Applications open for Biodiversity Fund Program (Austria)

Deadline: 23-Jun-25

Entries are now open for Biodiversity Fund Program to support projects by private individuals, organizations (e.g., NGOs), businesses, municipalities, and other legal entities with up to 100 percent of eligible costs.

Projects in Austria focusing on ecosystem restoration, watercourse networking, landscaping, biodiversity measures in residential areas and measures to prevent the consequences of flooding.

Preserving biodiversity in Austria requires increased measures at the local and supra-regional levels. The Austrian Biodiversity Fund exists precisely for this purpose.

Objectives 

• The Biodiversity Fund aims at the conservation, improvement and The aim is to restore biodiversity in Austria by supporting measures to implement the National Biodiversity Strategy, complementing measures under the European Union’s Common Agricultural Policy or the Forest Fund. In particular, contributions should be made to achieving the following objectives:
  • The status of 30% of endangered species, biotope types and habitat types is improved;
  • 30% of the country’s area is protected under nature conservation law;
  • On these 30% of the country’s surface area, the proportion of strictly protected areas significantly increased;
  • A nationwide biodiversity monitoring program has been established and is being implemented;
  • Measures to connect protected areas through habitat corridors were implemented;
• Commitments under the Biodiversity Fund are intended to make the greatest possible contribution to the objectives of the National Biodiversity Strategy through the efficient use of resources. Commitments under the Biodiversity Fund shall be granted in accordance with the principles of expediency, efficiency, and economy.

Categories

• Project category 1: Implementation of projects to restore and secure floodplain networks and watercourse networks to fulfil their important ecological functions and to ensure the connectivity of biodiversity-relevant areas through habitat corridors.
• Project category 2: Implementation of projects to deseal soils including initial measures to restore site-appropriate biodiversity.
• Project category 3: Implementation of small-scale projects to protect and restore biodiversity in residential areas.
• Project category 4: Implementation of projects to restore priority, impaired ecosystems, with a particular focus on moors, wetlands and special sites (dry grasslands, sand dunes, etc.), as well as areas and habitats along streams and rivers that are important for the protection against and prevention of flood consequences.

Funding Information

• The total funding volume for the protection and restoration of natural diversity currently amounts to €80 million.
• Minimum Funding:
  • 15,000 euros

Eligible Costs

• The funding shall be provided for:
  • Costs of measures
    • to preserve biodiversity
    • to improve and restore damaged ecosystems and to Habitat networking or
    • to develop infrastructural facilities for knowledge transfer for the broad public and visitor guidance;
  • Costs for the acquisition, leasing or compensation of Restrictions on the use of areas that are important for the protection or improvement of biodiversity in Austria;
  • Costs of preliminary work, measures for the development of a Biodiversity monitoring and public relations work in connection with the initiation, planning and implementation of measures pursuant to point 1;
  • Costs of own services;
  • Costs of measures for the implementation of biodiversity monitoring and public relations work in connection with the national biodiversity strategy;
  • Costs of projects to improve knowledge and fundamentals of Biodiversity and ecosystem services, as well as the causes of their threat and their reduction;
• Funding is excluded for measures for which, based on substantive legal requirements, funding from the Common Agricultural Policy or the Forest Fund can be granted to the greatest extent possible in accordance with Union law. However, funding for measures to improve the ecological status of water bodies is permitted. The exclusion of eligibility does not apply to measures that are of particular funding importance with regard to the national biodiversity strategy.

Ineligible Costs

• The following are not eligible:
  • Costs of measures that are borne or obligated to be borne by someone other than the applicant for funding, as well as costs of measures that the applicant has to bear under another title (e.g. Compensation measures, compliance with prescribed national and international reporting obligations);
  • Own contributions that do not comply with the requirements
  • Costs for insurance premiums, court, lawyer or other notary fees, supervisory activities except planning or construction supervision services, administrative activities, administrative charges and – fees and taxes, excluding VAT for applicants who are not entitled to deduct input tax;
  • Services provided before the application for funding is received by the processing agency, excluding advance services;
  • Financing costs;
  • Cost overruns of more than 10% of the guaranteed costs and in any case of more than 20,000 euros;
  • Costs not directly related to the funded project or which cannot be clearly attributed to the project;
  • Entertainment expenses.

Eligibility Criteria

• Both natural persons and legal entities and partnerships in Austria are eligible to apply and receive funding.
• The application for funding must be submitted before the first legally binding order for services, before delivery, before the start of construction or before any other obligation.
• The planning and implementation of the measures must be carried out by authorized and qualified persons or companies.
• The applicant for funding must have all relevant permits.
• The applicant for funding is obliged to begin implementing the measure within one year of receiving funding.
• Compliance with the procurement law provisions is a further prerequisite.
• For projects with a project volume of €1 million or more, compliance with all requirements for events (“green events”), for products and services (ecolabel), and for public procurement (Sustainable Public Procurement Action Plan) must be ensured. The application of these requirements is recommended for all smaller project volumes.

For more information, visit Federal Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry, Climate Protection, Environmental Protection, Regions and Water Management (BMLUK).