FAQs
The full version can be found here.
Please note that the Vienna Meeting Fund 2021-2023 has been exhausted since May 2022. Find all information on the Vienna Meeting Fund 2022-2024, for which submissions are currently open, here.
Which events are eligible for funding?
Events that take place between 1 May 2021 and 31 December 2023.
The fund supports business events that actually take place – for which the registered participants are known to the organizer – and which add value for Vienna as an innovation hub and a business location: (Association) congresses and meetings and corporate events/meetings
What is the minimum duration for an event to be eligible for funding?
4 hours.
How many participants need to take part in an event for it to be eligible for funding?
At least 50 participants on site.
Is funding available for hybrid events?
Yes. Provided at least 50 participants are present in Vienna.
Is funding available for exclusively virtual events?
No.
Can organizers also apply for events if participant fees are charged and/or have additional sponsors involved?
Yes
Who can apply for funding?
Organizers who plan and host a meeting themselves or through a third party and bear the financial risk and therefore ultimate responsibility for all costs.
a. Legal entities under private and public law,
b. Natural persons,
c. Joint partnerships with legal capacity,
d. Societies with legal capacity (federations/associations), and
e. International organisations (Ö-NACE U99).
Can agencies apply for funding?
a. Yes, provided that they are holding the event as organizer and bear the financial risk.
b. Yes. Agencies are eligible to apply if they can demonstrate they are working on behalf of the organizer. A maximum of one agency per event is eligible to apply.
Can an agency also apply if funding is paid directly to the event organizer (final customer)?
Yes. Payment is always made to the organizer and never to the agency making the application on its behalf.
Who is not eligible to apply for funding?
a. Applicants with pending insolvency proceedings,
b. The federal government, regional governments, and municipalities as well as area municipalities under public law (Gebietskörperschaften),
c. Political parties within the meaning of the Political Parties Act 2012 or comparable foreign organizations, and
d. Any entities that do not have legal capacity.
Can organizers who are headquartered outside Austria also apply for funding?
Yes, organizers and agencies based outside Austria are also eligible to apply.
Which events are not eligible for funding?
- Purely (corporate) evening events (such as galas, award ceremonies, Christmas parties, etc.)
- exhibitions and fairs
- cultural and sporting events
Does the event have to take place at a single location?
No. The event can take place in multiple Viennese hotels or event locations.
Do universities also qualify as event locations?
Yes, if they officially operate on the market as an event location that can be rented for a fee.
Does a specific proportion of participants have to come from outside Austria?
No.
Is funding available for events held outside Vienna?
No.
When does the event have to take place?
Funding is available for events that take place between 1 May 2021 and 31 December 2023.
What funding options are available?
Three funding modules have been defined:
Funding Module 1:
The event takes place on site in Vienna at a Viennese hotel or event location operating commercially on the market against payment of room rental/a conference flat rate; the event lasts at least 4 hours; at least 50 participants must be present on site.
Funding Module 2:
The event generates overnight stays (in addition to meeting the requirements for Module 1).
Number of overnight stays in Viennese hotels as a percentage of the number of on-site participants:
2021: at least 10%
2022: at least 30%
2023: at least 50%
Funding Module 3:
The event is also carried out as a hybrid event (in addition to meeting the requirements for Module 1: Costs for the continuous implementation of the event as a hybrid meeting have to be demonstrably incurred).
See point 5.1. of the Funding Guidelines for full details.
What is the maximum funding for my event?
An at-a-glance funding table for the various funding modules can be found under point 5.2. of the Funding Guidelines.
Which costs are eligible for funding?
Funding is provided for variable costs that are incurred or have been incurred directly in connection with organizing the event and are paid to third parties. As a rule, these are the costs paid to the event location or hotels and other service providers such as A/V companies or caterers.
How and where can I submit an application?
Submissions are currently not possible since the funding of the Vienna Meeting Fund is completely exhausted.
Applications can be made online at the following portal at any time until 3 December 2023, or until all of the funds have been allocated. All of the information and documentation provided must be complete and correct.
