Funding Activities

of B&C Privatstiftung

  • First awarded in 2005
  • Houska Prize winners:
    24 projects since 2006
  • Three categories:
    Higher Education Research since 2005
    R&D in SME since 2016
    Non-University Research since 2023
  • Annual prize money: EUR 750,000

Funding:
2006-2022: EUR 5.51m
2023: EUR 750,000

Houska Prize

The B&C Private Foundation has been fostering business-related research projects and expressing its admiration for the outstanding research work conducted in Austria by awarding its Houska Prize since 2005. The foundation’s research award is designed to help improve the financial environment for innovation and research in Austria, while meeting its overarching purpose of strengthening the nation’s long-term standing as a business location. With EUR 750,000 shared between the winners each year, the Houska Prize is Austria’s largest private research prize. It is presented for the best application-driven projects in thre categories: University Research,  Non-University Research and Research & Development in SMEs.

  • MEGA Education Foundation since 2019
  • Burgtheater
  • TMICHA Scholarship

Funding:

by the end of 2021: EUR 7.1m
2022: EUR 1.1m

Financial and Economic Literacy

Jointly founding the MEGA (Multiple Education Grants Austria) Foundation for Education in 2019 enabled the B&C Private Foundation and the Berndorf Private Foundation to bundle their education-funding resources and activities, with a view to implementing joint education projects more quickly and efficiently. The focus is on fostering equal opportunities and raising overall economic literacy, as well as teaching life skills. To help achieve its objectives, the MEGA Foundation for Education was endowed with an initial budget of more than EUR 5m. The B&C Private Foundation also supported numerous education projects and initiatives at various institutions including the Vienna University of Economics and Business, TU Wien, Cape 10 Wissensraum, IFTE, and Bildünger. In 2016, B&C presented the Education Prize in cooperation with the Austrian Federal Ministry of Education, Science and Research.

  • University of Vienna
  • Vienna University of Economics and Business
  • JKU Linz
  • University of Graz

Funding:
2006-2021: EUR 3.73m
2022: EUR 1.404m

Law and Economics

Fostering research in the field of law and economics is one of the B&C Private Foundation’s core focuses. The aim is to ensure that the legal and commercial frameworks needed to foster entrepreneurship in Austria are put in place. In this area of its activities, the B&C Private Foundation supports research projects, expert meetings, university courses, dissertations and postdoctoral qualifications with a focus on capital markets, business law, business administration and economics as well as location-specific research. Events include the annual Wiener Unternehmensrechtstag focusing on company law, the Österreichischer Aufsichtsratstag for supervisory board matters, the Corporate Governance Monitor research project, and the initiative eXplore! for business location research.

  • Endowed professorship
    Nonferrous Metallurgy
    Montanuniversität Leoben
  • Funding partner AMAG

Funding:
2015-2028: EUR 1.349m
2023: EUR 129,000

Universität Vorlesung

Endowed Professorship

The B&C Private Foundation funds an endowed professorships for the promotion of innovative research: for non-ferrous metallurgy at the University of Leoben, in cooperation with its partner AMAG Austria Metall. This gives the institution the necessary leeway to drive forward research into these promising specialist research fields. The inherent proximity to industry and business facilitates the transfer of knowledge and practical experience. This once again demonstrates the B&C Private Foundation’s commitment to science and research, two areas that play a decisive role in the country’s competitiveness.