Innosuisse — Swiss Innovation Agency

Supports Swiss companies and researchers with innovation projects, startup coaching, and knowledge-transfer programs.

Innosuisse is the Swiss Innovation Agency, the federal funding agency that supports science-based innovation in the interests of the Swiss economy and society. As an entity under public law with separate legal identity, Innosuisse supports SMEs, start-ups, research institutions and other Swiss organisations in their research and development activities, facilitating collaboration and knowledge transfer between business and academia.

Innosuisse's flagship is the Innovation Projects with Implementation Partner programme — a consortium funding model where a Swiss research partner conducts the research (funded directly by Innosuisse), while a Swiss implementation partner (company, public body, or non-profit) covers 40–60% of total project cost plus a cash contribution to the research partner. Funding is decided by the Innovation Council, which is structured in five thematic subgroups (ICT, Life Sciences, Engineering, Energy & Environment, Social Sciences & Business Management), each holding around eight evaluation meetings per year with a 6–8-week decision time.

Beyond Innovation Projects, Innosuisse runs the Swiss Accelerator (up to CHF 2.5M per individual SME/start-up, currently paused under the Horizon Europe transitional arrangement), Start-up Innovation Projects (pre-market start-ups), the joint BRIDGE programme with the Swiss National Science Foundation, the Flagship Initiative for systemic and transdisciplinary innovation, Innovation Booster thematic networks, and the Start-up Coaching ladder (Initial CHF 10k → Core → Scale-up). Innosuisse also serves as the Swiss channel for Eureka and Eurostars international SME R&D programmes. Around 100 people work at the secretariat in Bern.