Institut Neue Schweiz (INES)

What Institut Neue Schweiz (INES) does

Institut Neue Schweiz (INES) is a non-profit association (Verein Neue Schweiz) founded in 2016 in Bern, Switzerland, operating as the country's only dedicated postmigrant Think & Act Tank. The organization addresses the democratic deficit affecting roughly one-quarter of Switzerland's permanent resident population who lack citizenship, and tackles discrimination, racism, and the institutional under-representation of postmigrant perspectives. It serves two primary constituencies: people with migration backgrounds and lived experience of racism, and Swiss institutions (federal agencies, cantons, cities, cultural venues, educational bodies) seeking expertise on diversity transformation. Its core outputs are intellectual products and community-based projects — the 'Handbuch Neue Schweiz' (Diaphanes Verlag, 2021) and 'Argumentarium für ein Neues Bürgerrecht' (2024) publications, the 'memleket – stimmen der neuen Schweiz' podcast, the traveling 'Tour de Nouvelle Suisse' format, the 'Atelier Neue Schweiz Basel' institutional partnership, the 'swiss dream' initiative, and an Image Archive and Digital Glossary platform.

INES is staffed by a five-person core team led by a co-directorate (Artan Islamaj and Lisa Pedicino, appointed April 2025), with a seven-member board, four-member advisory board, and a network of approximately 60 active experts with and without migration backgrounds. Its underlying technology is conventional: a website on institutneueschweiz.ch with multilingual support (DE/FR/IT/EN), MailChimp for newsletters, Matomo for analytics, embedded YouTube/Vimeo video, and a podcast distributed via standard podcasting platforms; no proprietary AI/ML capability is disclosed.

INES's revenue model is entirely non-commercial and project-based. It draws on (1) recurring multi-year foundation grants — most notably a Stiftung Mercator Schweiz core partnership covering 2025-2027; (2) project funding from Swiss federal agencies (EKM, FRB, BAK), cantons (Zürich, St. Gallen), and municipalities (Zürich, Bern, Geneva); (3) project support from private foundations (Christoph Merian, Ernst Göhner) and arts funders (Migros Kulturprozent, Pro Helvetia); (4) donations via the Friends of INES (FRINES) support association; and (5) modest publication sales through Diaphanes Verlag. Distribution is achieved through events, workshops, vernissages, media engagement, and direct institutional consulting rather than commercial channels.

Name

Institut Neue Schweiz (INES)

Legal name

Verein Neue Schweiz

Website

https://institutneueschweiz.ch

Company type

Private

Founded year

2016

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

INES is a Swiss non-profit Think & Act Tank founded in 2016 that produces publications, podcasts, and policy advocacy to advance postmigrant perspectives on citizenship, anti-racism, and democratic participation for Switzerland's diverse population.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Civil Society Research and Advocacy Services

NAICS

Newspaper, Periodical, Book, and Directory Publishers (5131), Business Associations (813910), Other Services (except Public Administration) (81)

SIC

Miscellaneous Publishing (2741), Services-Membership Organizations (8600)

akta.pro primary industry

Government, Public Policy & Regulatory Reference (Public Administration, Regulatory Guidance) (EDAGAGAK)

Keywords

• Postmigrant research
• Anti-racism consulting
• Diversity transformation
• Citizenship advocacy
• Migration policy

Headquarters

HQ city

Bern

HQ country

Switzerland

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Membership/Friendship Donations: INES operates a 'Friends of INES' (FRINES) support association. Individuals can contribute through one-time or annual 'Friendship' donations. Donations are processed via Raiffeisenbank, Bern (IBAN CH42 8080 8004 2270 2974 9) with reference 'Spende INES Friendship'.
2. Project-Based Funding: INES receives project-based funding from foundations and government institutions including Stiftung Mercator Schweiz, Eidgenössische Migrationskommission EKM, Fachstelle für Rassismusbekämpfung FRB, Bundesamt für Kultur BAK, various cantons, cities, and private foundations.
3. Publication Sales: INES publishes books and reports (Handbuch Neue Schweiz, Argumentarium für ein Neues Bürgerrecht) available for purchase through bookstores and at INES events.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

INES is a postmigrant Think & Act Tank that produces research, publications, podcasts, and consulting services focused on diversity, anti-racism, and citizenship reform in Switzerland. Its deliverables include the Handbuch Neue Schweiz and Argumentarium für ein Neues Bürgerrecht publications, the memleket podcast, the Tour de Nouvelle Suisse traveling project, and diversity transformation workshops and consulting for institutions and government bodies.

