Innosuisse supports science-based projects of start-ups with significant innovation potential. These innovation projects must be based on application-oriented research and prepare start-ups for entering the market for the first time. In the case of projects, only the start-up is supported. No research partners are supported. Funding is available for projects in all subject areas.
This offer is aimed at start-ups which have not yet entered the market.
Innosuisse recently held a webinar showcasing the various support offers for start-ups at each stage of their development, featuring a testimonial from Agrosustain. If you were unable to attend or would like to watch it again, the recording is available here. Password: Inno4Suisse
1. Submit application
Your start-up is planning an innovation project that you intend to use to enter the market for the first time with your product or service. You need financial support for this step. You can clearly demonstrate that your innovation project is preparing for subsequent rapid implementation on the market. Do all of the above apply to you? Then, submit an application for an innovation project as a start-up.
Innosuisse supports you directly as a young entrepreneur. The subsidy contract is entered into exclusively with you as the start-up. A research partner is not necessary and is not supported by Innosuisse as a direct subsidy recipient.
Your start-up:
is about to enter the market. Ready-developed products or services are not yet offered on the market (except for services in the field of research and development, consulting and expert opinions, etc., on which the business model is not based). Start-ups that already have prototypes or testing facilities in operation at customers are also considered to be “before market entry”.
has a business model based on a scalable product or service and thus has the potential for more than linear growth.
can clearly demonstrate that your innovation project prepares for subsequent rapid implementation on the market.
is based in Switzerland (i.e. the company’s headquarters is in Switzerland) and is registered in the Swiss registry of commerce.
is not a non-commercial association or foundation and is not a unit of public administration.
has not been established for more than 5 years at the time of submission (up to 10 years in exceptional cases).
has less than 50 FTE (Full Time Equivalent) when submitting the application form; if your start-up is controlled by another company (i.e. another company commands a direct/indirect majority of votes or has the direct/indirect right to appoint or remove a majority of the members of the executive board or board of directors of the start-up) and its financials are consolidated by the controlling company, then the consolidated group must have less than 250 FTE.
has the financial means to bear the envisaged own contribution (at least 30 percent of the project costs).
has an initial analysis of intellectual property rights which shows that there is no obvious conflict with existing patents at the time that the application is submitted that would prevent the start-up from entering the market.
does not have ongoing funding for the same project.
Innosuisse supports start-ups prior to entering the market in the realisation of science-based innovation projects with significant innovation potential. The funding is intended to make a own contribution to significantly accelerating the market launch of new products and services.
Innosuisse funding will support you in the transition from prototyping and validation to first market launch.
Support will be provided for innovations that are not yet ready for market launch when the application is submitted, but which will be launched on the market after the project is completed. Support for early technology or innovation development without preliminary validation or experimental proof of concept is possible. However, in order to achieve the initial market entry at the end of the project, the various development stages must be progressed through quickly.
The application will be assessed in accordance with the criteria set out in Article 8 of the Innosuisse Funding Ordinance. In addition, an assessment is made as to whether the start-up company has the financial capacity to make the planned own contributions during the course of the project.
As a young entrepreneur, you will receive direct support from Innosuisse. A research partner is not necessary and is not supported by Innosuisse as a direct subsidy recipient. Innosuisse covers a maximum of 70 per cent of the direct project costs. Your start-up pays at least 30 per cent of the costs itself as its own contribution.
For detailed information, please consult the relevant legal provisions:
The submission of an Innosuisse project application requires substantial preliminary clarifications and preparatory work before the application is submitted. Important information in relation to the innovation content and the value creation must already be available and indicated in the application (for example: results from literature research, (market) need assessments/demonstrate potential demand, market analyses including competitor analysis/analysis of existing solutions and providers in the field).
If you want to submit an application, please include the required information explained in the following checklist. This list is not exhaustive. Please refer also to the descriptions of the individual chapters when submitting your application on the Innosuisse application platform.
For funding decisions in the 2025 summer session, you must also submit the following:
Annual financial statements for the last three financial years or since the applicant company was founded, including the annual financial statements as per 31.12.2024. (In exceptional and duly justified cases, a provisional annual financial statement for 2024 signed by the Board Chairwoman or Chairman: the finalised 2024 annual financial statements must be submitted when available);
Interim financial statements as per 30.6.2024 (an internal, unaudited version signed by the Board Chairwoman or Chairman is sufficient);
Bank account statements as per 31.12.2024 and account statements for the last full month before submitting the application.
Submit your application at least eight weeks in advance of a meeting of the Innovation Council. After the formal check, it can be dealt with at the next meeting if the evaluation goes smoothly. After the meeting date, the decision of the Innovation Council is communicated by IncaMail within eight weeks. The entire application process thus takes around 16 weeks.
The relevant date for the submission deadline is the date of the Innovation Council meeting. Submit your application at least eight weeks in advance of a meeting of the Innovation Council. In case you will be invited to the pitching session, please pre-reserve this date too.
