Austria’s economic policy places particular emphasis on the Life Sciences and Biotech sector which is considered one of the key technologies in Austria’s Industrial Strategy 2035. This priority is also reflected in the expanding range of attractive new as well as already open funding calls.
With the new call “Flagship Projects Digital Health Austria 2026”, the Austrian Research Promotion Agency (FFG) acting as funding agency is providing 7.5 million Euro in support for innovative, digital consortium projects designed to advance healthcare. However, this is only one of several funding calls, including both general calls and calls specifically targeting this sector.
The call “Flagship Projects Digital Health Austria 2026” at a glance
Funding per project |
minimum 2 million €, maximum 3 million € |
|
Funding rate |
up to 80% depending on company size and type of aid |
|
Target groups |
companies of all sizes, research institutions, startups and other relevant organisations in the context of a consortium consisting of at least three independent partners |
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Submission deadline |
30 November 2026 (mandatory submission meeting until 30 October 2026) |
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Duration of funded project |
maximum 24 months |
What is the programme specifically aimed at?
The focus is on cooperative R&D projects that offer clear potential for applications across several of the following dimensions:
- Digital technologies for further development of healthcare
- Systematic consideration of gender and diversity aspects to reduce inequalities
- Development of transferable solutions for different care settings
- Application readiness, implementation, and utilisation of project results
- Responsibility, ethics, and societal relevance
Which costs are eligible for funding?
Eligible are personnel costs, costs of infrastructure use, costs of materials, third-party costs, travel costs and overheads.
What other calls are available?
Without a consortium requirement, the following funding opportunities in the Life Sciences and Biotech sector are currently still open for applications:
- “Austrian Life Sciences 2024 - 2026”: relates to digitalisation of healthcare and focusses on developing new, effective, high-quality and affordable drugs and medical devices and to planning and implementation of interventional phase I and II clinical studies. The funding amount is up to 3 million Euro with a funding rate of 25%-70% depending on company size and project type.
- “Industrial Key Technologies – Lead Companies 2030” aims to translate research results from individual companies into tangible products, processes, or services. For further information, see our previous newsletter.
Contact: Daniela Stastny, Edina Dobos
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