State Secretariat for Economic Affairs (SECO) of Switzerland

What State Secretariat for Economic Affairs (SECO) of Switzerland does

SECO (State Secretariat for Economic Affairs) is the Swiss federal government's centre of competence for economic and labour market policy, operating under the Federal Department of Economic Affairs, Education and Research (EAER/WBF). Organised into four directorates — Economic Policy, Foreign Economic Affairs, Labour, and Promotion Activities — plus a Resources division, SECO develops regulatory frameworks, conducts economic forecasting, administers labour-market and unemployment-insurance policy, implements sanctions and export controls, negotiates trade and investment agreements, and runs Switzerland's international economic cooperation with middle-income partner countries. It serves the Swiss Federal Council and other federal departments, Swiss businesses engaged in international trade, workers and employers operating under Swiss labour-market regulation, and partner governments across roughly 32 countries where it has 50 posted staff alongside its 900+ Bern-based headcount.

SECO operates a portfolio of standalone digital government platforms rather than an integrated suite. These include ELIC (electronic licensing for industrial products and war materiel exports), simap.ch (federal–cantonal–communal public procurement platform), Job-Room and work.swiss (unemployment-insurance and employment-services portals), the Swiss Official Gazette of Commerce (SOGC/shab.ch), EasyGov.swiss (electronic company-licensing and reporting), the Swiss Accreditation Service (SAS) directory for conformity-assessment body accreditation, the Country Cockpit for bilateral economic-relations intelligence, and a Sanctions Search database. There is no external API or developer-facing SDK; the systems are operated as internal administrative infrastructure for Swiss businesses and other federal/cantonal entities.

As a federal government agency, SECO is funded through the Swiss federal budget rather than commercial sales; most services are free at point of use, with a limited set of statutory fees (accreditation services, certain export licences). The international cooperation budget sits at approximately CHF 2.4 billion per year from 2029, while Swiss official development assistance totalled CHF 3.8 billion in 2025 (0.46% of GNI). Distribution operates government-to-government (bilateral programmes, multilateral coordination) supplemented by inter-agency coordination with the cantons, partner multilaterals (OECD, WTO, UN Tourism), and accredited private-sector intermediaries such as Switzerland Global Enterprise (S-GE).

Name

State Secretariat for Economic Affairs (SECO) of Switzerland

Legal name

State Secretariat for Economic Affairs (SECO)

Website

https://seco.admin.ch

Company type

Private

Founded year

1999

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

51–100 employees

Short description

The State Secretariat for Economic Affairs (SECO) is a Swiss federal government agency responsible for economic and labour market policy, sanctions and export control administration, and international economic cooperation, serving the Federal Council, Swiss businesses, workers, and partner governments across roughly 32 countries.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Government Economic Affairs and Labour Market Administration

NAICS

National Security and International Affairs (9281), Regulation, Licensing, and Inspection of Miscellaneous Commercial Sectors (92615)

SIC

Foreign Governments (8888)

akta.pro primary industry

Competition Policy, State Aid & Public Procurement Regulatory Cooperation (BPADANAO)

akta.pro secondary industries

Labor, Social Protection & Occupational Safety Standards Cooperation (BPADANAM), International Standards, Norms & Technical Regulatory Bodies (BPADAAAJ)

Keywords

• Economic policy advisory
• Export control licensing
• Public procurement platform
• Labour market regulation
• International economic cooperation

Headquarters

HQ city

Bern

HQ country

Switzerland

HQ region

Europe

Offices3 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Others

Revenue model

1. Government Budget Funding: SECO is funded through the Swiss federal government budget. International cooperation budget is approximately CHF 2.4 billion per year. Official development assistance (ODA) amounted to CHF 3.8 billion in 2025.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

SECO is the Swiss federal government's centre of excellence for economic and labour market policy, providing the regulatory, economic, and foreign policy framework to enable sustainable growth, high employment, and fair working conditions. Its services span economic forecasting and analysis, foreign economic affairs and trade negotiations, export control licensing (ELIC), sanctions implementation, investment screening, public procurement (simap.ch), public employment and unemployment insurance (work.swiss, Job-Room), accreditation of conformity assessment bodies (SAS), and international economic cooperation programmes with partner countries.

