Horizon package: Federal Council releases further funds for direct funding for 2021–2024
Berne, 20.06.2025 — Due to Switzerland's non-association to the Horizon package (Horizon Europe, Euratom programme, Digital Europe Programme, ITER), the Federal Council adopted a series of transitional measures in the period 2021–2024. A large number of project proposals and corresponding requests are expected for this direct funding of researchers and innovators in Switzerland. On 20 June 2025, the Federal Council decided to allocate an additional CHF 75 million for this purpose, subject to budgetary approval by the Swiss Parliament. These additional funds do not exceed the overall budget of CHF 5.4 billion approved by parliament for the Horizon package.
Direct funding supports researchers and innovators in Switzerland involved in research and innovation projects under the Horizon package. Although the EU calls for proposals for 2021–2024 are now closed, project evaluation and contract preparation between the consortia and the European Commission are still ongoing in some cases. As a result, the State Secretariat for Education, Research and Innovation (SERI), which is responsible for direct funding, is still receiving funding requests for project proposals from the 2021–2024 period.
The volume of already submitted and still anticipated funding requests is very high. For this reason, in addition to the newly planned additional funding and pursuant to the relevant Ordinance, SERI will apply an order of priority to all pending funding requests in relation to 2021–2024 calls for proposals. The order of priority and detailed information on implementation can be found on the SERI website.
Transitional measures 2021–2024 for the Horizon package
Ordinance of 20 January 2021 on Measures for Swiss Participation in the European Union Framework Programmes for Research and Innovation, RIPPO