NRP project funding

Project funding is the most important task of the NRP. This directly strengthens innovation, value creation and competitiveness in rural areas, mountain regions and border regions. As part of project funding, non-repayable financial contributions (à-fonds-perdu) and repayable, interest-free or low-interest loans are granted to innovative projects.

NRP project to produce wooden boxes for the Vacherin Mont-d'Or cheese. — © regiosuisse

NRP eligibility criteria

The NRP can be used to support innovative and export-orientated projects in the main areas of industry and tourism, but also in agriculture and forestry, the energy, education and health sectors. Only projects that generate added value in the region and are inter-company or pre-competitive are co-financed.

The NRP can also support the regions in drawing up regional development strategies and implementation programmes. These make it possible to identify potentials (economic, natural, cultural, social), harmonise them with existing framework conditions, develop visions for the future and initiate projects that will help the region progress economically.

Impact of NRP projects

Since 2008, the NRP has provided support for around 5,000 projects. Since 2020, start-ups and SMEs have benefited from over 10,000 innovation coaching sessions, and between 2016 and 2023, the 540 million Swiss francs allocated under the programme helped to generate investments totalling 2.9 billion Swiss francs.

• The New Regional Policy is making a difference | Regional development | regiosuisse (available in German, French and Italian)

A-fonds-perdu contributions

A-fonds-perdu contributions can be granted for the preparation, implementation and evaluation of initiatives, programmes and projects that:

• Promote entrepreneurial thinking and action in a region
• Strengthen the innovative capacity of a region
• Exploit regional potential and develop or improve value-creation systems
• promote cooperation between public and private institutions, between regions and with agglomerations

A-fonds-perdu contributions are only granted if:

• the initiatives, programmes and projects have an innovative character for the region concerned
• most of the benefits of the initiatives, programmes and projects supported accrue in regions that mostly have specific development problems and development opportunities in mountain regions and the wider rural area

Loans

The NRP can grant low-interest or interest-free loans for value-added-orientated infrastructures. These often have a key function for the regions. For example, mountain railways, seminar-, sports- or wellness- facilities, site developments or technoparks are financed. The NRP focuses on projects and infrastructure that utilise regional development potential and attract users from outside the region.

Realisation

The NRP is a joint endeavor: the federal government defines the main thrusts of the NRP in cooperation with the cantons for eight years at a time. On this basis, the cantons determine specific funding content and priorities that are orientated towards their respective economic structures and regional characteristics, as well as their economic policy strategies. These implementation programmes can have a cantonal or supracantonal focus; the decisive factor is the economic interdependencies that develop in “functional areas”. On the basis of the implementation programmes, the Confederation and the canton(s) conclude programme agreements in which they agree on objectives and co-financing by the Confederation.

The cantons are responsible for implementing the agreed programmes. They assess the project applications and decide whether a project is eligible for funding. They, therefore, decide on the use of federal funds within the framework of the applicable programme. The principle of equivalence applies here: the canton invests an amount (at least) equivalent to that of the federal government from its own funds.

In addition to regional, cantonal and cross-cantonal projects, the cantons also promote cross-border projects (Interreg programmes).

The regiosuisse project database (in German) provides an overview of the projects funded by the NRP and Interreg. The regiosuisse Impact Assessment (in German) provides an insight into selected NRP and Interreg projects, focusing on their impact.

The NRP is one of many federal funding instruments. The regiosuisse financial aid tool (in German) helps interested companies and organisations to find the right funding for their project.

NRP project database by regiosuisse