Currently 7 active design grants, fellowships and residencies open to applicants in Switzerland. Hand-curated and updated weekly. Almost every entry is funded; a few notable unpaid open calls and festival submissions are included as clearly flagged exceptions. Browse the list below, or use the interactive desk for filtering and shortlisting.
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foodculture days is opening up The Kitchen / Central Location, the living heart of its biennale in Vevey, to an outside collective for the festival's 6th edition. The Kitchen is at once an open-air kitchen, a gathering space and an artistic installation, sited by the lake on the Esplanade de la Paix along a busy promenade, hosting multidisciplinary projects, concerts, themed meals, public discussions, citizens' assemblies and moments of collective cooking. The call asks for new ways of inhabiting it. WHO THEY WANT: a transdisciplinary collective of scientists, artists, designers, craftspeople, cooks, activists and architects, either newly formed or already active; collaboration across generations, cultures and levels of expertise is encouraged. WHAT IS OFFERED: an open-air citizen experimentation laboratory in Vevey's public space, framed around rethinking ways of living and the relationship to time and to creation, and thinking together about the conditions under which multidisciplinary practices can flourish. THE BRIEF: kitchen and hospitality, lunch and dinner service, vegetarian meals with a vegan option. Meals should be affordable, seasonal where fresh produce is involved, and conceived in the spirit of a communal canteen: simple, generous, nourishing and full of flavour. Expected covers are roughly 100 guests Wednesday to Thursday and roughly 150 Friday to Sunday. WHAT THE FESTIVAL PROVIDES: curatorial support to develop the proposal, with particular attention to the themed meals; introductions to local producers, growers and artisans including farm visits and foraging sites; production support and volunteers throughout; and standard professional kitchen equipment and cooking facilities. BUDGET: CHF 15,000 all-inclusive (VAT included) covering travel, visas, equipment rental, any additional kitchen equipment, per diems, materials and artist fees; food costs and accommodation in Vevey are covered separately. THE SPACE: the pavilion, called Cuisine, is a modular metal structure assembled from repurposed agricultural greenhouse components on a 3.1 metre bidirectional grid, with pillars and arches forming ridge vaults, a textile covering naturally dyed yellow with reseda, and a terracotta brick hearth for wood-fired cooking laid directly on the floor. It comes with dining tables, low tables, a reception table, a shelf, a bar, pendant lights, 30 cushions, removable curtains, flags, blackboards and signage panels, and can expand, contract or be reconfigured. TIMELINE: Phase 1 deadline 31 August 2026 at midnight CET; three shortlisted proposals selected in late September, each invited to an online meeting and paid a CHF 250 research fee for Phase 2; final project selected and announced in early October 2026; collaborative development with the foodculture days architectural team October to November; production December to February; build and installation in Vevey 1 to 16 June 2027, with the collective present throughout those two weeks; 6th edition of the biennale 16 to 20 June 2027. PHASE 1 QUESTIONS: tell us about your collective (origins, intention, what makes you special); member biographies with collective or individual portfolios, website, Instagram, city of residence and practices; what the concept consists of in terms of food and cuisine, relationships, and scenography and spatial research; what you want to put into practice in the central pavilion, your vision and the kind of experience you want to create; any special requirements; and references, including a quote representing the collective, two reference texts, three images and optionally video. An Open Call Information Kit, a recording of the online information session and a Q&A are published on the open call site and are worth reading before applying.
Pro Helvetia's Emerging Talents concept grant supports the early-stage concept development of design projects before a prototype is created. Emerging Talents are professional designers whose design-relevant training or business registration (self-employed, sole proprietorship, or company) dates back less than seven years. ELIGIBILITY: requires a connection to Switzerland (Swiss citizenship, or permanent residency with regular artistic activity in Switzerland); not open to practitioners without a Swiss connection. At least 50 percent of participants must be Swiss citizens or permanent residents whose place of work is in Switzerland. AMOUNT: up to CHF 10,000, plus possible individual coaching. Deadlines twice a year: 1 March (23:59 CET) and 1 September (23:59 CEST). Apply via the Pro Helvetia portal.
