Funding for self-help projects

Self-help support (self-help projects)

The Federal Act on Compulsory Social Measures and Placements prior to 1981 (CSMPA) provides that the Federal Office of Justice may facilitate self-help projects of organisations for victims or affected persons. Financial assistance may be granted for this purpose.

Self-help projects are characterised by the fact that they create offers or provide assistance – with the involvement of victims or those affected – that aim to enable self-help among victims and those affected (self-help support). They should be realised within a certain time frame and directly serve the interests of as many victims and affected persons as possible.

The factsheet below contains a summary of the requirements and further useful information on how to set up one of these projects.

Merkblatt (PDF, 493 kB, 09.08.2022)
Notice explicative (PDF, 484 kB, 09.08.2022)
Promemoria (PDF, 484 kB, 09.08.2022)
(This document is not available in English)

If you are interested in setting up a self-help project, we recommend contacting the Federal Office of Justice (see contact column) to answer any initial questions and, where necessary, arrange an appointment for a preliminary meeting. The documents required for submitting an application for financial assistance for a self-help project can be found at the following links: (These documents are not available in English)