Would you like to know what SECO's promotion activities involve? We give you a brief overview here.
Corporate governance and financing
Information and tools from start-up to succession
The SME portal covers the entire spectrum of entrepreneurial issues from start-up to succession with practical examples, articles on current topics or information on changes to the law. It also addresses current challenges such as digitalisation, with interviews and case studies to illustrate.
Help with financing
Government-accredited loan guarantee organisations There are currently three regional loan guarantee organisations in Switzerland and one guarantee organisation specifically for women. These organisations can guarantee bank loans of up to CHF 1 million.
Boosting the competitiveness of individual regions
Tax relief on direct federal tax is available for regional development projects. Target group: Industrial companies seeking to create new jobs or reframe existing ones in structurally weak areas In this way, the federal government strengthens the competitiveness of individual regions and supports their value creation.
The online desk for companies
EasyGov makes dealing with the authorities simple, fast and efficient. On this secure and reliable online platform, companies can deal with licensing, application and registration procedures paper-free in a single place. EasyGov makes things easier and saves costs – for companies and for the authorities.
Tourism
Marketing, coordination and advice for the tourist industry
Switzerland Tourism (ST) promotes Switzerland as a travel and tourism destination. The public organisation is present worldwide with around 270 employees in 34 branches and works together with the Swiss tourist industry. ST also focuses on developing and introducing products such as the 'Swisstainable' label, which promotes sustainable development in Swiss tourism.
Everything for travel, holidays or congresses in Switzerland on MySwitzerland.com.
Switzerland Tourism's web platform supports the tourist industry by offering guests from Switzerland and abroad attractive offers, information, links to partners, a booking platform and contacts for individual advice.
Encouraging accommodation businesses to invest
The SGH is the centre of expertise for promoting Swiss hotels. It offers answers and advice on financing for the hotel industry and promotes the accommodation industry on the behalf of the Confederation.
Promoting innovation, cooperation and knowledge-building
Innotour promotes innovative projects in Swiss tourism that are planned and implemented at inter-company level. The focus is on projects at national level, but projects at regional level also receive support if they meet the model project criteria. Innotour grants one-off start-up funding of up to 50% of the eligible project costs.
Regional development
Promoting the economic development of regions
The NRP is a federal and cantonal programme to support economic development in mountain areas, rural areas and border regions. It supports initiatives, programmes and projects that promote entrepreneurship, increase the innovative capacity of SMEs and boost regional value creation, thus increasing the competitiveness of these regions and helping them to cope with structural change.
Services and support for SMEs
The Regional Innovation Systems promote the competitiveness and innovative capacity of SMEs by providing coordinated support in the fields of information, advice/coaching, networking and financing. Moreover, the RISs maintain a list of services offered by other funding agencies and refer SMEs to these where appropriate. There are six RIS in Switzerland, each with its own contact point. They are supported via the NRP.
Information and networking for people who get involved in their region
regiosuisse collects, creates and shares practical, technical and methodological knowledge on regional development. The platform promotes networking and cooperation between all those involved in regional development. It helps them to share their knowledge and experience – an important factor for innovation and competitiveness in the regions. The services offered by regiosuisse are largely funded via the NRP.
Programme for the promotion of cross-border projects
The EU's Interreg programmes, in which Switzerland participates under the New Regional Policy (NRP), support cross-border regional development projects. The programmes and the many varied projects that emerge from them are an important part of Swiss regional policy. Interreg helps to strengthen cross-border cooperation throughout Europe and clearly creates added value for the regions.
Developing cross-disciplinary solutions and encouraging further innovation
In model projects, local, regional and cantonal actors can develop innovative solutions to problems at thematic interfaces and test them in practice. Ideally, they serve as a template or model for further projects and encourage the implementation even of unusual ideas, within the framework of the priority areas set by the federal government. The model projects are supported by eight federal agencies.
Export/Locating to Switzerland
Promoting exports and economic development from a single source
S-GE supports Swiss SMEs in opening up markets for goods or services abroad. The organisation provides information and contacts and offers advice on the entire internationalisation process. S-GE supports also innovative foreign companies seeking to settle in Switzerland.
Locating your business in the Swiss Innovation Park
If your company is driven by innovation and keen to work with Swiss universities to develop new marketable products or services, then with the help of Switzerland Innovation you can find the right Swiss innovation park for you to collaborate successfully with local universities, research institutes and other companies.
Insuring exports against payment default and optimising liquidity
Swiss Export Risk Insurance SERV insures political and del credere risks involved in exporting goods and services. SERV's insurance policies and guarantees offer Swiss export companies protection against payment default. SERV's solutions also help to make it easier to obtain favourable loans or a higher credit limit and to maintain liquidity.
Strengthening the market presence of Swiss companies abroad
The Trade Fair and Project Committee (TFPC) promotes the coordinated participation of Swiss companies in leading international trade fairs and supports other promotional activities abroad.
Simplified access for Swiss exporters to large-scale infrastructure projects worldwide
Coordinated measures between industry, funding instruments and federal agencies in Team Switzerland make it easier for Swiss exporters to supply foreign large-scale infrastructure projects and general contractors.
Team Switzerland Infrastructure acts as a service provider for Swiss exporters, foreign EPCs and authorities. Team Switzerland Infrastructure identifies international infrastructure projects and business opportunities, connects Swiss companies with key players from the federal government, the private sector and the export promotion instruments as well as international financing institutions, and offers customized financial services. Team Switzerland Infrastructure is made up of the federal offices SECO, DETEC and FDFA, the export promotion instruments Switzerland Global Enterprise and the Swiss Export Risk Insurance SERV as well as the industry associations Swissrail, Swissmem and suisse.ing.
