FFG Frontrunner

FFG Frontrunner sits under the Austrian Research Promotion Agency (FFG) and backs internationally oriented R&D projects from SMEs on the way to becoming Frontrunners, along with established Frontrunner companies. The programme is aimed at technological and innovative leaders whose business strategy points to sustainable or digital transformation, and it is framed as part of Austria's wider research funding system. Funding is a non-repayable grant of up to 45% of eligible project costs, with the rate set at 45% for small enterprises, 35% for medium-sized firms, and 25% for larger enterprises. The programme covers experimental development at TRL 5-8, is usually limited to single-firm projects, and caps support at EUR 3 million. Applications are rolling through eCall, with seven decision-board meetings each year, and companies may hold only one Frontrunner project per research category. The strongest fit is an Austrian company that already has scale, a clear development plan, and a project that can stand alone without a consortium bonus. Small enterprises with up to nine employees and companies in the startup phase are not the target audience. Applicants do best when the proposal reads as a serious industrial development effort tied to measurable transformation rather than as a broad exploratory idea.

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