Press Releases

UniCredit Bank Austria again provides 100,000 Euros for cultural crowdfunding

• UniCredit Bank Austria – in cooperation with the crowdfunding platform “wemakeit” – is supporting cultural projects from all over Austria for the seventh time with a total of 100,000 euros
• Since 2015, the local cultural scene supported by UniCredit Bank Austria has financed projects with a total sum of over 2 million euros
• This year’s crowdfunding campaign to start on 18 May 2021
• Support for art and culture particularly important due to the current Corona crisis

Just in time for the upcoming comeback of art and culture, UniCredit Bank Austria will enter the seventh round with Austria's most successful "Reward-Based" crowdfunding initiative of the domestic cultural scene from Tuesday, 18 May 2021. Since 2015, UniCredit Bank Austria has supported cultural projects with social relevance with a total of 100,000 euros annually. In the past years, more than two million euros have been raised in cooperation with wemakeit, a specialist in crowdfunding for cultural projects.

“After more than a year of the most difficult conditions for cultural activities, it is now time to look forward again. Art and culture are part of the Austrian identity. They broaden horizons and create perspectives. That is why we are looking forward to supporting as many projects as possible in our crowdfunding campaign this year. The launch of the initiative hopefully marks the beginning of a sustainable return of cultural life in Austria and also internationally,” Robert Zadrazil, CEO of UniCredit Bank Austria.

Last year, despite the pandemic, a total of 35 projects were realised with the help of 2,500 supporters. What is striking here is that the average amount of support rose noticeably from 114 to 136 euros. The average funding target of 9,800 euros was also exceeded by a remarkable 600 euros per project. The project “Die Sendung mit der Mai x3” was the most successful last year, with 264 supporters and 20,000 euros.

How does crowdfunding support work?
UniCredit Bank Austria is providing a total of 100,000 euros as part of the "Reward-Based" crowdfunding initiative. The financing of the projects is staggered: One third of the financing amount - up to a maximum of 5,000 euros per project - will be paid in by UniCredit Bank Austria as soon as the financing of the first third has been secured by at least 20 supporters. The financing of the remaining third must then again be provided by the bank's own network - the crowd. The total amount will be paid out once the campaign has been successfully completed.

“wemakeit” as a strong partner
The crowdfunding platform “wemakeit” is again a partner of UniCredit Bank Austria this year. It was founded in 2012 as an artists' initiative in Switzerland and has developed into one of the largest and most successful crowdfunding platforms in Europe, thanks to its personal support and focus on creative projects.

Start of participation and information
From 18 May 2021, projects can be registered for the UniCredit Bank Austria crowdfunding campaign on https://wemakeit.com. Once the project page has been set up, the projects receive feedback from the “wemakeit” project coaches and a decision as to whether the campaign meets the requirements for support by UniCredit Bank Austria. After approval, there is nothing standing in the way of launching one's own campaign at a time of one's choosing.

Participating projects also have the opportunity to take part in webinars and online tutorials on crowdfunding campaigns on the “wemakeit” homepage. All information on the conditions of participation and dates for the webinars can be found at bak-magazin.at/crowdfunding.  

Information on crowdfunding supported by UniCredit Bank Austria and the dates can also be found at crowdfunding.bankaustria.at.

The image material is available for publication free of charge as part of editorial reporting at leisure.at.