Lebens!Nah
Local supply – Let’s bring life to your region!
Local supply—We need a shift in direction
A 15-minute drive to the nearest larger town: Until recently, residents of the southeastern Styrian municipality of Kapfenstein had to put up with this just to stock up on basic groceries like bread or milk. Now there is once again a grocery store in town, and shopping can be done conveniently on foot.
The fact is: Local access to goods is essential to quality of life. A regional retailer is more than just a store that sells goods—it is a place for social interaction, a gathering spot for exchange and communication. It’s also a fact that local grocery stores in many Styrian communities are throwing in the towel because they aren’t generating enough profit. As a result, regional jobs are being lost and training centers are closing. This is a trend that the SFG is resolutely working to counteract.
David goes hand in hand with Goliath
The same applies to local retail: To survive in the market, you have to keep evolving. Are your facilities, equipment, and machinery up to date? And without an online presence, you won’t get anywhere anyway: By 2023, six out of ten Austrians were already shopping online. And so, what international corporations are already leading the way with today will also make its way into local retail in the future: online ordering and online shopping.
Seize the opportunity and use digitalization to your business’s advantage. Make your business visible online and attract new customers. Digitize your production and sales processes, create a new website or online store, and let your customers pay electronically. We also support you in digitizing internal business processes, such as implementing digital time-tracking systems or digital project management tools. You can count on our 30 percent grant to help with all these steps.
- For whom?
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- local retailers that offer everyday goods and services,
- provide more than half of the services billed to individual customers,
- as a microbusiness (applies to businesses in the commercial, skilled trades, retail, and service sectors),
- or are classified as small businesses (applies to bakeries, butcher shops, pastry shops, and full-service grocery stores),
- and whose company is based in Styria.
- For whom not?
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- businesses outside the SFG target group, such as tourism, hospitality, and agricultural businesses
- retail companies that sell their goods exclusively online (no brick-and-mortar store)
- entrepreneurs who are employed on a non-self-employed basis beyond the threshold for “minor employment” (in addition to their self-employment)
- individuals
- For what?
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- digitization of production processes (e.g., ERP system or expansion to include new modules)
- digitization of sales processes (e.g., CRM system, including interface integration, digital booking platform, or customer portal)
- digitization of internal business processes (e.g., digital time-tracking systems or expansion to include new modules, digital procurement systems, digital project management tools, digital document management systems), software programs, and operating systems (e.g., planning software, Windows 11) [For license models, a maximum of 12 months is eligible for funding]
- digitization of marketing processes (e.g., initial creation or major overhaul of a website and/or online store, integration of e-payment, design and programming of an app, initial production and launch of web videos, first social media campaign [max. 12-month duration], initial presence on online marketing platforms [once per platform])
- How much?
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- project budget: at least 3,000 euros
- funding rate: 30% base funding
- maximum grant: 2,500 euros
- Important hints
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- The grant application must be submitted BEFORE the project begins. We can only cover costs incurred AFTER we receive your application.
- The effective date is the day you submit your grant application, even if you have not yet received a grant award notification.
- Companies can apply for funding for digitalization projects once per calendar year.
- The grant will not be paid out until the project is completed.
- The grant application must be electronically signed by the applicant. A signature by an external consultant, bank advisor, or similar professional is NOT permitted.
Funding process
- inform
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Are you planning a project and want to know if it’s eligible for support through the Lebens!Nah grant program? You’ll find answers to your questions here.
- apply for
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Submit your application online through our Portal!
Important: Submit your application before you begin your project!
- review the application
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We’ll take a close look at your project.
- send the grant approval letter
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If your project is generally eligible for funding, we will send you a notice of funding approval. If your project is not eligible for funding, we will notify you in writing.
- implement the project
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Start your project as soon as you receive a grant approval from us.
Important: Please contact us immediately if anything changes.
We wish you the best of luck! - submit invoices
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Please send us your billing documents. You will receive a checklist in plenty of time to help you compile the documents.
- review invoices and approve funding
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We will review your billing documents and, if applicable, approve your grant. If your project is not eligible for funding, we will notify you in writing.
- pay out the grant
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If all eligibility requirements are met, we will transfer the funds to your account.
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