SES Spar European Shopping Centers, as the co-initiator of the yip.at customer and retailer platform, is committed to strengthening brick-and-mortar businesses throughout Austria via this digital initiative. The search for the most innovative business ideas in the country has recently seen its third round. Following its premiere in 2021 and its second awarding of business grants this summer, yip.at honored the most successfully implemented business ideas in the brick-and-mortar sector at the beginning of November, for the second time this year. Three outstanding winners received awards amounting to a total of 10,000 euros – two of which are based in the state of Salzburg: “Wild.Knots”, a macramé store in Itzling, Salzburg, received 3,000 euros, and “Krimi Helden”, a specialist bookstore in the south of the city of Salzburg, received 2,000 euros. Furniture store “Chary Chic”, located in Kematen am Innbach in Upper Austria, took first place and received 5,000 euros in funding – the store, which redesigns and revamps old and antique furniture, thoroughly impressed the jury of experts. Applications for the next round of yip.at business grants can be submitted starting in September 2023.

Funding in the amount of 3,000 euros was awarded to “Wild.Knots”, a company based in Itzling in the city of Salzburg. Founder and macramé artist Maja Beyreuther offers handmade products as well as workshops at her studio. The entrepreneur has turned her passion for creative design and macramé knotting into a profession and is keen to pass on that enthusiasm to interested parties by means of workshops and events. The business owner, who founded her company at the beginning of 2020, shortly before the first coronavirus lockdown, designs and knots various decorative macramé items and accessories, such as handmade wall hangings, wedding arches, pillows, dream catchers, and earrings featuring the BOHO look. Via her decor rental business, her products can be sustainably used for events and weddings, combined with one another, and reused. When it comes to her own future, she has plans to build a team that would enable her to be even more present at events and to offer her workshops both in Salzburg as well as in the surrounding area.

Specialized bookshop "Krimi Helden", located in the south of the city of Salzburg, received a 2,000-euro grant for its idea of turning its store into a meeting place for crime fiction readers, thriller fans, authors, and lovers of books of all kinds. At the beginning of 2021, after more than 30 years of professional experience as a bookseller, Claudia Held made her dream of owning a Salzburg-based bookstore that provides the ambience of a living room and offers personalized recommendations come true. Her store combines crime fiction and culinary delights, offers tea and coffee, and provides a place in which readers and authors can exchange ideas. Monthly Saturday crime matinees, crime-themed evenings, and book clubs are all part of the program. An online store, games, calendars, and non-book items round out the bookstore's offers and services.

“Once again, the expert jury was spoiled for choice by the numerous creative concepts that were submitted by brick-and-mortar businesses. The quality level of the unique business ideas is reason enough for us to award the yip.at business grants again next year,” says Christoph Andexlinger, COO of SES.

The expert jury, which included representatives from the service sector, social media, retail real estate, and the Junge Wirtschaft Österreich (Young Economy of Austria), selected three outstanding winning businesses, along with the yip.at community, which was able to vote online.

The yip.at Business Grant
As the parent company of the EUROPARK Salzburg, FORUM 1 Salzburg, MAX.CENTER Wels shopping centers, as well as15 other shopping destinations throughout Austria, SES Spar European Shopping Centers launched the yip.at initiative.The online platform makes brick-and-mortar retail, gastronomy, service, and craft businesses in Austria digitally visible to customers, thereby providing particular support to locally and regionally active companies. All brick-and-mortar companies registered on yip.at – regardless of location, company size, or industry – were eligible to submit applications for business grants. Using a 2-stage process, the independent jury of experts selected the three best ideas from a large number of submissions and awarded a total of 10,000 euros in prize money. The yip.at community was also able to vote via social media. The winning concepts were those that were innovative, unique, and sustainable – and that featured a special connection to the respective region.

Submissions for the Next yip.at Business Grants Accepted in September 2023
In September 2023, entrepreneurs will be able to submit their business ideas for the next round of yip.at business funding. The official submission kick-off will be communicated to the yip.at community in due time.