HES-SO is launching a call for projects to fund initiatives led by students or student associations that contribute to ecological or social transition.
You’ll find all the information you need to prepare your project proposal below. Please remember to read the full call conditions here.
Contact the HES-SO Competence Center in Sustainability if you need help setting up your project.
A project proposal can be submitted by:
- A student or group of students
- A HES-SO student association
- The Federation of Student Associations of HES-SO (FSA)
The project lead must be enrolled as a student of one of HES-SO universities for the entire duration of the project.
Other people can participate in the project: HES-SO students and staff as well as external associations and organisations.
Any project that adheres to the Policy of strengthening sustainability (Politique de renforcement de la durabilité (PRD) à la HES-SO 2025-2030) and supports its concept of strong sustainability as recognized by HES-SO.
Project proposals must contribute to at least one of the 9 intentions set out in the PRD 25-30 and/or to one of the Policy’s priority areas of action of the Policy framework for equality, diversity and inclusion (Politique-cadre égalité, diversité et inclusion de la HES-SO).
Projects can take on different forms, such as:
- Communication, information or awareness projects
- Event organisation projects
- Educational projects (assignments, workshops, seminars, conferences, excursions, etc.)
- Sustainable campus management projects
- Projects to create networks, associations and social organisations
- Arts and culture projects
- Research, documentation and survey projects
- Etc.
The project has to start one month after receiving the funding decision and must be completed within 12 months.
Content of project proposals
A project proposal consists of the 2 following documents (please use following forms):
- Project description, signed by student project lead, sustainability lead and university management -> Submission form
- Detailed project budget -> Budget template
Deadlines
Project proposals can be submitted to the HES-SO Competence Centre in Sustainability (CCD) anytime by email to durabilite(at)hes-so.ch.
They will be taken into account on a first-come-first-served basis and assessed once a month by the CCD.
Assessment criteria
Project proposals are assessed according to the following criteria:
- Relevance: the project contributes to one of the 9 intentions set out in the Policy of strengthening sustainability of HES-SO 2025-2030 or to one of the Policy’s priority areas of action of the Policy framework for equality, diversity and inclusion at HES-SO.
- Feasibility: the project is realistic and takes into account the context and possible constraints during implementation.
- Coherence: the project is supported in principle by the university. It takes into account existing sustainability initiatives at the university.
After consulting the HES-SO CCD, the Vice-Chancellor Quality and Social responsibility decides which projects will receive funding. Available funds will be allocated until the annual budget is exhausted.
Allocated amounts
In 2026, the total amount for this project call is CHF 10,000.
Projects meeting the eligibility criteria can receive a maximum amount of CHF 2,000.
Projects submitted by a member student association of the HES-SO Federation of Student Associations (FAE) can submit an application to receive additional financial support from the FAE’s inter-association fund.
In addition, in-kind or monetary co-financing may be sought from the relevant university or other funders.
Eligible Expenses
In general, all expenses related to the supported project are eligible. This may include:
- Paid work hours of project team students at CHF 25.00 gross per hour
- Travel expenses
- Equipment costs
- Fees for an external service or expertise that are required to carry out the project and not available internally from HES-SO
Funding terms and conditions
For projects carried out by a student or several students not affiliated to a student association, the grant is paid into the bank account of the relevant university. For projects submitted by a student association or the FAE, the grant is paid into the account of the relevant student association or FAE.
You’ll find all the detailed information you need here.
Consulting the Sustainability lead
Before submitting the project proposal, the applicant consults the Sustainability lead of their university to ensure the relevance, feasibility and coherence of the project, as well as of any co-financing that may be necessary.
Project delivery
In the event of a funding agreement, the applicant will complete the project as outlined. Any significant changes to the content, budget or project schedule must be communicated to HES-SO Competence Centre in Sustainability (CCD) by email.
Final reports
At the end of the project, a brief report on the activities carried out and results achieved as well as a financial statement will be emailed to the CCD. A template is provided for this purpose at the project start.
Charter of Sustainability commitments for student associations
Student associations receiving funding under this framework are strongly encouraged to sign the Charter of sustainability commitments for student associations (Charte d'engagement pour la durabilité destinée aux associations étudiantes). By doing so, they’ll demonstrate their willingness to ensure their operations and activities are environmentally and socially responsible.