Product overview

INES (Institut Neue Schweiz) is a postmigrant Think & Act Tank that operates as a collective knowledge production and advocacy organization rather than a technology product company. The organization offers publications (Handbuch Neue Schweiz, Argumentarium für ein Neues Bürgerrecht), projects (Tour de Nouvelle Suisse, Atelier Neue Schweiz Basel, INES Bildungsprojekt), a podcast (memleket), and an initiative (swiss dream). These offerings work together through collective knowledge production, transformative knowledge transfer, networking and alliance building, and postmigrant expertise to advance their vision of a diverse, participatory Switzerland.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Handbuch Neue Schweiz A comprehensive publication by Diaphanes Verlag that unites political essays, historical analyses, biographical stories, literary texts, and artistic image contributions covering migration, diversity, and multiple belongings in Switzerland.
• Argumentarium für ein Neues Bürgerrecht A publication presenting expert analyses on citizenship reform in Switzerland, addressing historical significance, integration, national identity, and economic aspects of citizenship rights.
• Tour de Nouvelle Suisse A traveling initiative that brings postmigrant perspectives to various cities and regions of Switzerland through workshops, salons, and forums exploring what a New Switzerland could look like.
• memleket Podcast A podcast series making audible the plural, diverse Switzerland with migration foreground, featuring voices and stories of people with migration history and racism experience.
• Atelier Neue Schweiz Basel A project in collaboration with Literaturhaus and Kaserne Basel focusing on institutional opening toward postmigrant Switzerland through transformation processes.
• INES Bildungsprojekt Educational project focused on postmigrant school cultures and discrimination-free education access.
• Glossar Interkulturalität A glossary project for terms significant to the vision of a New Switzerland, with entries in 'In Brief', 'Argument', and 'Background Analysis' formats developed during the founding phase.
• Institutional Diversity and Anti-Racism Consulting Postmigrant expertise and consulting delivered to cultural venues, educational institutions, and government bodies through workshops, transformation processes, and anti-racism training.

Quantifiable outcome

• Development of comprehensive framework for new citizenship rights (Argumentarium)
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers5 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration18 records

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Eight partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Kaserne BaselcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaboration on the 'Atelier Neue Schweiz Basel' project to open the cultural venue toward postmigrant Switzerland, including recommendations for institutional transformation.
• aktion vierviertelcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerINES supported the civil society coalition in launching the 'Demokratie-Initiative' (Democracy Initiative) for automatic citizenship and right to citizenship.
• Hochschule für Gestaltung und Kunst Basel FHNWminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerAcademic collaboration with the University of Applied Sciences and Arts Northwestern Switzerland.
• MitstimmeminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaboration on democracy and participation events, including 'Tag der Demokratie' (Democracy Day) in Basel.
• Kollektiv Ostwind – Ostschweiz mit MigrationsvorsprungminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerRegional network collaboration for Eastern Switzerland on postmigrant initiatives and events.
• Berner Rassismus StammtischminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaboration on joint initiatives including 'We Talk. Schweiz ungefiltert' talk show project.
• Volkshochschule beider Basel (VHSBB)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership on 'Tour de Nouvelle Suisse' with diversity-oriented transformation process for adult education institution.
• Demokratische Juristinnen und Juristen ZürichminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaboration on events regarding citizenship rights and deportation issues.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• European Network Against Racism (ENAR): Pan-European coalition of anti-racism NGOs that connects national organizations including Swiss members. ENAR overlaps directly with INES on anti-racism advocacy and policy positioning, but operates across Europe rather than within one country.
• Caritas Schweiz: Switzerland's large Catholic social welfare NGO with a dedicated migration department providing legal advice, integration support, and advocacy. Comparable to INES because it operates in the migration and anti-racism space in Switzerland, but operates at significantly larger scope across social services.
• Schweizerisches Rotes Kreuz (SRK): Swiss Red Cross society runs a substantial migration department providing services and policy engagement on integration and family reunification. Compares to INES on the migration-in-Switzerland policy agenda but delivers humanitarian services at national scale.
• Amnesty International Schweiz: Swiss section of a global human rights organization with active migration, asylum, and anti-discrimination campaigns. Overlaps with INES on advocacy for non-citizen rights and anti-racism, but is a much larger organization with broader human rights remit.

Regional players

• Stiftung Neue Verantwortung (SNV): Berlin-based independent think tank producing policy analysis on public-interest technology and society issues, occasionally including migration. Comparable to INES as a multiperson policy think-and-do tank, but based in Germany with a different topic mix.

Direct peers

• HEKS (Hilfswerk der Evangelischen Kirchen Schweiz): Major Swiss NGO running migration, integration and anti-racism programs alongside advocacy. Like INES, HEKS works with migrant communities in Switzerland and engages in diversity consulting for institutions, though at much larger scale and with service-delivery rather than pure think-tank focus.
• Operation Libero: Swiss civic movement campaigning for democratic reform, open society, and progressive citizenship policies. Conceptually aligned with INES on democratic inclusion and new Swiss identity narratives, though Operation Libero operates as a political campaign rather than a think tank.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/InstitutNeueSchweiz
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/institut-neue-schweiz-ines

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles17 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about Institut Neue Schweiz (INES)