Eidgenössische Stiftungsaufsicht ESA

What Eidgenössische Stiftungsaufsicht ESA does

Eidgenössische Stiftungsaufsicht ESA is the Swiss federal supervisory authority for classical foundations of national and/or international importance, attached to the General Secretariat of the Federal Department of Home Affairs (EDI). ESA oversees approximately 5,515 supervised foundations (as of 2025) out of roughly 14,000 classical foundations in Switzerland, enforcing compliance with statutory purposes under Art. 80-89 ZGB through annual reporting review, statutory change approvals, establishment pre-examinations, merger and asset-transfer authorizations, and enforcement actions ranging from warnings to dissolutions. In 2025 alone, ESA processed a record 195 dissolutions and bankruptcy proceedings, up 27% from 152 in 2023.

ESA operates a digital-first service platform anchored by eESA, the digital supervision system launched May 18, 2022 on the EasyGov.swiss federal portal, which enables fully electronic communication between foundations, audit firms, and ESA — replacing mandatory paper-based postal workflows. The technology stack includes the Stiftungsverzeichnis (Foundation Directory, mandatory since July 2006), standardized official forms (A1-G), Mustervorlagen (model articles of association and compensation regulations), and the 'Esi' AI chatbot launched in late 2023 that performs natural-language Q&A over ESA's website, the Online Commentary on Foundation Law, and the Swiss Foundation Code. ESA is not a commercial enterprise; it is publicly funded through the federal budget and fees charged to supervised foundations under the revised GebV-ESA fee ordinance (effective January 1, 2024), with cost-covering unit pricing such as CHF 750-2,000 per annual report review, CHF 2,500-5,000 per foundation establishment, and CHF 1,000-5,000 per dissolution. The agency is led by Head Nils Güggi (since June 2021) and an executive committee of six team leaders, supported by 38 persons / 30.7 FTE as of January 1, 2026, of whom 19.1 FTE are lawyers and jurists directly engaged in supervision.

Name

Eidgenössische Stiftungsaufsicht ESA

Legal name

Eidgenössische Stiftungsaufsicht ESA

Website

https://stiftungsaufsicht.ch

Company type

Public

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

The Eidgenössische Stiftungsaufsicht ESA is the Swiss federal supervisory authority overseeing approximately 5,515 classical foundations of national or international importance, enforcing compliance with statutory purposes via digital (eESA via EasyGov) and postal channels, with cost-covering supervision fees and a headcount of 30.7 FTE.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Foundation Regulatory Supervision

NAICS

Executive, Legislative, and Other General Government Support (9211), Regulation, Licensing, and Inspection of Miscellaneous Commercial Sectors (92615)

akta.pro primary industry

Central Government Policy, Strategy & Performance (incl. OMB-style functions) (BPAIAAAB)

akta.pro secondary industry

Private Foundations (BPAGAKAA)

Keywords

• Foundation supervision
• Regulatory oversight
• Nonprofit governance
• Foundation law compliance
• Charity regulation

Headquarters

HQ city

Bern

HQ country

Switzerland

HQ region

Europe

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Technology or R&D, Operations, Others

Revenue model

1. Supervision Fees from Foundations: ESA charges fees for all services provided. Annual reporting review fees range from CHF 750 (simple) to CHF 2,000 (complex). Foundation establishment costs CHF 2,500-5,000. Dissolution procedures cost CHF 1,000-5,000. Fee extensions up to CHF 50. Reminders cost CHF 120-150. ESA has legal obligation to charge cost-covering fees.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

ESA supervises approximately 5,515 classical foundations of national and/or international importance in Switzerland to ensure their assets are used in accordance with the purpose defined in their statutes. Core services include reviewing annual reports, approving statutory changes, processing foundation establishments and dissolutions, administering merger and asset transfer approvals, and providing guidance, templates, and a public foundation directory.

