Contact Us Export Funding & Financing for Styrian Companies
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More informationAre you planning to enter a new foreign market, participate in an international trade fair, run digital marketing in a target country, or pursue a larger export deal?
Then it pays to think about funding and financing early on – ideally before you start the project or incur any costs.
ICS provides Styrian companies with personal advice on suitable export funding programs, funding requirements, and financing options. Together, we determine which programs fit your project, which deadlines apply, and what the sensible next steps are.
Which export funding suits your project?
Funding programs vary depending on the target market, type of project, company size, previous activities, and planned costs. A one-size-fits-all answer is therefore rare. What matters most is assessing your project early and checking funding eligibility before the project starts.
- Entering a new export market
- Marketing and sales activities abroad
- International trade fair appearances and competition participation
- Consulting, travel, and market development measures
- International tenders and project business
- Training in connection with internationalization
- Financing ongoing export business, investments, or activities abroad
In a personal consultation, we assess which funding or financing option is fundamentally suitable for your company and where further coordination with funding bodies, AUSSENWIRTSCHAFT AUSTRIA, SFG, OeKB, or your bank makes sense.
Overview of Funding Options
go-international: Support for new markets and international activities
The current funding period runs until March 31, 2027. For Styrian companies, ICS is a personal point of contact for advice on direct funding and the application process.
The five direct funding programs include:
- Internationalization Voucher – for sustainable entry into new target countries
- Digital Marketing Voucher – for initial targeted online marketing activities in the target country
- Project Business Voucher – for international tenders and project business
- Education Voucher – for training employees at foreign branches
- Sourcing Voucher – for advice on new procurement markets
The direct funding programs are grants; specific requirements, funding amounts, durations, and eligible costs vary by voucher. We will help you determine which option fits your project and what conditions you should consider before applying.
Expert Advice – Direct and Simple
Our expert supports you with all questions regarding go-international funding as well as preparing your application.
Marion Kikinger
Export Funding Advisory
SFG Funding for Internationalization and Export
Welt!Markt currently includes, among other things:
- Trade fair appearances abroad
- International competition participation
- Market development
- European technology transfer and cooperation
Depending on the module, grants of up to 60% of eligible project costs are possible. Here too, the application must be submitted before the project begins. For training measures, the SFG funding program Weiter!Bilden may also be relevant. Which SFG funding actually fits and what evidence is required in a specific case depends on the project. ICS helps you make sense of federal and state funding programs and avoid overlaps.
Expert Advice – Direct and Simple
Our expert supports you with all questions regarding SFG funding as well as preparing your application.
Marion Kikinger
Export Funding Advisory
© Christof Hütter Photography DiGEM – Digital Gateway Emerging Markets | Funding for Market Entry and Expansion
For selected companies, 75% of the costs of eligible external consulting services can be covered.
This program is a good fit for your project if, for example, you:
- want to analyze and enter new emerging markets,
- want to professionally prepare market entry, localization, or sales structures,
- want to build or further develop digital or AI-supported processes for your international business,
- want to attract international skilled workers or strengthen intercultural skills.
Expert Advice – Direct and Simple
Our expert supports you with all questions regarding go-international funding as well as preparing your application.
Lisa-Maria Katholnig
DiGEM Project Management
We take time for our local businesses and clarify the eligibility for funding of export projects in personal meetings. We also provide information on all updates, such as the funding account on the “go-international” website.
Marion Kikinger, Funding Advisor
Export Financing: When International Projects Need Additional Financial Flexibility
Funding programs are not the only form of financial support. Export business can create additional financing needs – for example, for production, inventory, longer payment terms, investments, or larger orders.
Oesterreichische Kontrollbank (OeKB) offers solutions together with banks for securing and financing exports. For SMEs, for example, there is the Export Fund Loan as a revolving working capital facility. Which financing option makes sense depends on export volume, the project, risk, and financing structure.
We provide you with initial guidance and show you which body is responsible for the next step. The specific financing is usually structured together with OeKB and your bank.
How Personal Funding Advice at ICS Works
Clarify the Project
What are you planning, in which market, and over what timeframe?
Assess Funding Eligibility
Which programs fundamentally fit the project, company, and costs?
Check Deadlines and Requirements
What needs to be done before the project starts? What evidence or prior contacts are required?
Prepare the Application
We help guide you through the application process and the next steps.
Consider Financing
If export financing or risk coverage is relevant in addition to grants, we connect you with the appropriate bodies.
“Our main export markets have traditionally been Germany and Switzerland – ‘go-international’ gave us the impetus to look beyond the DACH region and consider markets such as Japan, for example.”
JULIA FANDLER, Ölmühle Fandler GmbH
“Positioning an innovative product like our Yield WatchDog software in a new market always involves market entry risks. The ‘go-international’ funding program helped significantly mitigate this risk.”
DIETER RATHEI, DR YIELD software & solutions GmbH
Your Experts for Personal Financing & Funding Advice
Marion Kikinger
Export Funding Advisory
Clara Lenz
Senior Project Management
Frequently asked questions
Depending on the project, federal programs such as go-international, SFG state funding, or other instruments may be suitable. Key factors include the target market, type of project, company size, and timing. ICS provides Styrian companies with personal advice on the right funding approach.
ICS Internationalization Center Styria is a point of contact for Styrian companies with questions about export funding and internationalization. In a personal consultation, projects, funding options, requirements, and next steps are assessed.
Many export funding programs must be applied for before the project starts or before eligible costs are incurred. Companies should therefore check funding options before commissioning services or starting an international project.
Depending on the direct funding program, go-international supports, among other things, market entry, digital marketing abroad, international project business, training at foreign branches, and the development of new procurement markets.
The SFG funding program Welt!Markt supports Styrian SMEs with, among other things, international trade fair appearances, competition participation, market development, and European technology transfer. Depending on the project, Weiter!Bilden may also be relevant for training measures.
Special financing solutions are available for Austrian export companies. OeKB offers instruments for export financing and risk coverage together with banks; for SMEs, this includes, among other things, the Export Fund Loan.
Depending on the project and program, this may be possible. However, double funding or over-financing must be ruled out. Early coordination helps combine grants, financing, and risk coverage effectively.
It is helpful to have a brief description of the project, target market, planned timeframe, expected costs, and previous activities in the target country. The more specific the project description, the more precisely funding eligibility can be assessed.
