As a public-interest entity subject to audit by the Court of Auditors, acib will be subject to the Freedom of Information Act (IFG) with effect from 1 September 2025. In accordance with the statutory provisions for audited entities (Section 1(5) IFG), we provide information on existing data upon individual request.
Please address enquiries under the Freedom of Information Act, stating
- your full name if you are a natural person,
- the exact company name if you are a legal entity, along with proof of authority to act on behalf of the company (e.g. by specifying the authorised bodies),
- a valid postal address or a verified email address,
- a specific and sufficiently detailed description of the information sought
to ifg@acib.at.
Please note:
Requests for information will only be processed if they are submitted via this contact address. Please also note that your enquiry must be designated as an application or request for information in accordance with the IFG and that the information sought must be described in sufficient detail. Furthermore, the identity of the applicant or person requesting the information must be verified. Please enclose a copy of your ID with your application. In the case of a legal entity, proof of authority to represent the entity (extract from the commercial register/power of attorney) must be enclosed. We only process requests for information during our usual contact hours (Monday to Thursday, between 8 am and 4 pm, excluding public holidays). Should a request for information be received outside these hours, it will be deemed to have been received on the next working day.
Legal review
Every request for information is subject to a thorough legal review. Please note that the right to receive information is restricted or does not apply in the following cases in accordance with the statutory provisions of the IFG:
- Protection of trade and business secrets: Information whose disclosure could harm the economic interests or competitive position of acib GmbH or its partners will not be provided.
- Data protection: Personal data of third parties is strictly protected and will not be disclosed without the express consent of the data subjects.
- Ongoing proceedings: Information whose publication would significantly impair the preparation of a decision or the success of an administrative measure is exempt from the obligation to provide information.
- Disproportionate effort: Requests that appear to be frivolous or whose response would require a disproportionate administrative effort may be refused.
- Non-existence of information: The obligation to provide information relates exclusively to records already in existence at the time of the request. There is no legal obligation to generate new information, statistically analyse data or create documents from scratch.
Access to information must also be refused in the case of manifestly abusive requests for information. This includes requests for information made on the basis of manifest malice, which are submitted in the knowledge that they are groundless and futile, useless and pointless, or for the sheer pleasure of harassing the body obliged to provide information, without any concrete interest in the information, although a legal interest in the sense of party status need not exist. Furthermore, the following may indicate an abuse:
- Rhetorical questions (no gain in information)
- Questions regarding a person’s inner attitude (not a subject of information)
- Provocative questions
- Cynical remarks
- Common knowledge, e.g. where the request concerns facts already known to the applicant from their own experience
Requests for information deemed abusive in this sense will be rejected.
In the case of information that has already been published or is otherwise more easily accessible, reference will be made to this already published information. Similarly, requests that do not concern acib GmbH but, for example, partners of acib GmbH (scientific partners, corporate partners) will be rejected. Where appropriate, the request should be directed to the relevant institution or company.
Procedure, deadlines and communication
The procedure following receipt of a request for information is subject to the following strict rules:
- Confirmation of receipt: Every enquiry sent to ifg@acib.at that meets the minimum formal requirements will be confirmed electronically. This confirmation serves solely to document the time of receipt and does not constitute a statement regarding the admissibility or completeness of the enquiry’s content.
- Communication: Correspondence is generally sent electronically to the address provided by the applicant, unless postal delivery has been expressly requested or legal grounds require formal service.
- Statutory deadlines: Requests will be answered without undue delay, but no later than four weeks after receipt of the complete and admissible request.
- Extension of the deadline: In the case of particularly extensive or complex requests that require a more in-depth examination (in particular with regard to trade secrets or third-party rights), this deadline may be extended by a further four weeks. In this case, a corresponding notification will be issued stating the reasons for the delay.
- Non-disclosure of information: If there are statutory grounds for exclusion, the information is not available, or the effort required for examination exceeds the usual extent, written notification of non-disclosure shall be provided within the specified time limits.
- Request for correction: If a request does not meet the formal requirements (e.g. lack of proof of authority to act on behalf of another party or lack of specificity), the applicant will be asked to correct it. In this case, the statutory decision-making period shall only commence upon receipt of the complete supplementary information.