NOTE: There is no guarantee that any request submitted eight weeks before a meeting date will be considered at the next meeting.
Dates for meetings and pitches:
Energy & Environment
Engineering
Information & Communications Technologies
Life Sciences
Social Sciences & Business Management
The meeting dates are based on an annual planning. Innosuisse reserves the right to change dates.
Projects can be submitted on an ongoing basis. There are no tenders.
NOTE: the applications submitted must be of very high quality both in terms of content and completeness. When it comes to applications, high quality is more important than submitting incomplete or sub-par dossiers to Innosuisse as early as possible.
Do you meet the requirements? Then enter your application on the Innosuisse application platform. After the application has been submitted, Innosuisse will start the evaluation process.
2. Evaluation
First, the Innosuisse office formally evaluates your application. After that, three independent experts will assess the content of your application according to the clearly defined criteria. Using this assessment, the Innovation Council of Innosuisse will decide who will be invited for a pitch and present their project to Innosuisse. A final funding decision will then be made.
Level of innovation: The innovation content is measured against the latest scientific developments and also against the solutions available for the identified need;
Added value in Switzerland: Potential of effective implementation of the project results and the associated value that is expected to be created for the Swiss economy or society;
Methodological quality: Quality of project planning, qualitative and quantitative objectives, and implementation planning to achieve the intended economic or social benefits;
Staff expertise;
Sustainability: Contribution to the sustainable development of society, the economy and the environment;
Cost-benefit ratio:
Financial performance of the start-up: The start-up must prove that it has sufficient financial resources (in addition to the Innosuisse contribution) to provide the planned own contributions to the project or that it plans to procure said funds. Financial due diligence has been carried out and a specific report has been prepared as a basis for the evaluation;
Intellectual property: The results of an initial analysis of intellectual property rights conducted by the start-up must show that there is no obvious conflict with existing patents at the time that the application is submitted that would prevent the start-up from entering the market.
The Innovation Council of Innosuisse decides on your application in five thematic subgroups.
Information and communications technology (ICT)
Automation
Artificial/Local/ extenden/Networked intelligence
Block Chain
Communication technologies
Data sciences
Deep learning
eHealth
Gaming
IT Security and Cryptography
Machine Learning
Neuronal Networks
Robotics
Virtual Factory
Virtual Reality
Life Sciences (LS)
Agrotech
Biotechnology and Processing
Chemical Bio
Foodtech
Genetic Eng.
Human Medicine
Medical Diagno.
Medtech
Patient Manag. Systems
Pesonalised Medicine
Pharmaceuticals
Psychology
Veterinary Medicine
Acustics
Engineering (ENG)
Advanced Manufacturing
Chemical Eng.
Civil Engineering
Electrical Eng.
Embedded Sys.
Material Sciences
Measurement Technology
Mechanical Eng.
MEMS&MOEMS&BIOMEMS
Micro Proc.
Optoelectronics
Photonics
Power Electronics
Process Eng.
Products Eng.
Quality Control
Semi-Conductors
Sensors
Surfaces Sciences
Energy & Environment (E&E)
Bio-sourced Materials and Processing
Catalyst Research
Chemical Formulation
Energy Efficiency
Energy Biomass
Energy Harvesting
Energy Manag.
Energy Storage
Env.Techno.Cleantech
Fuel Cells
Geothermal Systems
Grids and Smart Grids
Hydro Power
Life Cycle Ana.
Nano System
Natural-Scientific Based Mobility
Noise Protection
Nuclear Power
Photovoltaics
Power to Fuel
Recycling
Smart Building Technology
Solar Thermal Systems
Sustainable Land Use
Thermal Eng.
Wind Energy
Social Sciences & Business Management (SSBM)
Advertisement
Architecture
Banking
Business Management
Consumer Goods Business
Design
e-Business
Education
Finance
Fintech
Health Research
Impact Investment
Industrial Design
Insurance Tech
Knowledge Ware
Logistics
Marketing
Midwife Research
Mobility
New Business Models
New Media
Nursing Research
Public Management
Real Estate Tech
Social Entrepreneurship
Social Work
Tourism
Urban & Regional Development
3. Pitch and decision
Following evaluation by the Innovation Council, Innosuisse will inform you within two weeks by email about the invitation to the pitch (see pitch dates).
Innosuisse will send you an appointment for your pitch. The pitch regarding your application should aim to introduce both the project and the team in person. Innosuisse will inform you about further details in writing. The jury consists of experts and members of the Innovation Council.
Subsequently, the Innovation Council will decide on a definite approval or rejection.
If the Innovation Council approves your application, you will receive a contract from Innosuisse before the project starts.
Following a negative decision by the Innovation Council, Innosuisse will inform you of such by email. You will receive a reasoned order. An appeal against the decision from Innosuisse can be lodged with the Federal Administrative Court within 30 days.
