The work of the BIM is vitally supported by the Ludwig Boltzmann Association (LBG), the responsible body of the institute, and the University of Vienna. In 2008 the institute’s budget provided by the LBG was raised to € 150,000. In spring 2008, the Research Platform „Human Rights in the European Context“ was established and subsequently extended until 2014, being a basis of cooperation with the University of Vienna. The Platform operates with an annual budget of € 160,000. In 2010, additional funding of € 680.000 was granted by the University of Vienna for the PhD college “Empowerment through Human Rights” which provides 12 PhD fellows with a three year scholarship. 
The summarised budget of the BIM Research Association, the Ludwig Boltzmann Institute and the Research Platform amounts to appr. € 3 million.

The major part of projects is financed by different Directorates General of the European Commission.
In the area of EU enlargement the most important instrument is Twinning; further funding programmes through which the BIM carried out its projects in recent years are the 6th Framework Programme (DG Research), AGIS, Fundamental Rights and Citizenship, DAPHNE (all DG Justice), PROGRESS (DG Employment, Social Affairs and Equal Opportunities) and YOUTH (DG Education and Culture).

On national level, the ongoing cooperation with the Austrian Development Agency (ADA) is essential for research in the field of development co-operation. Support was received from the Austrian Ministry of European and International Affairs for work of the UN Special Rapporteur on Torture and 2008 specifically for the joint organisation of the conference „Global Standards – Local Action“.

Furthermore, project financing was complemented by studies commissioned by the EU Fundamental Rights Agency. Several research positions at the BIM are fellowships (Austrian Academy of Sciences, Volkswagen Foundation, German Academic Exchange Service) respectively secondments (Swiss Department for Foreign Affairs).

In 2011, funding by Austrian research foundations such as the Jubilee Fund of the Austrian National Bank, the Austrian Climate Fund and the Zukunftsfonds could be successfully secured. Additionally, private foundations (Straniak Foundation, the German UP Microloans Foundations and from 2012 also the RD Foundation) have decided to support the work of the BIM.

The most important partner for the BIM Research Association is the Austrian Federal Ministry for Education, Science and Art, facilitating the work of the centre polis. In addition, parts of our funding come from the Austrian Ministry of the Interior for work within the Austrian Human Rights Advisory Board and the EU Fundamental Rights Agency with regard to the RAXEN Focal Point until 2010. Since 2008, a pilot project on poverty reduction and social includion in Macedonia is funded by ADA. In the area of Corporate Social Responsibility, the cooperation with businesses could be expanded.

Besides, numerous cooperations exist with NGOs, further ministries, partners and financial supporters through which we were able to issue publications and carry out events and smaller projects.

For details please see the individual projects in the respective research areas.