Product overview

SECO (State Secretariat for Economic Affairs) is a Swiss federal government agency organized into four directorates (Economic Policy, Foreign Economic Affairs, Labour, and Promotion Activities) plus a Resources division. It does not offer commercial products but provides government services including electronic platforms for public procurement (simap.ch), export control licensing (ELIC), company registration (SOGC/shab.ch), employment services (work.swiss, Job-Room), accreditation services (SAS), business facilitation (EasyGov.swiss, Country Cockpit), and economic analysis publications. These services operate as distinct standalone platforms rather than an integrated product suite.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• simap.ch Electronic platform shared by the federal government, cantons and communes for public procurement purposes, enabling electronic management of procurement procedures.
• ELIC (Electronic Licences for Export Control) Electronic licensing system for the submission and processing of applications relating to industrial products and war materiel.
• Swiss Official Gazette of Commerce (SOGC/shab.ch) Platform that publishes the latest official information and public notices on companies on a daily basis.
• work.swiss Portal for Unemployment Insurance (UI) and public employment, providing information and services for job seekers and employers.
• Job-Room Online platform for job hunting and unemployment insurance services, allowing users to handle employment-related procedures electronically.
• Swiss Accreditation Service (SAS) Service that examines and accredits conformity assessment bodies, part of the Promotion Activities Directorate.
• Search Accredited Bodies Online search tool to find all conformity assessment bodies currently accredited by SAS in Switzerland.
• EasyGov.swiss Secure platform allowing companies to electronically process authorization, application and reporting procedures in a single location.
• Country Cockpit Provides a compact overview of the economic situation and bilateral economic relations of Switzerland's economic partners.
• Die Volkswirtschaft / La Vie économique Magazine that contributes to economic policy debate in Switzerland, covering national and international topics through in-depth special issues and articles.

