Deadline: 03-Sep-2026
The UK–Switzerland Bilateral Call supports joint research and development projects between UK and Swiss partners to create innovative commercial products, processes or technical services. The call is launched by Innovate UK, part of UK Research and Innovation, and Innosuisse to strengthen bilateral innovation cooperation between the United Kingdom and Switzerland.
Eligible projects must focus exclusively on semiconductors, life sciences or engineering biology. Each project must include at least one UK business, one Swiss business and at least one research institute from either country, with projects lasting between 18 and 36 months.
Programme Overview
The UK–Switzerland Bilateral Call is designed to support collaborative R&D projects between organisations in the United Kingdom and Switzerland.
The call aims to help UK and Swiss partners develop innovative commercial solutions with strong market potential in both countries.
It supports international research and development collaboration in high-growth technology sectors where joint expertise can accelerate innovation and commercial deployment.
Lead Organisations
The call is launched by:
- Innovate UK, part of UK Research and Innovation
- Innosuisse, the Swiss Innovation Agency
These organisations support innovation, applied research and commercial technology development in their respective countries.
Main Objective
The main objective of the UK–Switzerland Bilateral Call is to support joint R&D projects that lead to commercial outcomes.
Projects should contribute to the development of:
- Commercial products
- Commercial processes
- Technical services
- Market-ready innovation
- New technologies with international growth potential
The call is focused on solutions that can create value in both the UK and Swiss markets.
Eligible Focus Areas
Projects must focus exclusively on one or more of the following three areas:
- Semiconductors
- Life sciences
- Engineering biology
Applications outside these three focus areas will not be considered for evaluation.
Key Innovation Themes
The call supports projects linked to:
- Research and development collaboration
- Commercial product development
- International innovation partnerships
- Market-driven technology advancement
- Bilateral cooperation between the UK and Switzerland
- Applied research with commercial potential
- Access to complementary expertise and infrastructure
- Accelerated pathways to innovation deployment
What Projects Should Demonstrate
Successful proposals must show strong commercial and collaborative value.
Projects should demonstrate:
- Clear innovation content
- Significant market opportunities in both countries
- Strong commercial potential
- Added value from UK–Swiss collaboration
- Complementary expertise between partners
- Access to relevant research infrastructure
- Accelerated technology development
- A credible route to market
- Balanced participation between UK and Swiss partners
Project Duration
Eligible projects must run for a minimum of 18 months and a maximum of 36 months.
Applicants should ensure the project timeline is realistic for the proposed R&D activities, technical development, testing, validation and commercial planning.
Who is Eligible?
The call is open to collaborative consortia involving UK and Swiss partners.
Each consortium must include:
- At least one business entity from the United Kingdom
- At least one business entity from Switzerland
- At least one research institute from either the UK or Switzerland
A specific exemption may apply for eligible Swiss start-ups, depending on national funding rules.
Eligible Participants
Additional participants may also join the consortium if they comply with the relevant national funding rules.
These may include:
- Research organisations
- Commercial companies
- Innovation-focused businesses
- Technology developers
- Sector specialists
- Academic or applied research partners
Consortium Requirements
Each project must involve genuine bilateral collaboration between independent UK and Swiss partners.
To ensure meaningful international cooperation:
- UK and Swiss partners must remain independent
- Affiliated companies are treated as a single entity
- The consortium must include partners from both countries
- The project must show clear added value from cross-border collaboration
- No single country may contribute more than 70% of total person-months
- No single country may contribute less than 30% of total person-months
This balance requirement ensures that both countries make meaningful contributions to the project.
Participation Limits
Organisations that are not acting as project leads may participate in up to three applications.
Applicants should ensure they have the capacity, resources and financial ability to contribute effectively to each project in which they participate.
Commercial Requirements
Projects must focus on developing commercially relevant outcomes.
Proposals should clearly explain:
- The target market
- The customer need
- The commercial opportunity
- The innovation advantage
- The development pathway
- The expected route to market
- The benefits for both UK and Swiss partners
- The potential for long-term business growth
Projects should not be purely academic or exploratory. They must demonstrate a clear pathway toward commercial use.
Mandatory Submission Requirements
Applicants must provide key documentation as part of the application.
Mandatory requirements include:
- A consortium agreement
- Intellectual property arrangements
- Financial documentation
- Evidence that partners can fund their own contributions
- A clear explanation of roles and responsibilities
- Confirmation that eligible costs are incurred within each respective country
The consortium agreement should cover how intellectual property rights will be managed between partners.
Funding and Cost Rules
Only costs incurred within each respective country are eligible.
Cross-border funding is not permitted.
This means:
- UK partners must claim eligible UK-incurred costs through the relevant UK funding rules
- Swiss partners must claim eligible Swiss-incurred costs through the relevant Swiss funding rules
- Partners cannot use funding from one country to pay for costs incurred in the other country
- Each partner must demonstrate the financial ability to support its own project contribution
Why UK–Swiss Collaboration Matters
The UK and Switzerland both have strong research, innovation and commercial ecosystems.
