Background information
Funding opportunities for upskilling and reskilling to support the digital skills of individuals and organisations are available in the form of loans, grants and financial instruments. For the 2021-2026 period, most activities in the area of digital transformation are funded by the Recovery and Resilience Facility, but also as activities under Horizon, Erasmus +, ESIF and EEA grant programmes. More information can be found on the Austrian Recovery and Resilience website, Digital Austria.
Recovery and resilience facility
The Austrian recovery and resilience plan has a digital share of 52.8 % (EUR 1.8 billion). The plan will contribute to Austria’s digital transition in several areas.
- Investments in the ‘Digital Recovery’ and ‘Knowledge Based Recovery’ sub-components address digital skills. These initiatives focus on the digitalisation of education, reskilling and upskilling. For example, the RRP allocated EUR 172 million for the provision of personal IT equipment to all pupils in secondary education.
- Supporting the large-scale deployment of Gigabit access networks addresses connectivity. The plan foresees that 50 % of Austrian households have an internet speed capacity of 100 Mbits/s. EUR 891 million is expected to be allocated to this target.
- To promote innovative research, in particular quantum computing, the plan allocates EUR 107 million to support digital infrastructures and international research collaboration.
- In addition, the Digitalisation Fund contributes EUR 160 million to the digitalisation of the public sector. By funding projects with interdepartmental impact, this will help accelerate the digitalisation of the federal government.
Two measures to support the digital transformation of businesses and SMEs are part of the Austrian Recovery and Resilience Plan. Under the first measure, companies investing in the digitalisation of cybersecurity business models, processes and measures are eligible for an investment premium. By 2025, at least 7,000 companies are expected to receive a total of EUR 69 million in funding. The SME specific measure comprises two support programmes: (I) KMU.DIGITAL, which provides advice and support for the implementation of digitalisation projects, and (ii) e-specific KMU. E-commerceprogramme. The total budget available for the two programmes is EUR 32 million. In addition, six Digital Innovation Hubs have been established throughout Austria with distinct geographic and thematic seals. They will be complemented by European Digital Innovation Hubs in response to a current call for proposals.
National grant
Enterprises are also encouraged to provide ICT training, in particular SMEs. A federal support programme with a budget of EUR 2.6 million was launched to develop staff skills in IT management, cybersecurity, cloud computing services and e-commerce. This ‘Qualifizierungsoffensive’offers digital skills vouchers and ‘pro Bootcamp digital camps’, where participants are trained for 4 weeks.
Through theDigi Scheckinitiative, the Federal Ministry of Labour and Economy funds training courses for apprentices that strengthen their professional and interprofessional skills in future-oriented skills in digitalisation, climate protection, sustainability, energy and resource management and internationalisation, as part of dual training through grants. Up to EUR 500 per course, with a maximum of three courses per year, will be supported by public funding.
Several STEM projects and activities are scheduled between 2022 and 2 024 in an effort to guide students and women towards ICT. In programmes related to ICT, artificial intelligence (AI), cybersecurity, Internet of Things and e-government, 3,700 new study spaces will be created. In addition, the Technische Universität für Digitalisierung und Digitale Transformation in Linz, a new technical university for digitalisation and digital transformation, will be established in the 2023/24 academic year. News about TU DuDT is available on Linz News.
Several funding options are also available on the Digital Skills and Jobs Platform. You can find a list for Austria on this link.