Dachverband Schweizer Jugendparlamente DSJ

What Dachverband Schweizer Jugendparlamente DSJ does

Dachverband Schweizer Jugendparlamente DSJ is a Swiss non-profit umbrella federation founded on November 5, 1995, in Sarnen, and headquartered at Seilerstrasse 9, 3011 Bern. It serves as the politically neutral competence center for political education and youth participation in Switzerland and Liechtenstein, with a membership base of 69 youth parliaments and an organization of approximately 42 employees. Its mission is to inspire young people aged 12-25 to engage in politics, including those who cannot yet vote or hold Swiss citizenship.

DSJ operates three flagship product lines. The easyvote platform (with a Votenow mobile application) provides politically neutral voting and election information, teaching materials for secondary schools (Sek II), and is led as its own department. The engage.ch platform enables structured youth participation at municipal and cantonal levels through engage processes (multi-phase consulting engagements), engage surveys, engage campaigns, and youth days; since 2015, more than 2,500 ideas have been submitted via the platform. The Schweizer Jugend- und Demokratiemonitor is an annual nationwide representative survey of youth aged 15-25, produced since 2014 in partnership with gfs.bern, yielding over 10 years of longitudinal data. Supporting offerings include the annual Jugendparlamentskonferenz (JPK), the Jupa-Toolkit for youth parliament governance, and recurring campaigns such as 'Verändere die Schweiz!' and 'Dein Kanton, deine Idee'.

DSJ's revenue model is diversified and non-commercial. Funding is sourced from membership dues of the 69 youth parliaments, federal grants from the Federal Office for Social Insurance under the Children's and Youth Promotion Act (KJFG) and from SBFI for research projects, foundation grants (Stiftung Mercator Schweiz, Migros Kulturprozent, Avenira Stiftung), publication sales (e.g., CHF 10 per printed Monitor copy), and donations. The go-to-market motion is community-led: DSJ reaches constituents through member youth parliaments, municipal and cantonal government partnerships, secondary schools, annual conferences, and direct digital engagement via its websites and social channels across DE, FR, and IT language regions. Most programs are free for end users; monetization is indirect through grants and project-based consulting.

Name

Dachverband Schweizer Jugendparlamente DSJ

Legal name

Dachverband Schweizer Jugendparlamente DSJ

Website

https://dsj.ch

Company type

Private

Founded year

1995

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Dachverband Schweizer Jugendparlamente DSJ is a Bern-based Swiss non-profit federation, founded 1995, that serves as the neutral competence center for political education and youth participation for 69 youth parliaments across Switzerland and Liechtenstein, operating the easyvote information platform and engage.ch digital participation platform for young people aged 12-25.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Bern

HQ country

Switzerland

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Membership Fees: DSJ is funded by its 69 member youth parliaments across Switzerland and Liechtenstein, which likely contribute membership fees.
2. Government Grants and Subsidies: DSJ receives financial support from the Federal Office for Social Insurance (BSV) under the Children's and Youth Promotion Act (KJFG), as well as from SBFI for research projects.
3. Publication Sales: Sale of printed publications including the Schweizer Jugend- und Demokratiemonitor (10 CHF per copy) and other research publications.
4. Foundation and Corporate Funding: Funding from Stiftung Mercator Schweiz, Migros Kulturprozent, and Avenira Stiftung for specific projects and research initiatives.
5. Donations: DSJ accepts donations to support its mission of inspiring young people for politics and strengthening democracy.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

Dachverband Schweizer Jugendparlamente DSJ is the Swiss non-partisan umbrella federation of 69 youth parliaments in Switzerland and Liechtenstein. It operates the easyvote information portal and the engage.ch digital participation platform, runs the annual Schweizer Jugend- und Demokratiemonitor research study, and delivers structured civic education programs, municipal participation processes, and the national Jugendparlamentskonferenz (JPK) for young people aged 12-25.

Product overview

The Dachverband Schweizer Jugendparlamente DSJ operates as a centralized organization managing a portfolio of products centered on political education and youth participation in Switzerland. Its core products are the easyvote platform (providing neutral voting and election information for young people) and the engage.ch platform (enabling youth to submit political ideas and connect with decision-makers through campaigns and structured municipal processes). Supporting offerings include the annual Schweizer Jugend- und Demokratiemonitor research study, the Jugendparlamentskonferenz (JPK) annual conference, the Jupa-Toolkit for youth parliament support, and campaigns such as 'Verändere die Schweiz!' and 'Dein Kanton, deine Idee.' The engage-Prozess is a structured multi-phase consulting service embedded within engage.ch. DSJ also publishes themedossiers and topic knowledge resources. The organization does not operate as a modular software platform but as a federation offering distinct programs, platforms, and publications under one brand.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• easyvote: Political education platform providing easy-to-understand, neutral voting and election brochures for young people (Sek II level) and educational materials for secondary schools.
• engage.ch