Product overview

Eidgenössische Stiftungsaufsicht ESA is a Swiss federal regulatory authority overseeing approximately 5,500 foundations. Its core product is the eESA digital supervision system, which connects to the EasyGov government portal for full electronic communication with foundations. The service portfolio includes standardized official forms (A1-A2 for annual reporting, B for exempt foundations, C-G for various administrative requests), Mustervorlagen (template documents), Merkblätter (information sheets), the Esi AI chatbot for automated Q&A, the Stiftungsverzeichnis foundation directory, and the ESA-Newsletter. ESA has no public API; all digital communication flows through EasyGov.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• eESA Digital Supervision System Digital supervision system enabling full electronic communication between ESA and foundations via the EasyGov.swiss portal, supporting risk-based supervision, automated triage, and electronic processing of formal business and supervision measures. For foundations and audit firms under ESA supervision.
• Esi – Chatbot der ESA AI-powered chatbot answering questions about ESA procedures, foundation establishment, management, and dissolution based on the ESA website, online commentary on foundation law, and the Swiss Foundation Code. Serves foundations and audit firms as a first point of contact.
• Official Forms (Formulare A1, A2, B, C, D, E, F, G) Standardized mandatory official forms for all foundation communications with ESA, including annual reporting (A1/A2/B), information submission (C), deadline extension requests (D), general inquiries (E), foundation pre-examination (F), and supervisory requests (G). For foundations and audit firms.
• Mustervorlagen (Template Documents) Sample template documents for foundations, including model articles of association for classic foundations and model compensation regulations for flat-rate and itemized compensation, provided as downloadable PDFs. For foundations drafting or amending statutes.
• Stiftungsverzeichnis (Foundation Directory) Public electronic registry of all classic foundations under federal supervision, established July 1, 2006, based on the Public Access to Information Act. For the public, researchers, and sector stakeholders.
• Merkblätter (Information Sheets) ESA guidance documents covering onboarding procedures, postal communication, annual reporting, compensation disclosure requirements, audit exemption criteria, and regulation review processes. For foundations and audit firms.
• ESA-Newsletter Electronic newsletter providing regular updates on ESA supervision, regulatory changes, deadline reminders, and foundation sector developments. Primarily distributed to supervised foundations with registered email addresses; also available to audit firms and other interested parties.

Quantifiable outcome

• 65% of surveyed foundations satisfied with ESA services
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers1 record

Segments1 record

Ideal customer profiles1 record

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration1 record

AI capability3 records

Feature2 records

Partnerships

Five partnerships are on record, tiered minor and core.

• Data Alliance InitiativeminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 16 December 2025ESA participates in the Data Alliance Initiative of the Swiss foundation sector, joining forces with supervision authorities, research institutions, and sector organizations to improve comparable and transparent foundation data in Switzerland. Initiative aims to build solid factual basis for dialogue, trust, and sustainable development of Swiss foundation sector.
• EasyGov.swisscoreTechnology or Integration · 18 May 2022EasyGov.swiss is the federal digital communication platform used by ESA for electronic supervision. Foundations and audit firms use EasyGov to communicate fully electronically with ESA, submit annual reports, request deadline extensions, and process formal business. Platform operated by Swiss federal government.
• CEPS (Center for Philanthropy Studies, University of Basel)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerAcademic partner in Data Alliance Initiative. CEPS conducts research on philanthropy and foundations in Switzerland, supporting evidence-based supervision and sector transparency.
• SwissFoundationsminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerMember organization of grant-making foundations. Partner in Data Alliance Initiative for sector transparency. ESA collaborates on data standards and foundation sector research.
• ProFondsminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerSwiss umbrella organization for charitable foundations and other NPOs. Partner in Data Alliance Initiative. ESA works with ProFonds on guidance and sector standards.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves1 record

Expansion highlights5 records

Market position

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/esa-asf-avf

Compliance2 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles7 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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

M&A

Investments

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

Frequently asked questions about Eidgenössische Stiftungsaufsicht ESA