What Swiss Arts Council does

Pro Helvetia - Swiss Arts Council is a Swiss public foundation mandated by the Swiss Confederation to support and promote Swiss artists and cultural practitioners domestically and internationally. Established in 1939 and headquartered in Zurich, the foundation operates across five core artistic disciplines (Design, Literature, Music, Performing Arts, Visual Arts) plus Innovation & Society and Residencies. It funds projects, residencies, and international dissemination through an open application system processed via the myprohelvetia online portal and reviewed by specialist juries.

The foundation's product portfolio encompasses grants for individual artists, multi-year support programs such as COMPASS for performing arts, transdisciplinary programs including Art+ Exchange, Art+ Research and Production Grant, Critical Reflection, and PolARTS, and signature residencies including the Connect dual residency with Arts at CERN and Swiss Connection UK. It manages Switzerland's national presence at the Venice Biennale (since 2012), runs sub-brands SwissGames, Design Switzerland, and Swiss Performing Arts, and maintains six offices abroad in Paris, Cairo, Johannesburg, New Delhi, Shanghai, and South America (Santiago and São Paulo). Underlying infrastructure consists of the myprohelvetia application portal, multilingual regional websites and newsletters, and a presence on major social platforms, supported by ~80 specialist staff.

The foundation's business model is non-commercial: it does not sell products or services but receives public funding from the Swiss government and disburses it as grants and support measures. Go-to-market is community-led, relying on open calls, jury-based selection, and partnerships with international cultural and scientific institutions to co-develop and co-host residencies and exchange programs. There are no commercial pricing tiers; funding is awarded through expert-juried applications. Its primary 'customers' are Swiss-based artists and cultural practitioners, with secondary reach into regions covered by its liaison offices (Arab region, East Asia, South America, South Asia and Vietnam, and Africa).

Name

Swiss Arts Council

Legal name

Pro Helvetia Swiss Arts Council

Website

https://prohelvetia.ch

Company type

Private

Founded year

1939

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

51–100 employees

Short description

Pro Helvetia is the Swiss Arts Council, a publicly funded foundation that grants support and international visibility to Swiss artists and cultural practitioners across design, literature, music, performing arts, visual arts, and innovation & society, via six offices abroad.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Public Arts Funding & Cultural Promotion

NAICS

Grantmaking Foundations (813211), Religious, Grantmaking, Civic, Professional, and Similar Organizations (813)

SIC

Services-Engineering, Accounting, Research, Management (8700)

akta.pro primary industry

Arts, Culture & Humanities Grantmaking Foundations (BPAGAKAJ)

akta.pro secondary industries

International Grantmaking & Development Foundations (BPAGAKAH), Research & Science Grantmaking Foundations (BPAGAKAI), Research Grants, Fellowships & Stipends (International) (EDAIAOAJ)

Keywords

• Arts funding programs
• Cultural exchange grants
• Artist residency programs
• Public arts council
• International cultural promotion

Headquarters

HQ city

Zürich

HQ country

Switzerland

HQ region

Europe

Offices8 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure, Others

Revenue model

1. Public funding and grant disbursement: Pro Helvetia is a publicly funded Swiss Arts Council that distributes grants and support measures to Swiss artists and cultural practitioners. It does not sell products or services commercially; it operates as a cultural promotion foundation funded by public (government) sources. Revenue model is grant disbursement rather than commercial revenue generation.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

Pro Helvetia is a Swiss public foundation that provides grants, residencies, and international promotion support to Swiss-based artists and cultural practitioners across five disciplines (Design, Literature, Music, Performing Arts, Visual Arts) plus Innovation & Society. It disburses public funding through open applications reviewed by specialist juries, manages international residency and exchange programs (including Connect with Arts at CERN), and operates the Swiss Pavilion at the Venice Biennale alongside six regional offices abroad.

Product overview

Pro Helvetia - Swiss Arts Council is a public foundation that supports Swiss artists and cultural practitioners through funding programmes, residencies, and international promotion. The organisation operates across five core artistic disciplines (Design, Literature, Music, Performing Arts, Visual Arts) plus Innovation & Society and Residencies. Key programmes include the Connect dual residency with CERN, Swiss Connection UK, COMPASS performing arts support, Art+ interdisciplinary collaboration grants, and the Critical Reflection series. Pro Helvetia manages Switzerland's national pavilion at the Venice Biennale and maintains six offices abroad (Paris, Cairo, Johannesburg, New Delhi, Shanghai, South America). Sub-brands include SwissGames, Design Switzerland, and Swiss Performing Arts. Funding applications are processed through the myprohelvetia online portal.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• SwissGames: Swiss game design promotion initiative
• Design Switzerland
• Swiss Performing Arts
• Centre culturel suisse Paris
• Connect

Products and services

• Design Funding
• Literature Funding
• Music Funding
• Performing Arts Funding
• Visual Arts Funding
• Innovation & Society
• Residencies
• Connect Programme
• Swiss Connection UK
• Swiss Pavilion at Venice Biennale
• COMPASS
• Art+ Exchange
• Art+ Thematic Events
• Art+ Research and Production Grant
• Critical Reflection
• PolARTS
• SwissGames
• Design Switzerland
• Swiss Performing Arts

