Questions & Answers
We answer your most frequently asked questions about selected ecoplus products and services.
Our FAQs provide a quick overview and are constantly being updated. We’re here to help you quickly find the most important information about the Lower Austria Business Agency. Topics range from starting a business, business takeovers, and finding a successor, to brownfield redevelopment and attracting international investors. If you still have questions, our team will be happy to assist you personally!
Basic Information
ecoplus is the Business Agency of the Province of Lower Austria. It supports businesses, local authorities, associations and organisations in areas such as business start-ups, business relocation, location development, innovation and networking, and regional development. ecoplus aims to strengthen Lower Austria as a business location and to support businesses in all their needs.
All the services offered by ecolus. The Business Agency of Lower Austria, are aimed at a wide range of target groups, including companies in Austria and abroad, investors, and Lower Austria’s local authorities, associations and research institutions. However, some major events, such as the Lange Nacht der Forschung, are also aimed at the general public.
In addition to our headquarters in St. Pölten and offices in Wiener Neudorf and Vienna, ecoplus has further sites across Lower Austria, including technology and research centers, multi-tenant properties and premises in various business parks – you can find an overview of our locations on the Contact page.
Brownfield sites, land-use recycling and land-use reserves
Brownfield redevelopment refers to the revitalization and reuse of unused or formerly industrially used sites. These sites offer significant potential for new business locations, particularly in Lower Austria, where there is high demand for available commercial and industrial land. This offers several advantages for companies:
Use of sites that are already well-connected often faster project implementation compared to rezoning sustainable use of existing infrastructure
ecoplus actively supports companies and municipalities in identifying, evaluating, and developing such sites and actively drives the transformation of these brownfield sites into economically attractive business locations.
ecoplus offers a comprehensive service for companies seeking suitable sites in Lower Austria.
In the area of brownfield revitalisation, this includes:
- Identification of suitable vacant sites and industrial brownfields
- Site analysis and assessment (infrastructure, transport links, potential uses)
- Support with approval processes and coordination with authorities
- Advice on funding opportunities and financial conditions
- Networking with regional partners and landowners
The aim is to provide companies with straightforward access to suitable sites and to promote climate-friendly site development.
Revitalised brownfield sites are particularly attractive for:
- Manufacturing and industry
- Logistics and distribution
- Commercial enterprises requiring space
-
Technology-oriented companies with specific infrastructure requirements
In Lower Austria in particular, companies also benefit from the proximity to Vienna, international transport routes and Eastern European markets.
ecoplus works with companies to analyse sector-specific requirements and proposes suitable sites that are appropriate both in terms of infrastructure and strategy.
International Investors
Lower Austria's renowned universities and colleges, the practical training at vocational secondary schools and the dual apprenticeship system, which is exemplary worldwide, guarantee the development of the next generation of skilled workers - a talent pool from which you can draw.
The dual education system comprises around 200 apprenticeships that impart both theoretical and practical knowledge. These training pathways are shaping the workforce of tomorrow, equipped with a solid foundation of basic knowledge and specialized skills.
We have contacts with consultants, tax consultants, law firms and accounting firms. In addition, we provide advice on industry experts and planning and consultancy firms, for example as part of our cluster activities (in the future-oriented sectors of plastics, mechatronics, sustainable construction and renovation, and food).
Our extensive network, including in the field of cutting-edge technologies, will lead you to success!
We are happy to support you with our know-how about the funding landscape and financing options in Lower Austria.
As a hub, information provider, initial mediator and network partner, we will put you in touch with the right funding agency:
- Funding advice for start-ups, classic investment funding through to environmentally relevant funding as well as for funding calls on technology-oriented special topics
- Individual initial assessment
- Information from our network across all funding bodies
We are happy to support you in your search for a location in Lower Austria. Our Standortkompass provides a free overview of available commercial properties.
Our own vacant real estate and properties in the ecoplus business parks, the intermunicipal business parks, the technology and research centers (TFZs) as well as the rental properties in the business parks offer the right environment for your company.
Business Succession and operational handover
As the business agency of Lower Austria, ecoplus offers all services for finding a successor or a business for sale free of charge.
If additional experts such as tax advisors, notaries, or lawyers are needed, these costs must be borne by the company.
Subsidies (financial support) are also available from the state of Lower Austria (e.g. NÖBEG) for the acquisition of a business.
We have access to internal networks (e.g., our clusters in various industries, a multitude of companies from day-to-day consulting activities, investor networks, institutions such as RIZ UP, etc.).
Additionally, we have access to external networks, such as consultant specialized in business succession.
If no successor can be found, there are various options, such as the orderly closure of the business or the search for alternative takeover models. It is important to develop a Plan B early on.
The search for a suitable successor depends on the individual circumstances of the business. However, this process usually takes longer (up to several years), so it is all the more important to address this topic early on.
