In recent months, I have increasingly worked with Swiss–Ukrainian project teams exploring how to move from technical concept – to fundable reconstruction project.
One recurring question comes up in almost every discussion:
Where can we realistically secure funding – and under which framework should the project be structured?
Based on current practice and ongoing project preparation, several Swiss-supported funding pathways stand out as particularly relevant.
Key Swiss Funding Instruments to Consider
1. Private Sector–Driven Reconstruction (SECO Instruments)
SECO – Ukraine Support Programmes
These instruments are currently the core entry point for Swiss companies.
Best suited for:
- infrastructure (energy, construction, utilities)
- industrial and technology-driven projects
- scalable, impact-oriented solutions
Key features: contribution-based funding (not public procurement); requirement of a Swiss company with a Ukrainian legal presence; strong focus on measurable impact and implementation capacity.
👉 This is the primary framework for consortium-based projects (Swiss + Ukrainian partners).
2. Energy & Climate Projects
REPIC
🔗 https://www.repic.ch/repic/de/home/bewerben.html
Best suited for:
- renewable energy (solar, wind, hybrid systems)
- decentralised energy solutions
- pilot and demonstration projects
Practical role: early-stage implementation; testing innovative solutions; building scalable prototypes.
3. Development Cooperation (SDC / SECO)
Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation
Best suited for:
- municipal infrastructure
- social infrastructure (healthcare, education)
- institutional and capacity-building projects
Key feature: strong involvement of public Ukrainian beneficiaries
Particularly relevant for community-level and regional reconstruction projects.
4. Multilateral & Blended Finance Channels
Switzerland also operates through international platforms:
- World Bank / EBRD / EIB programmes
- Ukraine reconstruction platforms aligned with EU initiatives
- blended finance structures combining grants + loans
Best suited for: large-scale infrastructure; PPP projects; transport, energy systems, urban development
5. PPP and Investment-Oriented Models
Public-Private Partnership Agency
Best suited for:
- long-term infrastructure projects
- concessions and PPP structures
- revenue-generating assets
Increasingly relevant for post-recovery investment phase rather than early reconstruction.
6. Additional Swiss and Hybrid Instruments to Watch
Beyond the core programmes, several additional channels are emerging:
- Climate finance and green transition funds
- Innovation and technology partnerships
- Cantonal and regional cooperation initiatives
- Private impact investment platforms
These are often less formalised but highly flexible, especially for pilot and niche projects.
Practical Classification: Which Funding Fits Which Project?
| Project type | Most relevant instruments |
| Renewable energy / hybrid systems | REPIC + SECO |
| Municipal infrastructure | SDC / SECO |
| Large-scale infrastructure | IFIs (EBRD, World Bank) + SECO |
| PPP / concession projects | PPP frameworks + IFIs |
| Pilot / innovation projects | REPIC + innovation funds |
Compliance Layer: A Growing Determining Factor
As Switzerland deepens its long-term commitment to Ukraine’s recovery, the funding landscape is becoming more structured – but also more complex.
At the same time, recent policy signals from Swiss authorities – including regulatory updates in the public health and resilience domain and strengthened guidance on sanctions compliance and anti-circumvention measures by SECO – indicate a clear direction:
“reconstruction funding will increasingly be tied to compliance, transparency, and risk control frameworks”.
Recent guidance from SECO on preventing circumvention of international sanctions reinforces a critical point: reconstruction projects must also align with broader systemic resilience objectives.
Lighthouse Insight
The Swiss approach to Ukraine reconstruction funding is not based on a single programme – but on a layered ecosystem: public funding, private-sector implementation, international financial institutions, strict compliance architecture.
The key challenge is no longer access to funding. It is: “correctly positioning the project within the logic of the funding instrument.”
Projects that align early with donor priorities, legal structure, compliance requirements have a significantly higher chance of moving from concept to implementation.
If you are structuring a project or advising a consortium – this is where legal design and funding strategy must be developed together from day one.
Want to assess your project or funding strategy?Contact us at: info@lighthouse-legal.eu
