The "Soft Loans | Co-financing" business unit is responsible for all ERP funding products, a range of grant programs, and tasks related to the implementation of EU funding and EU programs.

In addition to the well-established ERP loan program, which is ideal for financing innovation and growth projects for both young companies and established businesses of all sizes, the business unit also manages grant programs from national and EU financial sources. 

Besides grants from EU funds (ERDF, EAFRD, and the temporarily available RRF), national funds also constitute significant financing sources to achieve the European Union's strategic goals. These funds are made available to the Austrian economy through various funding programs. They are used for Important Projects of Common European Interest (IPCEI) as well as to increase the resilience of the European economy regarding the supply of semiconductors and microchips (European Chips Act) and to improve energy supply from an ecological perspective (Hydrogen Promotion Act and Gas Diversification), and to enhance the healthcare system by installing primary care facilities based on detailed program documents. 

Further programs, particularly to increase awareness and quality aspects in the food systems sector (aws Sustainable Food Systems Initiative and processing of agricultural products), and the transfer of scientific knowledge from quantum physics into commercially viable products and processes, complete the range of offerings of the "Loans | Cofinancing" business unit. 

Additionally, the business unit is responsible for managing support measures for non-profit organizations that were developed during the COVID-19 pandemic and subsequently during the energy crisis.

The business unit is divided into four operational departments: 

• Loan Management and Co-financing for Start-ups and SMEs 
• Loan Management and Co-financing for Industry 
• Monitoring and Paying Agency for EU Structural Funds
• NPO Support Fund

The products of this business area include e.g. funding products for company founders and recently formed companies, programmes to accelerate company growth, to strengthen international competitive position (internationalisation):

• Guarantees for start-ups and young enterprises
• Guarantees for SMEs
• Guarantees for corporates and internationalisation
• Equity
• Employment bonus

Entrepreneurship

The aim of the Entrepreneurship department is to support prospective founders and entrepreneurs through training, workshops and mentoring and funding to become innovative (pre-)start-ups. We start at school level with Jugend Innovativ - Austria's largest school competition (to increase the willingness to start a business) - up to the State Prize for Innovation (the highest award for innovation in the Republic of Austria).

Austria's extraordinary innovative and creative potential can also be found in the Austrian film industry. Thus, we also provide film funding.

Participation in European funding programmes is also part of this department – with the aim to increase the use of European projects initiated know-how in Austrian funding programmes, research and technologies, and thus leveling the impact potential of our programmes. Moreover, we want to shape the framework conditions for European innovation programmes and the formation of strategic partnerships and exchange of good practices.

IP Management

The IP Management department offers comprehensive support for all questions of intellectual property such as patents, trademarks and non-disclosure strategies and their implementation in companies. SMEs, start-ups, spin-offs and research organisations find help with evaluating their property rights situation, funding in obtaining property rights, advice on creating their property rights strategy and in enforcing their property rights. As the national contact point for intellectual property in open knowledge transfer and by promoting knowledge transfer centers, we make a significant contribution to the knowledge and technology transfer in Austria. The department also organises the Austrian start-up prize Phoenix.

Deep Technologies

The focus of the Deep Technologies department is the founding and development of scalable high-tech start-ups and spin-offs mainly in the fields of life sciences, digitization and green tech. The AplusB centers, the academic start-up incubators of the federal states, are also supported. The iöb toolbox programme promotes innovative public procurement projects in a targeted manner.