As mentioned earlier, it is very important to address the issue of succession at an early stage. Before you actively start the search process, you should carry out a thorough review of your business and consider its strengths and weaknesses.
Weaknesses in particular (e.g. outdated machinery) should be minimised before a handover in order to make the business attractive to potential successors. You can prepare your business for a handover by developing a clear succession strategy and exploring different options at an early stage.
If there is no suitable successor within the family and before you begin an external search, you might also consider whether an employee of your business is suitable to take over.
The first step in the search for successor is to obtain the most important basic information:
- industry sector,
- location,
- legal form,
- number of employees,
- purchase price,
-
information on the company’s financial situation, etc.
If your business is on a sound financial footing, we can start the search process after a joint introduction and exploration phase.
Yes, we support you as an investor in finding a suitable business to purchase in Lower Austria.
At ecoplus, we have extensive networks that we can utilize in the search. It is important that you provide us with a detailed search profile and your objectives to initiate a successful search process.
Yes, as a foreign investor or company, you can purchase a business in Austria. However, there are various requirements that must be met. Among other things, investors from non-EU/EEA countries need to make arrangements for a residence permit for the appointment of a new managing director, which is part of the establishment process. The takeover process and communication with the existing workforce also present challenges.
We are happy to advise you on these matters and are available for more detailed questions at any time.
Generally, lawyers, notaries, and tax advisors may be needed for the purchase or sale of a business. The costs can vary greatly, depending on the complexity of the transaction. As we have good contacts with external consultants, we can find the appropriate contact person for your specific needs.
For finding a successor, the Lower Austrian Chamber of Commerce offers free information material as well as subsidized consultations.
For business acquisitions, the state of Lower Austria provides financial support through NÖBEG (Lower Austrian Guarantees and Participations Ltd.) in the form of guarantees for bank loans or silent partnerships.
Additionally, the state of Lower Austria offers grants for the establishment or acquisition of a business.
On the federal level, guarantees for bank loans can also be obtained through the federal funding agency aws (Austria Wirtschaftsservice GmbH).
We are happy to assist you in accessing these funding opportunities.
Start-ups
We are happy to support you with our know-how about the funding landscape and financing options in Lower Austria.
As a hub, information provider, initial mediator and network partner, we will put you in touch with the right funding agency:
- Funding advice for start-ups, classic investment funding through to environmentally relevant funding as well as for funding calls on technology-oriented special topics
- Individual initial assessment
- Information from our network across all funding bodies
Together with riz up, the Lower Austrian Start-up Agency, ecoplus supports you in all matters relating to setting up a company in Lower Austria, right up to entry in the company register and beyond. We provide an overview of possible company forms and have contacts to law firms, tax consultants and notaries. So you can get started quickly.
Example of an efficient process for setting up your company in Lower Austria:
- Market check
- Support from ecoplus
- Rent or buy office space
- Legal form
- Subsidies
- Business registration
- Bank account opening
- Permits
- Search for employees
- Apply for tax identification number
- Taking out insurance
- Local network setup
- Regulations
Lower Austria stands out for its proximity to Vienna, international transportation links, well-developed infrastructure, skilled workforce, and diverse funding programs. Specific location advantages include significantly lower land and real estate prices, lower operating costs and rents, and large amounts of available commercial and industrial space—attractive for manufacturing and logistics—as well as major transportation corridors (A1, A2, A3, A4, A5, and S1), rail connections, and Vienna International Airport.
Compared to the western federal states, you benefit here in Lower Austria from a prime location for your Eastern European business
ecoplus supports companies with proactive and structured location services and assists with site selection, expansion, and networking.
Key areas include life sciences, environmental technology, digitalization, food production, and plastics technology. ecoplus operates industry networks and clusters (food, plastics, mechatronics, sustainable construction, circular economy, health, etc.) that promote innovation and cooperation.
In Lower Austria, funding and location services are specifically targeted at several key industries considered to have particularly strong future potential and growth prospects.
These include, above all:
Industry & Production:
- Mechanical engineering, metal processing
- Plastics and materials engineering
- Automotive supply industry
Environmental Technology & Renewable Energy:
- Energy efficiency, sustainable technologies
- Bioenergy, circular economy
- Life Sciences & Healthcare:
Information & Communication Technology (ICT):
- Software Development, Digitalization
- Industry 4.0, AI Applications
Logistics & Mobility:
- Transportation, Warehouse Logistics
- Transportation Connections & Supply Chain Solutions
Agriculture & Food Industry:
- Food Production
- Agricultural Technology and Processing
Many basic services and initial consultations provided by ecoplus, the Business Agency of Lower Austria, or its subsidiary RIZ UP, the Lower Austria Start-up Agency, are free of charge. For more advanced services, certain programs or services may be subject to a fee.
You can contact us via the websites (www.ecoplus.at or www.riz-up.at), by phone, or directly through personal contacts in the respective regions.