Briefly
Program description
This call for proposals aims to fund projects that contribute to Ukraine’s reconstruction and recovery. It is implemented by the Swiss State Secretariat for Economic Affairs (SECO) under the Swiss Cooperation Programme with Ukraine for 2025–2028.
The programme seeks to support the Economic Recovery and Reconstruction of Ukraine through strengthened collaboration with Swiss companies. Selected proposals are expected to benefit Ukrainian citizens, support Ukraine’s resilience and recovery, and strengthen the Swiss–Ukrainian economic partnership.
Selected proposals should start as soon as possible after selection, ideally within the 2026 calendar year. Project implementation may extend until 2028, depending on the project.
Main Information
Eligibility
Eligible applicants under this Call for Proposals are Swiss companies registered in Switzerland before or on 01.01.2022, holding a majority ownership over a subsidiary and/or branch in Ukraine. Both entities (the Swiss and the Ukrainian) must be sister companies ultimately owned by the same Swiss beneficial owner(s) holding the majority ownership in each company. The companies must be registered no later than the closing date of this Call for Proposals.
Only proposals that comply with the eligibility criteria specified in Annex 1 will be considered for selection. If any of the eligibility criteria are not met, the applicant’s proposal will be excluded.
Financing
SECO selects a number of proposals through a competitive process and provides financial contributions to the selected projects. The overall budget for the call for proposals is up to CHF 150 million (Swiss francs).
The individual financial contributions to selected proposals may vary, depending on the proposals received and the criteria established for the call. SECO’s financial contribution per project ranges from CHF 3 million to CHF 30 million (Swiss francs).
SECO reserves the right to request an adjustment of the proposed project budget in line with the call conditions and may, at its own discretion, reduce the budget of the last selected project based on the cumulative scoring against the award criteria, in order to stay within the total budget of CHF 150 million (Swiss francs).
All requirements applicable to the present call for proposals are contained in the relevant document and its annexes. No reference may be made to the previous call for proposals (closed on 31 March 2025) for any claim or interpretation.
The applicant understands that the financial contribution is granted under the Federal Act on Financial Assistance and Subsidies of 5 October 1990 (Subsidies Act, SuG, SR 616.1). Accordingly, the financial contribution for a project may only cover effective costs incurred for the project and must not result in the applicant obtaining an undue profit beyond the costs for which the financial contribution is provided.
Supported Activities
According to the eligibility criteria established for this call for proposals, funding will be provided exclusively to projects in the public infrastructure sector. The supported sectors include:
- Energy (Renewable Energy and Energy Efficiency).
- Water & Sanitation.
- Housing.
- Public mobility.
- Social infrastructure (hospitals, schools, etc.).
- Agriculture.
Roadmap
| Event | Deadline (in 2026) | Responsibility |
|---|---|---|
| Publication of call | 9th of January | SECO |
| Submission of questions on the Call for Proposals | 23rd of January | Potential applicants, public |
| Publication of consolidated answers on website | 6th of February | SECO |
| Deadline submission of stage 1 proposals | 8th of March | Interested applicants |
| Communication to shortlisted applicants for stage 2 | 11th of May | SECO |
| Presentations of proposals by applicants | 25th of May – 5th of June | SECO, Swiss Embassy in Kyiv, Ministry of Economy, Environment and Agriculture of Ukraine, Selected applicants |
| Deadline submission of stage 2 proposals | 5th of July | Selected applicants |
| Communication of final selection decision | Until end of August | SECO |
| Communication to unsuccessful applicants | Until end of September | SECO |
| Signature of contracts and MoUs, potential project start and opening events | After communication of selection decision | SECO, selected applicants, Ukrainian counterparts |
| Finalization of projects | At the latest by end of 2028 | Selected applicants |
How to Apply
1) Create a profile on the SECO portal.
2) Upload Stage 1 Form (Annex 2) and documents by 08.03.2026.
3) File names must be "Applicant-Document-Name.pdf" without Cyrillic characters.
4) If shortlisted, present via MS Teams and submit full Stage 2 package (Annexes 3, 4, 5).
Evaluation Criteria
All submitted proposals are evaluated against the eligibility criteria set out in Annex 1 during stages 1 and 2 of the application process. Proposals that do not meet the eligibility criteria in full, without any restrictions or modifications, will not be evaluated further and will not be selected either for stage 2 or for final selection.
