Funding for self-help projects

Self-help support (self-help projects)

The Federal Act on Compulsory Social Measures and Placements prior to 1981 (CSMPA) provides that the Federal Office of Justice may facilitate self-help projects of organisations for victims or affected persons. Financial assistance may be granted for this purpose.

Self-help projects are characterised by the fact that they create offers or provide assistance – with the involvement of victims or those affected – that aim to enable self-help among victims and those affected (self-help support). They should be realised within a certain time frame and directly serve the interests of as many victims and affected persons as possible.

The factsheet below contains a summary of the requirements and further useful information on how to set up one of these projects.

Merkblatt «Gesuche um Finanzhilfe für ein Selbsthilfeprojekt» / Notice explicative « Demandes d'aides financières pour des projets d'entraide » / Promemoria «Domande di sostegno finanziario per progetti di aiuto reciproco» (PDF, 1 MB, 13.08.2019)
(This document is not available in English)

If you are interested in setting up a self-help project, we recommend contacting the Federal Office of Justice (see contact column) to answer any initial questions and, where necessary, arrange an appointment for a preliminary meeting.

The documents required for submitting an application for financial assistance for a self-help project are not available in English. Please see the German, French or Italian version.

In addition to the CSMPA, the following legislation is relevant for self-help projects: (These documents are not available in English)