Swiss participants in Horizon 2020 have to submit their projects as participants from associated countries and thus claim their budget from the European Commission.
In its announcement as of 17 August 2016, the State Secretariat for Education, Research and Innovation (SERI) clarified the current rules of proposal submissions from Swiss participants in Horizon 2020. The State Secretariat advised researchers in Switzerland to prepare their project on the basis of Switzerland’s full association in 2017 and therefore submit project proposals for all calls as participants from an associated country. In its detailed recommendations, SERI mentioned that exceptions for participants from Switzerland submitting projects as a Third-Country participant would be considered only for calls with deadlines earlier than 30 September 2016.
This means that since 30 September 2016 Swiss participants in Horizon 2020 have to submit their projects as participants from associated countries and thus claim their budget from the European Commission.
SERI understands that specific problems can be encountered in case of two-stage project submissions. If at the first stage, Swiss project partners submitted its budget as a Third-Country participant (EC contribution = 0), SERI accepts that the Swiss partner submits its budget as a Third-Country participant at the second stage too.
Please visit for further information the SERI Website on Horizon 2020 or contact your National Contact Point.