UFC: 1,95 million for 26 research projects (cross-border guide)

Context

In brief

• UFC funds 26 projects in 2027 and 2028
• Approximately 1,95 million francs allocated
• UFC received 30 applications
• The research concerns museums and collections in Switzerland

Key facts

• Institution → UFC
• Period → 2027 and 2028
• Projects supported → 26
• Applications received → 30
• Total amount → approximately 1,95 million francs
• Basis → Culture Message 2025–2028 and LPCu
• Procedure → public call and UFC review
• Document → list of supported projects 2027/2028, 28 September 2026

On 29 September 2026, from Bern, the Federal Office of Culture (UFC) announced support, for 2027 and 2028, for 26 provenance research projects concerning museums and collections in Switzerland. The total allocation is approximately 1,95 million francs.

The UFC received 30 applications. The supported projects were submitted as part of a public call and subsequently reviewed by the UFC. The support is granted within the framework of the Culture Message 2025–2028 and on the basis of the Federal Act on the Promotion of Culture, referred to in the source as LPCu.

A multifaceted funding scheme

The call was also intended to reach museums and collections that had so far had little experience with provenance research. The projects include initiatives that bring together holdings from multiple museums, collaborations with partner institutions and communities of origin, analyses of human remains from colonial contexts, cataloguing of archives and data collection.

The research therefore does not follow a single format. Some projects concern the origin of holdings; others aim to make archives and data accessible for further research. Systematic preliminary assessments are also planned, useful for examining and documenting entire holdings and identifying areas requiring further investigation.

The source also links collaboration with institutions in the countries of origin to the possibility of initiating dialogue with a view to potential restitutions and to the future management of the holdings. It does not announce restitutions that have already taken place; instead, it describes a basis for work and dialogue. The list of supported projects 2027/2028 is indicated as an attachment, published on 28 September 2026.

Operational details

From the entire collection to the targeted investigation

For institutions, the most practical distinction is between an initial review of the entire collection and an investigation focused on problems already identified. Systematic preliminary assessments make it possible to examine and document entire collections, then identify and set priorities among the areas that need further assessment. The press release thus provides a basis for determining where to focus subsequent work.

When a gap in provenance has already been identified, or when an acquisition has a problematic context, in-depth research proceeds through further targeted investigations. Cataloguing and digitization follow a complementary logic: they make archives and data collections accessible for further research. The supported activities therefore cover both the examination of collections and the organization of the materials needed to continue the research.

Collaborations and possible restitutions

The source also points to projects that bring together the collections of multiple museums or involve partner institutions and communities of origin. The work is not described solely as an internal analysis of the collections: collaboration with institutions in the countries of origin lays the foundations for dialogue with a view to possible restitutions and the future management of the collections.

The term possible qualifies the announced outcome. The press release does not present a restitution that has already been decided, but rather a process of gaining knowledge and engaging in dialogue that may provide a basis for further steps. The same applies to human remains from colonial contexts, which are included among the areas covered by the supported projects.

For the Swiss public, the verifiable point remains the work on the collections: the source speaks of new knowledge about the origin of the collections and of foundations for further investigations. The reported figure is a total of around 1,95 million francs for the 26 projects. Anyone who wants to keep this figure separate from their daily expenses can consult the costo della vita in Svizzera.

Recommended tools

For an updated estimate, use the net salary calculator and the CHF-EUR exchange comparator.

Key points

A five-step reading

The most concrete way to follow implementation, without adding steps not indicated in the source, is to use the attached list as a reading guide:

• Open the list of supported projects 2027/2028, published on 28 September 2026.
• Check whether the project brings together the holdings of multiple museums or involves partner institutions and communities of origin.
• Distinguish interventions on human remains originating from colonial contexts from the other lines of research.
• Look for whether the activity concerns the cataloguing and digitization of archives and data collections.
• Separate systematic preliminary assessments from in-depth research into gaps or problematic acquisitions.

This sequence follows the categories indicated by the UFC and makes it possible to read the content of the projects without confusing cataloguing with a targeted investigation. For a museum or collection with little experience, the useful reference is the call for applications: the source specifies that it also intended to address these entities.

The review can then focus on the outcomes described in the press release. Preliminary assessments serve to examine and document entire holdings and define priorities. In-depth research, on the other hand, addresses already identified gaps in provenance and problematic acquisition contexts. Catalogued and digitized archives and data collections become accessible for further research.

The press release stops at provenance research, project funding, and the collaborations described; it does not provide a procedure for dichiarazione delle imposte. To check your personal balance, use calcolatore stipendio.

Source: admin.ch