In Lower Austria there were two Rural Development projects entitled "Species conservation project for the Great Bustard in the project areas Weinviertel, Marchfeld and Rauchenwarther Platte", RU5-LE-040/000, running from 2001 to 2002 and RU5-LE-152/000, running from 2002 to 2004. The projects funded conservation measures and site supervision and were implemented by the Technical office for biology Mag. Rainer Raab, and financed by the province of Lower Austria and by the EU.

In addition to the LIFE project there was a Rural Development project in Lower Austria entitled "Cross-border Protection of the Great Bustard in Lower Austria", RU5-S-428/001-2005, running from August 2005 to July 2010, and financed by the province of Lower Austria and by the EU. The project was implemented by the Technical office for biology Mag. Rainer Raab on behalf of the Austrian Society for Great Bustard Conservation (ÖGG).