- Access to finance
- Start-up support
- Support of companies' growth
- Support of SMEs
Alternativfinanzierungsgesetz (AltFG)
Alternative finance act
Coverage/Eligibility
SMEs which:
- employ fewer than 250 employees; and
- have an annual turnover not exceeding €50 million; or
- have an annual balance sheet not exceeding €43 million.
SMEs are not eligible when they have a concession pursuant to the Austrian banking act, the securities supervision act 2007, the alternative investment fund manager law, the payment services act, the insurance supervision act or the electronic money feature.
Main characteristics
This measure establishes crowdfunding as a legitimate alternative to the traditional loan finance for start-ups and SMEs to access funding. The alternative financial instruments included in the act are stocks, bonds, shares in companies and cooperatives, participation rights, silent partnerships and subordinated loans.
The act raises the threshold for publicly sourced funding from €200,000 to a maximum of €1.5 million, which means issuers will only have to draw up a simplified prospectus for loans up to these amounts. However, the maximum investment amount per private investor may not exceed €5,000 within 12 months.
In 2018, the 'alternative financing act' has been adapted. The threshold for the law to apply has been raised to €2 million within 12 months.
Funding
- No specific funding required
Involved actors
National government
Legal framework and monitoring of compliance with the act.
Effectiveness
As the Federal Ministry of Digital and Economic Affairs has stated in a press release (see OTS) in September 2018, a total of 342 projects have been realised in the area of crowdinvesting. Until the end of 2017, the project volume has reached € 65,8 Million. For the first half year of 2018, an additional € 18,2 Million has been allocated with the help of this instrument.
Strengths
This act is the first of its kind in Europe. The OECD (2016) has reported that such measures have the potential to boost entrepreneurship and corporate investments.
Weaknesses
No information available.
Példák
Hírforrások
- AMS research network, economic report 2015
- BGBL No. 114/2015 - Alternative financing act - AltFG
- FMA, Alternative financing act (Alternativfinanzierungsgesetz)
- Federal Chamber of Labour (2017), Crowdfunding. Eine Untersuchung des VKI hinsichtlich der Probleme der alternativen Finanzierungsformen durch den Schwarm, Wien.
- Bank, M. and Schopper, A. (2017), Forschungsbericht zum Alternativfinanzierungsgesetz in Österreich Eine rechtliche und wirtschaftliche Analyse, Leopold-Franzens-Universität, Graz
- OECD (2016), Inclusive Entrepreneurship Policies, Country Assessment Notes
- BMDW, Alternative financing act
- BMDW, OTS Press release
Eurofound welcomes feedback and updates on this regulation
Új hozzászólás