FORS

What FORS does

FORS (Swiss Centre of Expertise in the Social Sciences) is a non-profit research foundation founded in 2008 and headquartered in Lausanne, Switzerland. It operates as the designated national infrastructure for social science survey research in Switzerland under a hosting mandate from the University of Lausanne and core funding from the Swiss National Science Foundation (SNSF). FORS unifies several long-running programs, including the Swiss Household Panel (SHP, 25+ waves since 1999) and Selects Swiss election studies (1971-2023), and coordinates Swiss participation in five major international survey consortia: the European Social Survey (ESS), the International Social Survey Programme (ISSP) via MOSAiCH, the European Values Study (EVS), and SHARE.

The foundation's primary technology platform is SWISSUbase, a self-serve online portal for finding, documenting, and depositing social science research data with long-term digital preservation. FORS also operates survey production using mixed-mode methodologies (CATI/CAPI/web) and provides methodological, data-management, and archive services aligned with FAIR data principles and Swiss data protection law (FADP). Its product portfolio includes six core survey programs plus four service lines (DCA, DMS, DAS, and the free Data Live consultation), a Working Paper Series, the annual Swiss Summer School in Social Science Methods (entering its 30th edition in 2026), and joint FORS-DaSCH webinars on data stewardship.

FORS is funded primarily by recurring grants from the SNSF and substantial in-kind support from the University of Lausanne, with additional revenue from third-party research projects and fee-based survey services delivered to academic, public, and nonprofit clients. Data archiving is offered free of charge to depositors, while survey design, collection, and analysis are provided on a project-quote basis for external partners. The foundation is governed by a board with representation from the University of Lausanne rectorate, swissuniversities, the Swiss Federal Statistical Office, and the Swiss Academies of Arts and Sciences; as of late 2025 FORS joined the SENPro consortium prototyping a Swiss node of the European Open Science Cloud.

Name

FORS

Legal name

FORS - Swiss Centre of Expertise in the Social Sciences

Website

https://forscenter.ch

Company type

Private

Founded year

2008

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

51–100 employees

Short description

FORS is the Swiss national research infrastructure for social sciences, coordinating longitudinal and cross-national survey programs (SHP, Selects, ESS, ISSP, EVS, SHARE) and providing data archiving via the SWISSUbase platform for academic, public, and nonprofit researchers.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Social Science Research Infrastructure

NAICS

Research and Development in the Social Sciences and Humanities (54172), Research and Development in the Social Sciences and Humanities (541720), Marketing Research and Public Opinion Polling (541910), Web Search Portals, Libraries, Archives, and Other Information Services (5192)

SIC

Services-Management Consulting Services (8742)

akta.pro primary industry

Fieldwork & Data Collection (Online Panels, CATI/CAPI, Fieldwork) (MPAAALAD)

akta.pro secondary industry

Survey, Panel & Fieldwork Services (BPAHALAJ)

Keywords

• Social science research
• Survey data collection
• Research data archiving
• Longitudinal panel studies
• Methodological consulting

Headquarters

HQ city

Lausanne

HQ country

Switzerland

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales

Revenue model

1. Public Funding - Swiss National Science Foundation (SNSF): Primary funding from SNSF as national research infrastructure for social sciences in Switzerland.
2. Public Funding - University of Lausanne: Substantial financial and material contributions from host institution University of Lausanne, including administration and infrastructure support.
3. Third-Party Research Projects: Additional funding through international collaborations and third-party research projects including European survey consortia.
4. Survey Services for External Partners: Data collection and analysis services provided to academic, public, and nonprofit organizations on a fee basis. Archive services offered free of charge to depositors.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

FORS designs, implements, and disseminates longitudinal and cross-sectional social science surveys (Swiss Household Panel, Selects election studies, ESS, MOSAiCH/ISSP, EVS, SHARE) and operates the SWISSUbase online platform for finding, documenting, and depositing research data for long-term preservation. It provides fee-based Data Collection and Analysis, Data Management, and Data Archive services to academic, public, and nonprofit partners, supplemented by free Data Live consultations and methodological training through the Swiss Summer School in Social Science Methods.

Product overview

FORS (Swiss Centre of Expertise in the Social Sciences) is a national research infrastructure providing a coordinated portfolio of longitudinal and cross-sectional survey products. The core offerings include major panel surveys (Swiss Household Panel, Selects election studies) and international survey coordination (European Social Survey, European Values Study, MOSAiCH, SHARE). These are supported by the SWISSUbase data platform for data discovery, deposit, and archiving. FORS also provides fee-based service offerings including Data Collection and Analysis (DCA), Data Management Services, and Data Archive Services, as well as free consulting through Data Live. Educational services include the Swiss Summer School in Social Science Methods and joint webinars with DaSCH. The organization operates as a unified service hub rather than a single product, combining survey research, data archiving, methodological support, and training.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• SWISSUbase: Online platform providing access to research information and data, offering researchers the opportunity to document and deposit their research data for long-term preservation and dissemination.
• Data Live
• FORS-DaSCH Webinar Series