Quantifiable outcome

• GDP growth forecast: 0.9% in 2026, 1.6% in 2027
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers3 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles5 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Eleven partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation (SDC)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 24 June 2026Clear division of responsibilities established: SDC focuses on low-income countries (particularly Africa and parts of Asia) while SECO focuses on middle-income countries and cooperation with EU, Western Balkans, and selected Asian countries. SDC focuses on health, rule of law, climate and migration; SECO on strengthening private sector, inclusive economic growth, sustainable value chains, and economic relations diversification.
• OECDcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 17 June 2026OECD conducted peer review of Switzerland's National Contact Point (NCP) for Responsible Business Conduct, which is based within SECO. OECD recognised the NCP for high level of professionalism and effectiveness. Report contains recommendations for further strengthening visibility, transparency and impact.
• SerbiacoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 28 April 2026New cooperation programme 2026–2029 focusing on democratic governance, economic development, strengthening vocational education and training, climate change and sustainable urban development. Agreement on bilateral innovation programme signed between SECO and Serbian Ministry of Science, Technology and Innovation (NITRA). Human rights dialogue introduced.
• KosovocoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 27 April 2026CHF 64.5 million cooperation programme 2026–2029 implemented by SDC, Peace and Human Rights Division (PHRD) of FDFA, and SECO. Focus on democratic governance, sustainable economic development, and climate change, water and health. Kosovo is one of few priority countries where Switzerland uses all three core instruments: development cooperation, economic cooperation, and human security.
• Saudi ArabiacoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 23 April 2026Investment protection agreement signed providing safeguards against political risks for Swiss investments in Saudi Arabia and vice versa. Protects investors against discriminatory measures and unlawful expropriation, guarantees free transfer of investment payments, and provides dispute resolution through international arbitration. Approximately 200 Swiss companies are based in Saudi Arabia with investment stock of CHF 1.66 billion in 2024.
• BahrainminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 17 April 2026Investment protection agreement signed to fill gap in Switzerland's network of over 110 agreements (Bahrain is only Gulf Cooperation Council country without such an agreement). Based on Switzerland's new negotiating approach with more detailed provisions to limit discretion of arbitration tribunals. Swiss investment in Bahrain focused mainly on finance and fintech sectors.
• UN World Tourism OrganizationcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 14 April 2026SECO strengthens cooperation with UN Tourism through Switzerland's vice chair role in the Programme and Budget Committee. Joint project on 'Climate change and the future of snow-based mountain tourism' initiated by Switzerland and implemented by UN Tourism, with collaboration from Andorra, France, Austria, Slovenia, FAO Mountain Partnership, and University of Applied Sciences of Graubünden.
• Switzerland Global Enterprise (S-GE)coreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorExport Help service provided by S-GE for advice on exports from Switzerland to the USA. Contact: Tel. 0844 811 812, Email [email protected].
• Basel Institute for GovernanceminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerJoint event organized with Basel Institute for Governance and Transparency International at Ukraine Recovery Conference 2026 to highlight importance of anti-corruption reforms. Expansion of existing anti-corruption project memorandum of understanding signed.
• Transparency InternationalminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerJoint event organized with Basel Institute for Governance and Transparency International at Ukraine Recovery Conference 2026 to highlight importance of anti-corruption reforms.
• EU and EFTA StatescoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerExport control exemptions extended to include all EU and EFTA states effective 1 July 2026. Countries added: Iceland, Bulgaria, Croatia, Cyprus, Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Malta, Romania, Slovakia, Slovenia. All EEA states now benefit from export control exemptions.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• UK Department for Business and Trade (DBT): The UK government department responsible for trade negotiations, export promotion, investment screening, sanctions implementation, and economic growth policy — a structurally identical mandate to SECO, including post-Brexit bilateral agreement work that mirrors Switzerland's EFTA strategy.
• German Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Climate Action (BMWK): Germany's federal economic affairs ministry, responsible for industrial policy, foreign trade and investment, export controls, and bilateral economic cooperation — operating with comparable scope to SECO across export licensing, trade defence, and partner-country cooperation.
• Austrian Federal Ministry of Labour and Economy (BMAW): Austria's federal economic and labour ministry — the closest structural peer given shared EEA/neutral-country positioning, similar scale of international cooperation, and overlapping mandates in labour market policy, export promotion, and bilateral economic agreements.
• U.S. International Trade Administration (ITA): The U.S. Commerce Department agency that promotes U.S. exports, manages foreign direct investment attraction, enforces trade agreements, and administers export licensing — directly comparable to SECO's Foreign Economic Affairs and export-control functions.
• French Ministry of Economy, Finance, and Industrial and Digital Sovereignty: France's central economic ministry, responsible for industrial policy, foreign trade (via Business France), export controls, investment screening, and international economic negotiations — comparable breadth to SECO with the addition of a treasury function.
• Netherlands Ministry of Foreign Affairs (Foreign Trade and Development Cooperation): The Netherlands combines trade promotion and development cooperation within a single directorate-general, mirroring SECO's integrated economic-cooperation model, with a comparable focus on trade facilitation, partner-country private-sector development, and export support.
• JETRO (Japan External Trade Organization): Japan's government-affiliated trade and investment promotion body, supporting Japanese firms abroad and foreign investment into Japan — a close functional peer for SECO's export support, market intelligence, and trade-facilitation services, albeit operating as an arm's-length agency.
• KOTRA (Korea Trade-Investment Promotion Agency): Korea's national trade and investment promotion organisation — comparable to SECO in providing export support services, market-entry assistance, and investment promotion, and a useful model for SECO's export-help partnership model with Switzerland Global Enterprise.
• Sweden's Ministry of Finance and Ministry for Foreign Affairs (Trade): Sweden's economic and trade ministries mirror SECO's split between domestic economic policy and foreign economic affairs, with comparable emphasis on free-trade advocacy, sustainable trade, and export support for a small open economy.

Broad incumbents

• European Commission DG TRADE: The European Commission's trade directorate negotiates EU trade agreements that Switzerland interacts with via bilateral arrangements and EFTA — not a direct SECO counterpart but the dominant regional trade-policy actor whose decisions materially shape SECO's negotiating room.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xtwitter.com/SECO_CH
• YouTubeyoutube.com/@SECO_CH
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/bundesverwaltung

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles8 records

Subsidiaries1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments1 record

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about State Secretariat for Economic Affairs (SECO) of Switzerland