Named customers9 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Twelve partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Arts at CERNcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2021Arts at CERN and Pro Helvetia launched Connect in 2021 as a dual residency program pairing artists with fundamental science research at CERN and partner scientific institutions around the world. The program fosters dialogue between artists and scientists. Pro Helvetia has been the Swiss Arts Council partner since the program's inception, contributing to national and international residency selection and delivery.
• International Centre for Theoretical Sciences (ICTS)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerICTS is a scientific partner in the Connect India dual residency, providing artists access to research in statistical and condensed matter physics, mathematics, astronomy, and computational biology. This is the third collaboration with ICTS for the Connect India dual residency.
• Science Gallery BengaluruminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerScience Gallery Bengaluru provides additional support for the Connect India dual residency program, contributing curatorial expertise and public engagement platforms for artist-science collaboration.
• Battersea Arts Centre, LondonminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorBattersea Arts Centre serves as a host institution for Swiss Connection UK residencies, providing space and mentorship for Swiss artists to develop contemporary performance work in the UK. The partnership was active in 2026.
• Fierce Festival, BirminghamminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorFierce Festival, a UK festival championing artists at the boundaries of contemporary performance and live art, has partnered with Pro Helvetia since at least 2023 for Swiss Connection UK residencies, hosting artists for week-long on-site residencies.
• HOME, ManchesterminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorHOME Manchester has partnered with Pro Helvetia for Swiss Connection UK residencies since at least 2023, hosting artists in residence with access to rehearsal spaces, mentorship, and local artist networks.
• Brixton House, LondonminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorBrixton House, a multi-arts organization in London, has partnered with Pro Helvetia since 2022 for international artist residencies under the Swiss Connection UK program, hosting research residencies for Swiss performing artists.
• Royal Court Theatre, LondonminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorRoyal Court Theatre, London's leading writers' theatre, has partnered with Pro Helvetia for Swiss Connection UK residencies, hosting playwright residencies including dramaturgical support, meetings with the artistic team, and translation support for non-English writing.
• La Biennale di VeneziacoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPro Helvetia has been responsible for the contributions in the Swiss Pavilion since 2012, appointing independent juries for selection. Switzerland has participated in the International Art Exhibition since 1920 and the Architecture Exhibition since 1991. The Swiss Pavilion is located in the Giardini della Biennale.
• University of Geneva (Centre Interfacultaire en Sciences Affectives)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe Centre Interfacultaire en Sciences Affectives (CISA) at the University of Geneva partnered with artist Julie Semoroz under Pro Helvetia's Art+ program for the 'IN BETWEEN' project, exploring the intersection of music, neuroscience, and sociology.
• ETH Zurich (Earth Sciences)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerETH Zurich's Earth Sciences department (specifically geobiologist Lena Bakker) partnered with artist Monica Ursina Jäger under Pro Helvetia's Art+ program for the 'Unfreezing the Landscape' project, exploring interactions between living systems and their environment.
• Swiss embassies abroadminorOthersSwiss embassies abroad are mentioned as partner organizations within Pro Helvetia's foundation network, particularly in the context of funding applications and cultural projects involving international collaboration.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Canada Council for the Arts: Canada's national arts funder, providing grants to Canadian artists and arts organizations across multiple disciplines. Directly comparable as a federal grantmaking body for arts and culture with international programs.
• Australia Council for the Arts: Australia's official arts funding and advisory body, distributing government grants to artists and arts organizations across disciplines. Closely comparable to Pro Helvetia in its role as a national grantmaking council for arts and culture.
• Mondriaan Fund: Netherlands' public cultural fund supporting visual arts and cultural heritage. Comparable as a national publicly funded foundation making grants to artists in specific disciplines.
• ifa (Institut für Auslandsbeziehungen): Germany's intermediary organization for international cultural relations, managing cultural exchange programs and dialogue projects. Comparable to Pro Helvetia in mission and structure as a publicly funded cultural exchange body.
• Korean Arts Council (ARKO): South Korea's national arts council supporting Korean artists and cultural exchange. Comparable as a government-affiliated arts funding body with international promotion activities.

Broad incumbents

• Goethe-Institut: Germany's official cultural institute operating worldwide to promote German language and culture. Directly comparable in mission, structure, and global office footprint to Pro Helvetia's arts-promotion mandate.
• British Council: The United Kingdom's international organization for cultural relations and educational opportunities. Comparable to Pro Helvetia as a publicly funded national body promoting UK culture abroad through grants, residencies, and a global office network.
• Japan Foundation: Japan's principal diplomatic organization for international cultural exchange, supporting arts, language, and intellectual exchange. Comparable as a government-affiliated foundation promoting national culture internationally through grants and programs.
• Institut Français: France's official agency promoting French culture abroad, operating a network of French Institutes globally. Comparable mandate and operating model to Pro Helvetia as a national cultural promotion agency.

Emerging players

• Arts at CERN: The arts program of the European Organization for Nuclear Research, partnering with Pro Helvetia on the Connect residency. Directly comparable as a cultural-scientific collaboration partner operating artist residency programs.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UCL2riNBLOwEeqFlpvMgIPsA
• Facebookfacebook.com/prohelvetia
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/swiss-arts-council-pro-helvetia
• Instagraminstagram.com/prohelvetia
• Xx.com/prohelvetia

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles14 records

Subsidiaries6 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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

Frequently asked questions about Swiss Arts Council