Media Start Funding under the Vienna Media Initiative

Your funding expert can tell you during a consultation whether your project formally meets the funding criteria. Elisabeth Kuntner and Gabriel Schlesinger are available to assist you with the “Medienstart” funding program from the Vienna Media Initiative.

To receive funding, you will need to submit a funding application. Consult with your funding expert to get the information you need, submit your application online, and – this is important – don't make any investments until after you've submitted a complete application. This is because the Vienna Business Agency provides funding only for development proposals that start after submission of the application.

Media Start Funding under the Vienna Media Initiative supports micro-enterprises, associations, and freelance journalists who are founding a media company. Particular emphasis is placed on the journalistic quality and novelty of your media format.

Media Start Funding under the Vienna Media Initiative is provided to cover costs for training and professional development, courses and consultation and internal payroll costs.

The decision is made by a jury based on well-defined assessment criteria. Generally, it takes around one to two months to find out whether your development proposal will receive funding. 

10,000 euros per development proposal is the maximum amount awarded under the Media Start Funding. The maximum funding amounts vary depending on the type of funding. Ask your funding expert about the funding details before you submit your application.

Your development proposal must be worth at least 5,000 euros to qualify for Media Start Funding under the Vienna Media Initiative.

The funding rate is the percentage of a development proposal's eligible costs that will be financed. The funding rate varies depending on the type of funding. To give you an example: If the funding rate is 75% and we recognise 10,000 euros as your development proposal costs, the Vienna Business Agency will pay 7,500 euros. Media Start Funding under the Vienna Media Initiative has a funding rate of 75%.

You can submit your funding application via our online portal – it's convenient and always available. To do so, you must register on our website and create a profile. In your profile, select "My submissions" and "Submit now". Funding accounts will also be settled via our online system.

Fill out the grant application form completely online and, for the Medienstart grant from the Vienna Media Initiative, also attach an application confirmation. The certificate is automatically generated in our online system while you fill out the application. The document is then added to the application with an official company signature. Additionally, we require a de minimis declaration, as well as the CVs of all project participants and, for existing companies, the most recent annual financial statements or an income and expenditure statement.

Media Start Funding under the Vienna Media Initiative supports project teams that already receive funding under the Vienna Media Initiative Lab to further professionalise their projects. Journalists who receive funding are invited to attend a compact workshop programme. The purpose of this programme is to define your media's target groups more precisely, to refine your business model and to expand your network.