Executive Summary

The State Secretariat for Migration (SEM) is re-tendering the mandates for care services in Federal Asylum Centers (BAZ) effective 1 January 2027. The tender covers care, health services, and basic provision (meals, clothing, hygiene items) for asylum seekers in six Swiss asylum regions. New features include regional management and specialized child care, with increased requirements for staff training and professional development. The mandates run until 31 December 2029 and can be extended twice for two years each. Bids can be submitted until 25 June 2026 on simap.ch.

Persons

  • State Secretariat for Migration (SEM) (Federal authority; contracting entity)

Topics

  • Asylum policy
  • Federal asylum centers
  • Public procurement
  • Personnel development

Clarus Lead

The re-tendering signals a quality offensive by the federal government in asylum care. By raising requirements for specialized concepts, staff qualifications, and additional functions such as child care, the SEM is significantly tightening award criteria – while price will be weighted more heavily, qualitative aspects remain the priority. This could be attractive for specialized providers with established training structures, but may present hurdles for smaller or less-equipped service providers.

Detailed Summary

The SEM operates between 25 and 35 Federal Asylum Centers nationwide, whose size varies depending on asylum application volumes. The new tender bundles three service areas: care and health services for applicants, as well as basic provision services. Compared to the previous mandate, two new functions are being introduced – a regional manager per asylum region to strengthen management structures and specialized child care to promote early language development. Service providers mandated in the future will also assume full responsibility for delivering all basic provision services themselves.

For bid evaluation, the SEM requires comprehensive specialized concepts: on the design of care and activities, personnel planning and flexibility, training and professional development, as well as basic provision. Although price is weighted more heavily compared to the last tender, qualitative aspects retain significant importance. The mandates run until 31 December 2029 and can optionally be extended twice for two years each. The tender follows public procurement regulations and runs on the simap.ch platform; the submission deadline is 25 June 2026.

Key Statements

  • The SEM is conducting a comprehensive re-tendering of care services in Federal Asylum Centers, effective 1 January 2027.
  • New functions (regional management, child care) and increased staff qualification requirements strengthen quality standards.
  • Qualitative criteria retain priority in award decisions despite increased price weighting.

Critical Questions

  1. Evidence/Data Quality: What empirical findings on the need for specialized child care and language promotion in BAZ does the SEM have, and were these considered in mandate design?

  2. Conflicts of Interest: To what extent could the increased quality requirements and simultaneously stronger price weighting lead to target conflicts – for example between cost efficiency and care quality?

  3. Causality/Alternatives: Were alternative models for regional management (decentralized vs. centralized leadership) or child care (external partners vs. internal teams) evaluated, and what evidence supports the chosen model?

  4. Feasibility/Risks: How will the SEM ensure that smaller or less-established providers can meet the new requirements without an oligopoly emerging in bid submissions?

  5. Personnel Development: What specific qualification levels and professional development standards does the SEM expect, and how will compliance with these standards be monitored during the mandate period?

Sources

Primary Source: State Secretariat for Migration (SEM) – Re-tendering of Care Services Federal Asylum Centers – https://www.news.admin.ch/de/newnsb/R-FtNFV4B7VLhRdd7XoVk

Verification Status: ✓ 07.05.2026

This text was created with the support of an AI model. Editorial responsibility: clarus.news | Fact-check: 07.05.2026