Funding Activities

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.

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.