This call helps bring together complementary strengths in advanced technology sectors such as semiconductors, life sciences and engineering biology.
Bilateral R&D collaboration can help organisations:
- Access specialised expertise
- Use advanced research infrastructure
- Accelerate product development
- Expand market access
- Build international innovation partnerships
- Improve global competitiveness
- Develop commercially valuable technologies
How to Apply or Prepare a Strong Proposal
Applicants should prepare a clear, commercially focused and collaborative R&D proposal.
Step 1: Confirm the Project Focus
Ensure the project fits within one of the three eligible areas:
- Semiconductors
- Life sciences
- Engineering biology
Projects outside these areas will not be evaluated.
Step 2: Build a Compliant Consortium
Create a consortium that includes at least:
- One UK business
- One Swiss business
- One research institute from either country
Applicants should also check whether any special exemption applies for eligible Swiss start-ups.
Step 3: Define the Commercial Opportunity
Explain the market need and the commercial potential of the proposed solution.
The proposal should show how the project will lead to a product, process or technical service with strong market opportunities.
Step 4: Show the Value of Bilateral Collaboration
Clearly explain why the project requires both UK and Swiss partners.
Applicants should describe:
- Complementary skills
- Shared technical expertise
- Access to facilities or infrastructure
- Commercial benefits in both countries
- Faster development through collaboration
Step 5: Plan the R&D Activities
Set out the research and development work clearly.
The project plan should include:
- Technical objectives
- Work packages
- Partner roles
- Development milestones
- Risk management
- Validation or testing activities
- Commercialisation planning
Step 6: Check the Collaboration Balance
Make sure the person-month contribution is balanced between countries.
No country should contribute more than 70% or less than 30% of total person-months.
Step 7: Prepare the Consortium Agreement
Develop a consortium agreement that covers intellectual property rights, responsibilities, decision-making and project management.
This agreement is a mandatory requirement.
Step 8: Prepare Financial Documentation
Each partner must show that it can fund its own contribution to the project.
Financial documentation should demonstrate organisational capacity and financial readiness.
Step 9: Follow National Funding Rules
Each partner must follow the funding rules of its own country.
Applicants should ensure that all claimed costs are eligible and incurred within the correct country.
Common Mistakes to Avoid
Applicants should avoid the following mistakes:
- Submitting a project outside semiconductors, life sciences or engineering biology
- Failing to include both UK and Swiss business partners
- Missing the required research institute partner
- Providing weak commercial justification
- Not explaining the added value of UK–Swiss collaboration
- Creating an unbalanced consortium contribution
- Ignoring the 70% and 30% person-month rule
- Submitting incomplete financial documentation
- Failing to address intellectual property rights
- Assuming cross-border funding is allowed
- Submitting a project that is too academic and not market-driven
Tips for a Competitive Application
A strong application should:
- Focus clearly on one of the three eligible technology areas
- Present a strong commercial opportunity
- Demonstrate clear innovation content
- Show genuine UK–Swiss collaboration
- Include complementary partners with relevant expertise
- Provide a realistic project timeline of 18 to 36 months
- Explain how the solution will reach the market
- Include a clear consortium agreement
- Provide strong financial documentation
- Follow national funding and cost eligibility rules
- Show balanced contributions from both countries
FAQ
1. What is the UK–Switzerland Bilateral Call?
The UK–Switzerland Bilateral Call supports joint R&D projects between UK and Swiss partners to develop innovative commercial products, processes or technical services.
2. Who launched the call?
The call is launched by Innovate UK, part of UK Research and Innovation, and Innosuisse, the Swiss Innovation Agency.
3. Which sectors are eligible?
Eligible projects must focus exclusively on semiconductors, life sciences or engineering biology.
4. Can projects outside these sectors apply?
No. Applications outside semiconductors, life sciences and engineering biology will not be considered for evaluation.
5. What is the required project duration?
Projects must last between 18 and 36 months.
6. What must each consortium include?
Each consortium must include at least one UK business, one Swiss business and at least one research institute from either country, unless a specific exemption applies for eligible Swiss start-ups.
7. Are cross-border costs eligible?
No. Cross-border funding is not permitted. Only costs incurred within each respective country are eligible under that country’s funding rules.
Conclusion
The UK–Switzerland Bilateral Call supports commercially focused R&D collaboration between UK and Swiss partners in semiconductors, life sciences and engineering biology.
The call is designed to strengthen international innovation, accelerate technology development and create market-driven solutions with strong commercial potential.
Applicants should build balanced, independent and complementary consortia, demonstrate clear bilateral added value, follow national funding rules and prepare strong commercial, technical and financial documentation.
For more information, visit Innosuisse.