aws Innovation Protection

aws Innovation Protection is the Austrian route for building and implementing a company-specific innovation-protection strategy under Austria Wirtschaftsservice Gesellschaft mbH. It was formerly known as aws Patent Funding or Patentförderung, and it covers patent work, trademarks, freedom-to-operate analysis, IP advice, and coaching. Eligible costs run from €20,000 to €150,000, with grant rates between 50% and 80% depending on the module. The current module mix is important. discover.IP and the informational appointment remain open year-round, Key Technologies opened on 12 August 2025, and the Implementation and AI Knowledge modules are closed to new applications. At the top rate, the public contribution reaches €120,000, which is the 80% share of the maximum eligible cost. The application language is German, and the route is built around a company’s protection plan rather than a generic innovation budget. This programme suits firms that already have a technology worth defending and need to turn that into a practical protection strategy. The strongest applicants usually arrive with a clear IP position, a defined commercial path, and a specific reason why patents, trademarks, or freedom-to-operate work will change the business outcome. It is a focused advisory grant, and the fit is strongest when the company can tie protection decisions directly to product and market strategy.

Each grant below is a distinct funding opportunity with its own eligibility, scope, and deliverables.