Products and services

• Swiss Household Panel (SHP) Longitudinal household panel survey tracking the same individuals over time to study social change, living conditions, and life course dynamics in Switzerland. Wave 25 released with modules on social participation and political behavior. For social science researchers at Swiss and international academic institutions.
• Selects Swiss election study examining voting behavior and political attitudes in Swiss federal elections since 1995, providing insights into changes in opinions and behaviors in the context of political events. For social science researchers studying political behavior and public opinion.
• European Social Survey (ESS) International cross-national survey measuring attitudes, beliefs, and behavior patterns across European countries. FORS coordinates the Swiss participation in this academic initiative. For academic researchers across the European research community.
• MOSAiCH Cross-sectional survey examining Swiss population attitudes and values on a broad range of societal topics, incorporating the current International Social Survey Programme (ISSP) module plus supplementary Swiss-specific questions. For academic and policy researchers studying Swiss public opinion.
• European Values Study (EVS) Large-scale cross-national survey investigating values and attitudes across European countries, examining fundamental human values related to work, family, politics, religion, and society. For comparative European social science researchers.
• SHARE (Survey of Health, Ageing and Retirement in Europe) Cross-national panel database providing microdata on health, socioeconomic status, and social networks of individuals aged 50 and older in Europe. FORS coordinates Swiss participation. For academic researchers studying aging, health, and retirement.
• SWISSUbase Online data platform providing access to research information and data from Swiss and international social science surveys, offering documentation and deposit services for long-term preservation and dissemination of both quantitative and qualitative research data. For Swiss and international social science researchers.
• Data Collection and Analysis (DCA) Survey methodology services providing support from questionnaire design and sampling through data collection and statistical analysis, tailored for academic research, public institutions, and non-profit organizations. For academic researchers, public institutions, and nonprofit organizations needing fee-based survey research services.
• Data Management Services (DMS) Services helping researchers with data management planning, documentation, anonymization, and preparation for deposit, supporting Open Research Data practices. For researchers across the social sciences preparing data for sharing and reuse.
• Data Archive Services (DAS) Long-term digital preservation services ensuring access to research data for future generations, including de-identification, access eligibility criteria, and user contract management. For data producers seeking long-term preservation under FAIR principles.
• Data Live Free one-to-one online consultation service providing personalized guidance from experts in data management, ethics, anonymization, documentation, and data sharing for social science researchers. For researchers seeking free expert advice on managing and sharing their research data.
• Swiss Summer School in Social Science Methods Annual methodological training program offering workshops in quantitative and qualitative social science methods for students, researchers, and practitioners. For graduate students, researchers, and practitioners seeking methodological training.

Named customers3 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature4 records

Partnerships

Eleven partnerships are on record, tiered major, core and minor.

• SENPro ConsortiummajorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 19 September 2025FORS is part of SENPro (Swiss EOSC Node Prototype), a project funded by swissuniversities Open Science II programme. The project aims to assess and prototype a national interdisciplinary node of the European Open Science Cloud (EOSC). FORS co-leads work on testing prototypes with research communities and contributing to a White Paper on technical, service, and governance requirements.
• DaSCH (Swiss National Data and Service Center for the Humanities)majorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2025Joint FORS-DaSCH webinar series on data management for social sciences and humanities. Collaboration on webinars covering authority data, standards, metadata, copyright, licenses, and data management planning topics.
• University of LausannecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerHost institution mandated under Federal Law on Research. Provides substantial financial and material contributions including administration and infrastructure. Hosts joint research program DReMSS with Faculty of Social and Political Sciences.
• European Social Survey (ESS)majorStrategic or Co-development PartnerFORS coordinates Swiss participation in the European Social Survey, implementing the survey in Switzerland and contributing to international data releases across 30+ countries.
• International Social Survey Programme (ISSP)majorStrategic or Co-development PartnerFORS coordinates Swiss participation in ISSP through MOSAiCH survey, implementing international modules and contributing to global data releases with 29 member countries.
• European Values Study (EVS)majorStrategic or Co-development PartnerFORS coordinates Swiss participation in the European Values Study, contributing to cross-national comparative research on values and attitudes.
• SHARE - Survey of Health, Ageing and Retirement in EuropemajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerFORS coordinates Swiss participation in SHARE, contributing data on health, aging, and retirement across European countries.
• Swiss Federal Statistical Office (SFSO)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerAppoints one member to the FORS Foundation Board. Collaborates on national statistical infrastructure and research data standards.
• swissuniversitiescoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerRectors' Conference of Swiss Higher Education Institutions appoints four members to the FORS Foundation Board, representing the broader Swiss university system.
• LIVES Centre (Swiss Centre of Expertise in Lifecourse Research)majorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaborates on longitudinal research, co-hosting the SHP & TREE conference celebrating 25 years of longitudinal surveys. Joint 'Good Life' Data Challenge using Swiss Household Panel data.
• Swiss Academies of Arts and SciencesminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerAppoints one member to the FORS Foundation Board, representing broader academic community interests.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves8 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Market position

Competitive moat5 records

Key highlights18 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/forsresearch
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/fors---swiss-centre-of-expertise-in-the-social-sciences/?viewAsMember=true

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles14 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about FORS