FFG Frontrunner
Funds Austrian start-ups and scale-ups building transformative innovation with Frontrunner-style support.
FFG Frontrunner 2026 is part of the Austrian Research Promotion Agency's Transformation Initiative, targeting SMEs—particularly scaleups—that are on their way to becoming established technological and innovation leaders, as well as companies already recognised as Frontrunners. The programme funds experimental development projects (TRL 5–8) that contribute to the sustainable and/or digital transfor…
Internationally oriented R&D in experimental development (TRL 5–8) contributing to the sustainable and/or digital transformation of the economy. Open to all topics within that scope.
Sign up free to see the funding breakdown
Sign up free to see the industries in scope
Sign up free to see the full eligibility
Sign up free to see how to apply
Sign up free to see what you submit
Sign up free to see the timeline
Guides for this application
All guides →Grant Financials and Co-Funding Evidence: Examples for Startup Applications
See examples of grant financials, match funding evidence, co-funding tables, accountant letters, investor commitments, and budget-to-work-plan checks.
Start hereTRL Levels Explained for Deeptech Founders
Learn what TRL levels mean, how to estimate technology readiness, and how TRL affects grants, EIC Accelerator, SBIR/STTR, funding stage, and application evidence.
DocumentsGrant Work Plan Template: Work Packages, Gantt, Milestones, and Risks
Use this grant work plan template to structure work packages, tasks, owners, deliverables, Gantt timing, dependencies, and risk registers.
DocumentsProof-of-Concept Data for Grants: Evidence Examples for Deeptech Applications
See how to present proof-of-concept data in grant applications, with examples for evidence registers, test logs, pilot data, and prior project proof.
More from FFG
All grants from this funder →FFG COMET Projects
🇦🇹FFG · Austria
Supports Austrian academia and firms through collaborative innovation projects that turn research outputs into commercial solutions.
FFG Austrian Life Sciences
🇦🇹FFG · Austria
Supports Austrian life-science innovation in digital health, drug development, and medical technologies.
FFG General Programme
🇦🇹FFG · Austria
Offers Austrian companies broad, cross-sector innovation support through flexible grants and loans.
BRIDGE
🇦🇹FFG · Austria
Funds Austrian science-industry consortia transferring basic research toward industrial applications.
FFG Eco-Cheque
🇦🇹FFG · Austria
Supports Austrian small businesses and non profits with small grants for pilot environmental technology projects and solution testing.
Similar grants
Browse the directory →Rethinking sustainable competitiveness beyond traditional perspectives: role and contribution of the Social Economy
🇪🇺European Commission · European Union
Funds research measuring how cooperatives, mutuals and social enterprises contribute to the EU's sustainable competitiveness.
Consolidation of the research infrastructure landscape – development of complementarities, synergies and/or integration between a set of pan-European research infrastructures
🇪🇺European Commission · European Union
Funds complementary services, synergies and integration across Europe’s major research infrastructures.
Consolidation of the research infrastructure landscape – individual support for evolution, long-term sustainability and emerging needs of pan-European research infrastructures
🇪🇺European Commission · European Union
Funds individual support to a single ESFRI Landmark or European Research Infrastructure Consortium to strengthen, evolve or sustain a pan-European research infrastructure.
Pillar II: Talent ecosystems for attractive early research careers
🇪🇺European Commission · European Union
Funds cross-sector consortia building 'talent ecosystems' that connect researcher training with employer needs to make early research careers more attractive.
The effective use of artificial intelligence in learning environments in pre-primary and primary education
🇪🇺European Commission · European Union
Funds long-term studies on how AI tools affect learning outcomes and wellbeing in pre-primary and primary schools.
Persons with disabilities: opportunities for labour inclusion and social protection through the life course
🇪🇺European Commission · European Union
Funds research on closing the employment gap and fixing social-protection benefit traps for people with disabilities.