The failure of the Framework Agreement means that Switzerland will be treated as a non-associated third country in the EU’s Horizon Europe Framework Programme for Research and Innovation and the associated programmes and initiatives until further notice. This classification in the world’s most important research programme applies retroactively to all calls for proposals in 2021.

The ERC Starting and Consolidator Grants are excluded. This means that researchers from Switzerland can continue to participate in most collaborative projects – albeit to a limited extent – and receive funding from the State Secretariat for Education, Research and Innovation SERI. However, participation in individual projects, namely in future calls for proposals by the European Research Council, the Marie Skłodowska Curie Actions and the European Innovation Council, is no longer possible in principle.

For more information on the implications of Switzerland’s third-country status, see euresearch or the Federal Council’s communication (14 July 2021).