registered office or a permanent establishment in Austria. Which company sizes and sectors are eligible is defined by each programme.

The aws AI programmes

For projects involving artificial intelligence, the aws has set up dedicated modules:

• AI-Start: supports an SME's first implementation of an AI project with up to €15,000.
• AI-Wissen: the aws provides up to 20 hours of innovation consulting, with a grant of up to €20,000.
• AI-Adoption: for larger projects, with up to €150,000 per company. According to the aws, this call is currently closed.

The programmes work with calls that open and close again. So before any planning, check on aws.at which calls are currently open.

KMU.DIGITAL: consulting and implementation

KMU.DIGITAL (the Austrian federal SME digitalisation programme) is run jointly by the federal government, the Austrian Economic Chamber (WKO) and the aws, and has two stages:

• Consulting: a status and potential analysis is funded at 80%, up to a maximum of €400. Strategy consulting is funded at 50%, up to a maximum of €1,000.
• Implementation: implementation projects are funded at 30%, up to a maximum of €6,000. Eligible costs must be between €2,000 and €30,000 net.

If you want implementation funding, you must first complete a funded KMU.DIGITAL consultation. According to kmudigital.at, the budget of KMU.DIGITAL 4.0 is currently exhausted. New applications will only be possible with a new round of the programme.

Funding in Styria: the SFG

The SFG (Steirische Wirtschaftsförderung, the Styrian business promotion agency) supports digitalisation projects of Styrian companies with its own programmes. Under the Digitalisierungskostenzuschuss (digitalisation cost grant), for example, funding amounts to 30% of eligible costs, up to a maximum of €2,500, for projects of €3,000 or more. Eligible items include ERP and CRM systems with interfaces, booking platforms, customer portals and the first-time creation of a website or online shop. The grant can be used once per calendar year.

Regional and federal funding can often be combined. Whether and to what extent is checked by the funding body concerned.

Step by step to your application

1. Describe the project: What is being digitalised, which problem does it solve, and how will you measure success?
2. Obtain quotes: Most programmes require a transparent cost plan, usually based on external quotes.
3. Choose the right programme: Check the target group, the funding rate and whether the call is currently open.
4. Apply before the project starts: As a rule, no binding orders may be placed and no work may begin beforehand.
5. Implement and claim: After the project, you submit invoices and evidence, and the grant is then paid out.

Common mistakes in funding applications

• Applying after the project has started: the most common reason for rejection. As a rule, nothing is funded retrospectively.
• A project description that is too vague: "We want to become more digital" is not enough. Funding bodies want to see concrete goals and cost items.
• The wrong programme: A pure hardware project rarely fits a digitalisation grant, and a research project is more likely to suit the FFG (Austrian Research Promotion Agency) than KMU.DIGITAL.
• Missing the call: Many programmes have fixed submission deadlines or a limited budget. If you are late, you miss out.

How EA Digital Solutions helps

We plan digitalisation and AI projects so that they fit a funding programme: with a clear project description, a transparent cost plan and a realistic timeline. You will find an overview of all programmes on our page on AI funding in Austria. For a specific project, start with our digitalisation consulting in Graz or our AI consulting in Graz.

All information as of September 2026, based on aws.at, kmudigital.at and sfg.at. Funding conditions change; the current programme document is always authoritative.

Adam Khalil is the founder of EA Digital Solutions e.U. and has been developing custom software and integration solutions for companies in Austria, Germany and beyond since 2019.