The applicant must ensure compliance with the eligibility criteria at all times, including once a contract is awarded and throughout contract execution.
| No. | Eligibility criterion |
|---|---|
| Criterion 1 | Formal components of the proposal |
| Criterion 2 | Proof of being a Swiss company with presence in Ukraine |
| Criterion 3 | Proof of response to a specific need by Ukraine |
| Criterion 4 | Budget and own financial contribution |
| Criterion 5 | Compliance with legal obligations |
| Criterion 6 | Confirmation of financial solvency |
| Criterion 7 | Confirmation of compliance with SECO’s exclusion list |
| Criterion 8 | Acceptance that the project might be audited by SECO or the Swiss Federal Audit Office |
| Criterion 9 | Acceptance of draft contract |
| Criterion 10 | Compliance with the Swiss sanctions regime |
| Criterion 11 | Conformity with Swiss export regulations on dual-use goods |
| Criterion 12 | Conformity of main and beneficiary business activity |
| Criterion 13 | Confirmation of understanding of all eligibility criteria and acceptance of all eligibility criteria |
FAQ
The Company shall take all necessary steps to register the project with the Ukrainian government as a project of “international technical assistance project” (ITA). If the ITA registration is accepted by the Government of Ukraine, the project may be exempted from VAT in Ukraine. This decision is at the discretion of the Government of Ukraine. The resulting amount that will be saved compared to the budget shall be allocated for the project. In the event that reinvestment is not feasible, the Company shall reimburse the savings to the Swiss Confederation.
Investment-type projects will be assessed on a case-by-case basis. The present Call for Proposals focuses on supporting the provision of services and the supply of goods that directly contribute to Ukraine’s reconstruction objectives. According to the eligibility criteria established for the present Call for Proposals, SECO will only fund projects where a public entity (e.g. municipality, public transportation authorities, public school, public hospital etc.) is the main end-beneficiary. SECO reserves the right to determine whether an end-beneficiary constitutes a public entity.
No, each applicant may submit only one application under this Call for Proposals.
Yes. Companies that received funding in the first call for proposals may apply again in the present call. All applicants need to demonstrate to have the necessary implementation and financial capacity to implement the project. Furthermore, each applicant must demonstrate how SECO’s financial contribution provides financial additionality to the project. Specifically, the applicant must explain how SECO’s financial contribution enables a project that would not have been initiated, sustained, or achieved at the same scale, scope or quality without the contribution.
A financial contribution of at least 10% is required as per eligibility criterion EC4. This financial contribution is typically expected to be a cash contribution. Each application will be assessed individually upon submission. The scope of the financial contribution must be explicitly stated within the application and listed within the budget. SECO does not distinguish between contributions being financed from the applicant in Switzerland or its subsidiary in Ukraine. The own contribution must be linked to the project.
“Swissness” is an award criterion (AC10). You will find more details in Annex 1.
The evidence required linked to award criterion AC7 applies to all services directly provided as per the proposal, whether through company staff or external service providers, until hand-over to the final recipient.
Updates / Announcements
Consolidated answers to questions will be published on the website on February 6, 2026. Project presentations by shortlisted applicants are scheduled for May 25 - June 5, 2026.
Reporting and Compliance
The Swiss State Secretariat for Economic Affairs (SECO) will conclude a contribution agreement with applicants awarded a financial contribution. The reporting and compliance requirements are project-based and are set out in Annex 1.
Under the agreement, the grant recipient is required to appoint an Implementation Project Manager and to report on progress using the reporting templates provided in Annex 9 and Annex 10.
SECO and the applicant will also sign a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the Ukrainian beneficiary(ies) of the project.
By submitting a proposal, the applicant acknowledges having read, understood, and agreed to the eligibility criteria of the present call for proposals, including the contract template (Annex 6).
Legal Terms
The procedure for this call is based on the Federal Act on Financial Assistance and Subsidies (SR 616.1) in conjunction with the Federal Act on International Cooperation and Humanitarian Aid (SR 974.0).
The document also defines the general procedure for applying for a SECO financial contribution, which may cover part of the costs of the project proposed by the applicant. SECO’s contributions qualify as financial assistance under the Federal Act on Financial Assistance and Subsidies. The procedure is legally not a public procurement.
There is no legal entitlement to claim a financial contribution under the present call for proposals.