Products and services

• easyvote A politically neutral information platform providing easy-to-understand voting and election brochures, instructional materials for secondary schools (Sek II), and political monitors tracking youth political attitudes in Switzerland.
• engage.ch A digital participation platform enabling youth aged 12-25 to submit ideas and concerns directly to political decision-makers at municipal, cantonal, and national levels, supporting engage processes, engage surveys, and engage campaigns.
• Schweizer Jugend- und Demokratiemonitor (Swiss Youth and Democracy Monitor) A nationwide representative survey of young people aged 15-25 conducted in cooperation with gfs.bern, published annually since 2014, tracking political interest, trust in institutions, media consumption, democratic attitudes, and future outlook among Swiss youth.
• Jugendparlamentskonferenz (JPK) (Youth Parliament Conference) An annual national conference bringing together youth parliament members from across Switzerland and neighboring countries, featuring thematic workshops, panel discussions, debates, excursions, and networking, with a major closing celebration.
• engage-Prozess (engage Process) A structured multi-phase youth participation service lasting approximately six months, guided by the DSJ team, helping municipalities sustainably embed youth participation through surveys, campaigns, events, and creation of local participation structures.
• Votenow (easyvote mobile application) A mobile application offered under the easyvote brand providing voting information and guidance for young Swiss voters.

Named customers6 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature2 records

Partnerships

Nine partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• gfs.berncoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerLong-standing research partnership for the annual Schweizer Jugend- und Demokratiemonitor - a nationwide representative survey of young people aged 15-25. The partnership has produced over 10 years of longitudinal data on youth political attitudes.
• Hochschule LuzerncoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerResearch partnership for the project 'Jugendpartizipation in der Gemeinde ermöglichen' (Enabling Youth Participation in Municipalities), producing studies and recommendations for improving youth participation structures.
• Eidgenössische Migrationskommission (EKM)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership for the 'Citoyenneté' program supporting projects that promote participation of the entire population in public life, including immigrants.
• House of Influence (HOI)minorGTM or Marketing PartnerInfluencer marketing agency engaged for the campaign promoting the Schweizer Jugend- und Demokratiemonitor 2025 results.
• Fachhochschule Graubünden (FHGR)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerResearch partner for the study 'Jugend, politische Partizipation und Digitalisierung' including data collection and analysis.
• Jugendparlament der Stadt LuzerncoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCo-organizer of the Youth Parliament Conference (JPK) 2026, together with the Youth Parliament of the Canton of Luzern.
• Jugendparlament des Kantons LuzerncoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCo-organizer of the Youth Parliament Conference (JPK) 2026, together with the Youth Parliament of the City of Luzern.
• Jugendparlament WilcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCo-organizer of the 33rd Youth Parliament Conference (JPK) 2025 in Wil, which attracted over 120 participants.
• Schweizerische Arbeitsgemeinschaft der Jugendverbände (SAJV)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerDSJ co-signed media releases with SAJV on political advocacy, including positions on the Relief Package 2027 and youth promotion funding.

Scale indicators7 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Regional players

• National Youth Council of Ireland (NYCI): Umbrella representative body for voluntary youth organizations in Ireland, advocating for youth policy. Comparable as a national membership federation advancing youth participation in policy, but operating in a different national context.
• Stiftung Demokratie Saarland: German regional foundation promoting democratic education and civic participation, including youth-focused programs. Comparable in promoting civic participation and democratic education through structured programs and partnerships.

Broad incumbents

• Civicus: Global alliance supporting civil society and civic participation worldwide, including youth engagement programs. Comparable in civic engagement mission and advocacy work, though operating at a much larger global scale.
• Bundeszentrale für politische Bildung (bpb): Germany's federal agency for civic education, producing neutral political education materials and supporting youth participation. Comparable as a larger, government-funded civic education provider with overlapping audience (schools, young citizens) but broader mandate.
• Pro Juventute Schweiz: Large Swiss foundation supporting children and young people across welfare, health, and participation topics. Comparable as a Swiss nonprofit operating nationally across multiple youth-facing programs with overlapping target audience (children, youth, families).
• UNICEF Switzerland: Swiss country office of a global children's rights organization that runs youth participation and advocacy programs. Comparable in youth-focused advocacy and civic engagement work, though with a broader international rights mandate.

Direct peers

• Bundesvereinigung der Jugendparlamente in Deutschland (BSJF): German umbrella federation of youth parliaments with analogous structure to DSJ (membership-based federation coordinating municipal and state youth parliaments, providing training and resources). Closest structural peer outside Switzerland.
• European Youth Parliament (EYP): Pan-European network running youth parliamentary sessions and civic education programs. Directly comparable to DSJ in mission and format (youth parliaments, debates, policy skills), though operating at European rather than Swiss level.

Emerging players

• Mehr Demokratie e.V. German/Austrian civic association advocating for direct democracy and stronger citizen participation. Comparable in mission of expanding citizen participation mechanisms, though focused on direct-democracy instruments rather than youth specifically.
• Jugend debattiert: German school debate competition promoting civic discourse among secondary students. Comparable in focus on political skills and civic education for secondary school students, though narrower (debate-only) and school-anchored rather than parliament-based.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/dsj-fspj-fspg
• Instagraminstagram.com/dsj_fspj_fspg
• TikToktiktok.com/@dsjfspjfspg

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles5 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about Dachverband Schweizer Jugendparlamente DSJ