Which documents are required for the application?
a. Title, date, and duration of the event,
b. Planned number of participants on site in Vienna,
c. Planned number of total overnight stays,
d. Location offer or location contract,
e. Expected total costs of the event for the organizer,
f. Type of event and industry classification,
g. Company address, contact details, VAT number, legal form and account details,
h. In case of submission in another name, corresponding power of attorney,
i. De minimis declaration (the de minimis declaration is a document in which the organizer discloses the amount of all de minimis subsidies applied for or granted in Austria in the current and the last two tax years and confirms this in the company's name), and
j. Consent to these Funding Guidelines and consent to the processing of personal data.
When can applications be submitted?
The application must be received in full no later than three weeks before the start of the event. This only applies to events taking place in or after July 2021. For events taking place in May 2021 or June 2021, the documents can also be submitted at shorter notice.
Am I obliged to inform the Vienna Convention Bureau of any changes relating to the event after receiving a provisional commitment?
Yes. After receiving a provisional commitment, the organizers are obliged to notify the Vienna Convention Bureau of any quantitative or qualitative changes in connection with the event. If the event is postponed within the defined cost recognition period, no new application needs to be submitted.
When will I be informed whether my application has been approved/the funding amount?
The Vienna Tourist Board carries out a preliminary examination of all applications. After the evaluation is completed, a preliminary funding decision is made based on the preliminary key figures including a preliminary funding amount. The organizer is notified in written form of the provisional decision to grant funding. As a rule, the processing period from the receipt of the application to the transmission of the preliminary funding commitment is up to two weeks.
The actual funding decision and the actual funding amount will be determined by the Vienna Tourist Board after the event has been held and all information submitted.
How are applications ranked?
Submitted applications will be ranked according to the date of their receipt.
Which documents are required to calculate and settle the actual funding amount once the event is over?
a. Invoices in accordance with the legal requirements. For all cost items to be settled, the settlement form must be completed in full and corresponding invoice and payment receipts must be enclosed:
- Location invoice,
- Invoices for other event-related services (accommodation, A/V, catering, etc.),
- Invoices for services involved with the hybrid implementation of the event (Module 3), or implementation of a digital infrastructure, e.g., technology costs, agency costs for concept implementation.
b. Statistics of participants (number & national or international origin)
How is proof of overnight stays provided for Module 2?
The fulfillment of the overnight stays quota for module 2 is checked and plausibility verified on the basis of the participant statistics, which must be submitted after the event. The Vienna Convention Bureau reserves the right to random checks by an independent auditor commissioned by the Vienna Convention Bureau.
Is the funding amount reduced if fewer participants take part in the event than originally planned?
Yes, in line with the at-a-glance funding table for the various funding modules which can be found under point 5.2. of the Funding Guidelines.
When does funding have to be claimed by?
No later than three months after the end of the event.
How is funding paid out?
The funding amount is paid out in the form of a bank transfer by the Vienna Tourist Board to the organizer's company account.
Is funding granted irrespective of the financial performance of the event?
Yes.
Can I apply for funding for multiple events?
Yes. Please note that funding must not exceed the ceiling for de minimis aid.
On which aspects of the EU laws is the funding based?
Funding granted under this program is provided in accordance with the European Union De Minimis Regulation.
What is a de minimis declaration?
The de minimis declaration is a document in which an event organizer officially declares and duly confirms all of the de minimis aid received in Austria in the current and the previous two fiscal years.
The total of all de minimis aid payments to the applicant, including all associated enterprises, during the current and previous two fiscal years may not exceed EUR 200,000.
If an agency submits an application on behalf of an organizer, is the funding attributed to the agency or the organizer? (De minimis aid)
The funding is attributed to the organizer, who is responsible for submitting the de minimis declaration. It is not necessary for the agency acting in behalf of the organizer to submit the de minimis declaration.
Who has to fill in the de minimis declaration if there is a national organizer who organizes and carries out the event for an international company?
The de minimis declaration must be filled in by the organizer who bears the economic and financial risk of the event.
