Bank Austria Social Prize 2026 – the application phase begins
- The Bank Austria Social Prize will be awarded for the 17th time in 2026
- The funding amounts to 90,000 euros, with 10,000 euros to three projects per federal state
- Applications for social projects and initiatives can be submitted from 22 April up to and including 11 May
“By awarding the Bank Austria Social Prize, we are sending a strong signal regarding social responsibility and sustainable action. Particularly in socially and economically challenging times, it is of great importance to UniCredit Bank Austria to highlight the work of charitable initiatives and to provide long-term support for their vital work”, emphasises Ivan Vlaho, CEO of UniCredit Bank Austria, adding: “That is why, for the 17th consecutive year, we are supporting outstanding social projects from across Austria with the Bank Austria Social Prize and look forward to receiving many exciting entries.”
Total funding of 90,000 euros
The total prize money of 90,000 euros will be divided equally between the federal states. A jury of regional experts will make the shortlist and select three finalists per federal state from the total number of entries. The final rankings will be decided by the public, who can vote online via the Bank Austria Social Prize website. The winning project in each federal state receives 6,000 euros, with second place receiving 3,000 euros and third place 1,000 euros.
“Once again this year, we are inviting our customers and the general public to vote for the project of their choice on the project website from 6 July to 3 September 2026”, says Ivan Vlaho.
Applications for the Bank Austria Social Prize 2026 can be submitted from 22 April up to and including 11 May 2026 as part of a public call for entries at sozialpreis.bankaustria.at.
Application criteria
In accordance with UniCredit Bank Austria’s guidelines for social commitment, the following requirements apply to submissions:
- Social projects focusing on the thematic areas of “children / youth”, “integration / migration” or “support for Women”
- In addition to the existing thematic priorities, a new category, “urban social renewal”, has been introduced this year. This refers to projects that, in addition to having a social impact, also have a positive influence on urban renewal or revitalisation
- A project or initiative may only apply in one federal state at a time.
- Projects honoured as part of the Bank Austria Social Prize 2025 cannot be resubmitted in 2026
Information on the Bank Austria Social Prize 2026
Detailed information on the call for entries and application criteria, the expert jury and online voting can be found at: sozialpreis.bankaustria.at
Enquiries:
UniCredit Bank Austria Media Relations
Matthias Raftl, Phone: +43 (0) 5 05 05-52809;
Email: matthias.raftl@unicreditgroup.at