Pro Helvetia's Emerging Talents prototype development grant supports the creation of prototypes, pilot production runs, or sample collections for marketable design projects. Emerging Talents are professional designers whose training or business registration dates back less than seven years. ELIGIBILITY: requires a connection to Switzerland (Swiss citizenship, or permanent residency with regular artistic activity in Switzerland); not open to practitioners without a Swiss connection. At least 50 percent of participants must be Swiss citizens or permanent residents whose place of work is in Switzerland. AMOUNT: up to CHF 20,000, plus possible individual coaching. Deadlines twice a year: 1 March (23:59 CET) and 1 September (23:59 CEST). Apply via the Pro Helvetia portal.
Pro Helvetia's Emerging Talents production grant supports the production of design projects based on completed prototypes or sample collections. Emerging Talents are professional designers whose training or business registration dates back less than seven years. ELIGIBILITY: requires a connection to Switzerland (Swiss citizenship, or permanent residency with regular artistic activity in Switzerland); not open to practitioners without a Swiss connection. At least 50 percent of participants must be Swiss citizens or permanent residents whose place of work is in Switzerland. AMOUNT: up to CHF 50,000, on condition that own or third-party funding is available. Deadlines twice a year: 1 March (23:59 CET) and 1 September (23:59 CEST). Apply via the Pro Helvetia portal.
Pro Helvetia's Emerging Talents project extension grant supports extending advanced-stage design projects toward market success, for example through marketing, digital presence, and distribution. Emerging Talents are professional designers whose training or business registration dates back less than seven years. ELIGIBILITY: requires a connection to Switzerland (Swiss citizenship, or permanent residency with regular artistic activity in Switzerland); not open to practitioners without a Swiss connection. At least 50 percent of participants must be Swiss citizens or permanent residents whose place of work is in Switzerland. AMOUNT: up to CHF 20,000, plus possible individual coaching. Deadlines twice a year: 1 March (23:59 CET) and 1 September (23:59 CEST). Apply via the Pro Helvetia portal.
Pro Helvetia's Emerging Talents matchmaking event is a one-day event in Switzerland where emerging designers network with industry professionals, receive feedback, and take part in exclusive online pitch training. Emerging Talents are professional designers whose training or business registration dates back less than seven years. ELIGIBILITY: requires a connection to Switzerland (Swiss citizenship, or permanent residency with regular artistic activity in Switzerland); not open to practitioners without a Swiss connection. Open to Swiss citizens, permanent residents, or people working for Switzerland-based institutions. This is not a cash grant. Deadlines twice a year: 1 March (23:59 CET) and 1 September (23:59 CEST). Apply via the Pro Helvetia portal.
Stichting Stokroos funds a three-month reflective residency at Fundaziun Nairs in Scuol, Switzerland, for one selected visual artist, designer or craft practitioner (overlap possible). Both emerging and established makers may apply. Stokroos covers full accommodation and meals directly with Fundaziun Nairs and provides a discretionary EUR 7,000 budget for living, travel and production. The application should include a proposal that engages specifically with the residency, its Alpine surroundings and/or its historical and cultural context. Eligibility: you completed your first subject-specific (vocational or higher) programme in 2022 or earlier, or have an equivalent established practice, or started without formal training (first presentation marks the start of your practice); at least 21 years old; living and working in the Kingdom of the Netherlands (including its Caribbean parts) or Suriname for at least one year; not currently enrolled in a study or post-academic programme. Applications are individual only; duos and collectives cannot apply. Makers already selected by Fundaziun Nairs may still apply if they meet the criteria. You may submit only one application per year across all Stokroos grants, and must not have received a Seed Grant rejection in the previous calendar year. Apply via the online form (Dutch or English) with a portfolio PDF up to 20 pages, optional video up to 10 minutes total, CV up to 2 pages, and work/plan descriptions up to 2,500 characters each. Selection includes an introductory interview with up to three candidates; Stokroos aims to respond within 8 weeks. No appeal is possible. Application window: 1 to 11 September 2026. More information at nairs.ch.