There is no resubmission process. Innosuisse will not consider a resubmitted project unless it is demonstrated clearly that the weaknesses that lead to the rejection of the project in the first place have been addressed. If done so, the new project will be treated and evaluated according to the normal evaluation process. We recommend that you allow sufficient time to amend and address the deficiencies of the first project to achieve a significant improvement in quality. This is a highly competitive instrument and only the very best projects are funded, please make sure that your application is sound, complete and of very high quality.
4. Sign contract and start project
The project partners must conclude a subsidy contract with Innosuisse. You will receive this by email. Only after signing and returning the contract by email to Innosuisse can you start your innovation project as agreed in the contract.
NOTE: Please inform Innosuisse of the concrete date of the start of the project in writing by e-mail innoprojects@innosuisse.ch.
5. Project reporting
During your innovation project, you will need to submit reports. These will provide Innosuisse with insights into the progress of the project. You must discuss and request approval for important changes to your innovation project with Innosuisse in advance.
NOTE: Please submit all reports (status and final reports as well as financial reports) directly on the application plateform.
Innosuisse (innoprojects@innosuisse.ch) must be notified in writing of any significant changes without delay and before they are implemented. The changes may only be made with the consent of Innosuisse.
The following, in particular, constitute significant changes:
Changes of key people in the project
Changes in the project plan or project objectives
Changes in your company that may have an impact on the project and the eligibility requirements (e.g. changes in shareholders, planned entry into a group of companies, imminent or actual over-indebtedness or insolvency, departure from Switzerland).
Significant deterioration of the risk situation
If you are uncertain about the eligibility of planned material costs, we recommend that you contact Innosuisse in advance.
During your start-up innovation project, you must report to Innosuisse on the project's progress.
The Extended Project Review consists of the following parts:
a) a standardised status report on the progress and implementation of the project; b) a standardisied financial report on theproject costs; and c) an update on your corporate finances.
A review meeting will be held after the three reports have been examined. Innosuisse will contact you in good time to define the date.
a) Status Report
The project progress report must show the status of activities compared to the original plan in the application, in particular with regard to the achievement of the defined milestones and deliverables. For this reason, we recommend that you make sure that these milestones are clearly defined (in terms of content and time) and quantified from the start of the project onwards.
b) Report on the project costs
Innosuisse wants to find out the current status of the project costs and ensure the legitimacy of the expenditure. The following evidence is relevant for this:
Documentation of project-related personnel costs based on hourly reports of all persons involved in the project. The hours can be proven either by an extract from an ERP system or by means of time sheets as per the template (a template will be sent if required).
As part of its review of the legitimate use of project funds, Innosuisse may conduct or commission additional financial audits.
NOTE: Innosuisse contributes a percentage of the total project costs. The total project costs must therefore also be proven (in the reporting, there is no further division of the total project costs into categories borne by Innosuisse and categories borne by your company).
c) Update on corporate finances
Innosuisse checks whether your company can continue to finance the project. The documents below must be submitted for this purpose:
Annual report of the last full business year
Interim financial statements as of 30 June if the milestone report is prepared after 30 June of the calendar year
Updated financial information (especially cashflow planning) incl. Explanation of significant changes
Update of the risk map incl. explanation of significant changes
Overview of current shareholders (disclosure of all beneficial owners, including those of convertibles)
Please note that a detailed list of the hours worked per month and per employee on the project must be submitted in the Innosuisse application plateform. You can upload a signed ERP extract to the plateform or use the Excel file below.
No later than one month after completion of the project, you must send Innosuisse a final scientific report and the financial reports. These are used for quality assurance, financial auditing and impact measurement.
The final review for your project consists of two parts:
a) a standardised substantive final report with information on satisfaction, the success of the project and project benefits, results, market implementation, intellectual property rights, and commercial and/or economic benefits, among other things;
b) a standardised report on project costs, accompanied by all supporting documents relevant for the verification of eligible costs. Changes in the cost structure must be shown and will be accepted in justified cases.
To enter the material costs, please note the document eligible material costs:
Please note that a detailed list of the hours worked per month and per employee on the project must be submitted in the Innosuisse application plateform. You can upload a signed ERP extract to the plateform or use the Excel file below.
Innosuisse collects information after the end of the project so that it can monitor the impact of the projects carried out as part of the start-up innovation project.
For this purpose, you as a grantee provide your annual reports (balance sheet, income statement, notes according to the Swiss Code of Obligations 959 ff.) of the last three complete financial years after project completion. In addition, at the end of the project and up to five years after the end of the project, further information must be made available upon request, for example on the development of the company, the course of the project and the utilisation of the project results and/or satisfaction with the project and the funding process.
The platform Innolink is used to submit and manage applications to Innosuisse. Project partners and start-ups can submit new applications or edit existing ones, while Innosuisse members can access the projects and cases assigned to them.
Webinar about Start-up innovation projects
Find out more about this support offer by watching the webinar.
Approved start-up innovation projects
Learn about the young companies supported by Innosuisse within the framework of start-up innovation projects.
