Core Contribution to Helvetas, 2025-2028
Helvetas is an independent Swiss NGO supported by over 1 00’000 members and private donors. It is active in 35 countries with over 300 projects and about 1'400 staff. Helvetas’ International Programme addresses a range of working areas from Water, Food and Climate, to Jobs and Income, as well as Inclusion and Cohesion. Helvetas is active in the Global South and in Eastern Europe. It is an important actor of the Swiss International Cooperation.
| Country/region | Topic | Period | Budget |
|---|---|---|---|
|
Global |
Agriculture & food security Water Employment & economic development Governance
Food security policy
Water sector policy Employment creation Democratic participation and civil society |
01.01.2025
- 31.12.2026 |
CHF 14’320’000
|
- HELVETAS Swiss Intercooperation
-
Sector according to the OECD Developement Assistance Commitiee categorisation WATER SUPPLY & SANITATION
OTHER MULTISECTOR
GOVERNMENT AND CIVIL SOCIETY
OTHER SOCIAL INFRASTRUCTURE AND SERVICES
GOVERNMENT AND CIVIL SOCIETY
OTHER SOCIAL INFRASTRUCTURE AND SERVICES
Sub-Sector according to the OECD Developement Assistance Commitiee categorisation Water sector policy and administrative management
Food security policy
Democratic participation and civil society
Employment policy and administrative management
Democratic participation and civil society
Employment policy and administrative management
Cross-cutting topics The project promotes biodiversity.
Human rights
The project also supports partner organisation improvements
Aid Type Core contribution
Project number 7F03924
| Background | The international environment is characterised by numerous multiplec rises. The consequences of the Covid-19 pandemic, the war in Ukraine, the escalation in the Middle East, food insecurity, debt burden and inflation, climate change and the energy crisis are all having a direct impact on the world's population. They particularly affect the most vulnerable, mostly women and children and result in increasing humanitarian needs. Accelerated change is accompanied by increased uncertainty: The world is becoming more fragmented, unstable and unpredictabIe. Whilst the vision to reach the Sustainable Development Goals remains, challenges including the accelerating global food and nutritionc risis, shrinking civic and humanitarian space, the erosion of rule of law, intensifying armed conflicts, more frequent climate-related disasters, international migration and internal displacement, exacerbated demographics and an important gender gap hamper progress in reaching them and pose a main challenge for all actors engaged in Switzerland’s International Cooperation. Conscious of the above-described developments, the funding landscape, and the importance of cooperation across different sectors and boundaries, Helvetas wiII focus on supporting effective, multistakeholder partnerships involving civil society, government, and private sector actors. It will prioritise people-centred, human rights-based approaches, which allow to tackle global issues, while serving people locally, especially the most underserved and living with fragility. |
| Objectives | With its different local, national and regional partners, Helvetas supports poor and disadvantaged women and men to improve their living conditions in a sustainable manner. It promotes human rights, equitablea ccess to resources, services and income and engages in development policy. |
| Results of the organisation's previous engagement | Helvetas directly supported almost 3 million people (50% women) to improve access to land, water, or healthy food, increase agricultural productivity, or enhance capacities for improved and climate-resilient living conditions (plus almost 6 million indirect beneficiaries) (Outcome 1). More than 720’000 people, (incl. 51% women), have benefittedf rom access to quality education, skills development, jobs, or additional income (plus 0.6 million indirect beneficiaries) (Outcome 2). Helvetas reached almost one million international migrants (incl. 45% women) and supported about 100’000 people in their advocacy work to claim their rights to basic services and to transform local conflicts (plus 6.5 million indirect beneficiaries) (Outcome 3). Furthermore, more than 4’300 local authorities, civil society organisations and networks have been strengthened. These results have been achieved by promoting and respecting national ownership and localisation and fostering access to Swiss expertise. Also, Helvetas successfully increased its volume of Humanitarian-Development-Peace Nexus funding from CHF 0.4 million budget to CHF 18 million. |
| Results of Switzerland's engagement in previous phase |
Helvetas has introduceda series of good practices strengthening local civil society partners to become actors in their own right. The number of local partners has been relatively stable, ranging from 900 in 2021, to 1 ’150 (in 2022), to 830 in 2023. When it comes to Gender and Social Equity (GSE), between 48-50% of the primary stakeholders reached by Helvetas projects/programmes were women and girls from 2021-2023, while 51-58% were disadvantagedp ersons. Over the same period, 8 country programmes had a GSE principled project in 2021, resp. 3 in 2022, and 3 in 2023. Since 2023, Helvetas has integrated a GSE marker into its annual reporting and dËsposes of a dashboard, which tracks and visually displays GSE blind, significant, and principal projects. |
| Medium-term outcome of organisation's current engagement |
Outcome 1 : People, including those left behind, are more water and food secure and on a pathway to climate and disaster resilience and sustainably managed natural resources and landscapes. Outcome 2: People, including those left behind as well as micro, small and medium enterprises, benefit from better education and market systems contributing towards a greener economy and sustainabIe development. Outcome 3: People, including those left behind and/or living in fragility, contribute to and benefit from more equitable, cohesive, inclusive and just societies. |
| Effect in Switzerland |
The role of Swiss NGOs in the implementation of the Swiss IC Strategy 2025-28 shall be strengthened through: a) sharpening the narrative on the importance of the core contribution, b) an inclusive policydialogue, c) Locally led development and potential adaptations of programmes and approaches (reforms in the larger sense). |
| Directorate/federal office responsible |
SDC |
| Project partners |
Contract partner Swiss Non-profit Organisation |
| Budget | Current phase Swiss budget CHF 14’320’000 Swiss disbursement to date CHF 7’160’000 Budget of the organisation CHF 350’710’000 Total project since first phase Swiss budget CHF 336’421’226 Budget inclusive project partner CHF 0 |
| Project phases | Phase 27 01.01.2025 - 31.12.2026 (Current phase) Phase 26 01.01.2023 - 31.12.2024 (Completed) Phase 23 01.01.2017 - 31.12.2018 (Completed) Phase 21 01.01.2013 - 31.12.2014 (Completed) |
