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FFG Basisprogramm Kleinprojekt

FFG grant for small research and development projects by SMEs and startups, with applications accepted at any time.

At a glance

What it is worth
Up to €88,500of benefit per company · 60% of the eligible spend · maximum investment €150,000
When you apply
From 1 January 2026 to 31 December 2026
Where it stands
Open: you have until 31 December 2026
Stacks with other aid
Stacking not stated
Which companies
Only SMEsThresholds per the EU SME definition
Who can apply
SMEs and startups doing research and development in Austria, for experimental development projects up to prototype, MVP or PoC.
How to apply
Application in the FFG eCall system, with a project description, a cost plan and attachments.
Who funds it
National (Italy) · Austria
Official source
FFG, Oesterreichische Forschungsfoerderungsgesellschaft · Last checked: 26 September 2026

What it funds

FFG supports company-led experimental development projects, with no restriction on topic or technology, that aim at a usable result: a product with an MVP or PoC, a process or a service, digital innovations included. The direct costs of the project qualify: personnel, third-party services, equipment use, materials and travel. The support is a grant on project costs, so it covers a share and the rest stays with the company.

Requirements and what is left out

  • The measure is for small and medium enterprises and for startups: anyone above the European SME thresholds stays out, even with a fitting project.
  • It takes an experimental development project with innovative content and technical risk, defined objectives and a clear solution path: buying off-the-shelf technology and switching it on is not enough.
  • Companies in difficulty under European State aid rules are excluded from the grant.
  • Proof is needed that the company can pay the cost share that stays with it: with no coverage of its own part the application does not stand.
  • Cooperation with a scientific partner is optional and raises the covered share; cooperation between companies alone does not raise it.

How to apply

  1. Prepare the project description, the work packages, the cost plan with its financing and the attachments for your case, such as the business plan and CVs.
  2. File the application in the FFG eCall system, where content and costs must be described in full and in a verifiable way.

Applications can be filed at any time and FFG decides in seven sessions a year. The conditions in full are on the call page.

What this budget builds

I build the prototype the call asks for: working software up to an MVP or PoC, with the data, the integrations and the tests showing it holds up in real use. I work in small verifiable packages, so every session finds readable progress and the people who stay in the company know how to carry on without me.

This entry is informational and is not advice: I do not handle grant applications, and before committing to a purchase it is worth reading the official source above or talking to whoever files the application.

Not sure where to start? Tell me what you want to solve and I will tell you what can be built, and which incentives cover it.

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