Digital.Plus 26: Up to €7,000 in funding for your digitalization project – and we implement it

Many day-to-day processes cost more time and money than they should. Data is scattered across Excel lists, quotes are typed up by hand, and IT security often leaves an uneasy feeling. Digitalization is the answer – but it costs money. That is exactly where DIGITAL.PLUS 26 comes in: a funding program by the WKO Upper Austria and the Province of Upper Austria that financially supports local companies in implementing their digitalization projects.

We have worked through the program for you and will tell you clearly what is possible and what is not.

What is funded?

DIGITAL.PLUS 26 supports both the conception and the implementation of digitalization projects that measurably increase your competitiveness. The program focuses on three thematic areas:

• Automation and digitalization of processes — from the first customer contact through purchasing, warehousing, production, and sales to invoicing and customer management. A seamless data flow replaces the paper chaos. We show what this looks like in practice in the article Automating processes — more about our work on the service page Digitalization.
• Intelligent data management and artificial intelligence – You're sitting on a treasure trove of data but don't know how to use it? Dashboards, AI-powered analysis tools, and structured data preparation turn scattered data into real decision-making foundations – this is exactly where our AI development comes in. You'll find concrete use cases under AI process automation and introducing AI in your company.
• Secure IT systems and cybersecurity – unprotected infrastructure opens the door to attackers. Technical and organizational security measures protect your business- and production-critical data – including secure home office solutions. Read here what matters in the interplay of data security and AI.

How much is available?

The key facts are quickly told:

• At least 12,000 euros in total project costs are required for a project to be eligible for funding.

• Funding covers a maximum of 35 percent of eligible costs, capped at 7,000 euros in subsidy.

• At least 20 percent of the eligible project costs must be attributable to consulting and/or IT services.

Eligible for funding are the costs of external service providers – such as our conception and implementation services – as well as project-related investment costs. Not eligible are internal personnel costs, internal efforts, and standard hardware and standard software as per the guideline.

The biggest stumbling block: marketing is not eligible for funding

Here we have to be honest, because many companies misjudge this: Projects in the digital marketing field are explicitly not eligible for funding. A new website, SEO, or Google and Meta campaigns therefore do not fall under DIGITAL.PLUS 26.

But that doesn't mean there's nothing in it for you. On the contrary: the crucial point is to think about and describe the project correctly. Connecting a web shop to your inventory management system is not marketing – that's process automation (more under custom online shops and setting up an online shop properly). A customer portal that automates orders, status updates, and invoices is digitalization – technically often a custom web application that we develop on the basis of Drupal. A central dashboard that brings together your sales and production data is data management.

This exact demarcation is our strength. We know where the line runs between “non-fundable marketing” and “fundable process digitalization” — and we shape your project so that it fits.

Who can apply?

Applications are open to small and medium-sized enterprises (including one-person businesses) that have their company headquarters in Upper Austria, hold an active membership in the WKO Upper Austria (valid trade license), and are in sound financial condition.

Each WKOÖ member can submit one project. Important: anyone who has already received funding from “Digital Starter 2023,” “Digital Starter 2024,” or “DIGITAL.PLUS 2025” cannot apply this time. In addition, your project may have started no earlier than ten weeks before the application in 2026, and no other funding may be running for it.

A detail that is often overlooked: there must be no ownership or personnel ties between you as the funding applicant and us as the service provider. In a normal client-agency relationship, this is a non-issue – we mention it only for the sake of completeness.

The deadlines – now it gets concrete

The time window is clearly defined:

• Application submission: June 1, 2026 to November 2, 2026 — online via the WKOÖ funding portal, after passing the self-check.
• Settlement: October 1, 2026 to March 31, 2027 at the latest — with final report, invoice, and proof of payment.

The budget is limited, and the utilization level is updated weekly. If you wait too long, you risk the funding pot being empty. Acting early pays off twice.

How working with us goes

We support you from the idea to the final billing – and take most of the work off your hands:

• Initial consultation and funding check. Together we assess whether your project fits one of the three focus areas and whether you are eligible to apply. We walk through the official self-check in the funding portal with you.
• Project scoping and quote. We structure the project so that it qualifies for funding – properly scoped, with the required service share of at least 20 percent and safely above the 12,000-euro threshold. We also deliver the quote for the application.
• Implementation. We implement the project – whether process automation, a custom online store, a web application, or a data platform. If you're still at the beginning, our roadmap Getting started with digitalization helps you assess where you stand.
• Settlement. We provide you with the documents you need for the final report.

The result: a digitalization project that makes your business noticeably more efficient – and one you get up to 7,000 euros cheaper thanks to the funding.

Is this worth it for you?

A quick example: for a project with 15,000 euros in eligible costs, the maximum funding rate of 35 percent applies – that's a 5,250-euro grant. At 20,000 euros, the cap of 7,000 euros kicks in. In both cases we're talking about several thousand euros contributed by the Province of Upper Austria instead of weighing on your budget.

If you're already considering automating a process, getting your data under control, or putting your IT security on a solid foundation, then 2026 is the right year for it.

All the key facts, the current budget status, and the direct line to the free funding check can be found on our page about the Digital.Plus 26 funding program.