RIZ - The Founders Agency of Lower Austria - Genius Idea Award

RIZ UP Genius Idea and Founder Award

For a successful business idea, you will receive up to 6,000 EUR in cash as well as media coverage that will raise awareness of your project amongst a wider audience. The prize is sponsored by “riz up”, the start-up agency of the Austrian federal state of Lower Austria. In 2025, the total prize money for all winners amounted to over 50,000 euros, funded by the state and partners such as ecoplus, EVN and Raiffeisen. You can enter one of four categories: digital, environmental, regional or innovative.

Who can apply

• Who: Anyone with a new business idea can apply. You can apply on your own, as a team or as an established entrepreneur. You do not need to be a student.
• Where you build it: You would like to put your idea into practice in Lower Austria.
• Your idea: It is new and original. The jury assesses how original the idea is, what benefits it offers customers and how realistic its implementation is.
• Field: Any kind of business idea, categorised as ‘digital’, ‘environmental’, ‘regional’ or ‘innovative’.
• Nationality and age: No restrictions.

How to apply

Applications must be submitted online at riz-up.at/genius. Please include a detailed description of your idea and a brief CV for all those involved. The closing date for entries is 26 April. A panel of start-up and technology experts will assess all entries over several rounds. They may request further information before announcing the winners in each category.

How realistic are your chances?

This is an ideas competition, not a claim to a prize; therefore, there is no guaranteed prize and the jury’s decision is final. Your idea must be focused on Lower Austria, which means the pool of entrants is smaller than in an open national competition. If your idea is genuinely new and you can demonstrate a clear benefit to customers as well as a realistic path to implementation, you have a real chance of winning one of the category prizes.