Grenchen is doing away with paper-based procedures for planning applications

Grenchen will switch to the eBauSO system for planning applications from 1 September 2026. For developers and planners, submissions will therefore only be accepted digitally from then on, whilst objections and appeals in the canton of Solothurn will, for the time being, continue to be submitted on paper.

This move is part of a canton-wide overhaul of the planning permission process. The pilot phase of eBauSO began in November 2024 in several municipalities in Solothurn and was completed on 31 December 2025. Since then, the roll-out to the remaining locations has been underway, with the canton connecting them at a rate of around ten per month.

Digital submission becomes mandatory
From 1 September 2026, planning applications in Grenchen must be submitted via eBauSO. The portal is integrated into the cantonal online service my.so.ch and serves as a central point of access for submitting applications, communicating during the process and viewing planning documents. Applicants can submit their applications online and track the progress of the process digitally.

For building owners, architectural practices and specialist planners, this will primarily reduce the administrative burden involved in liaising with the local authority. Those working on projects across several Solothurn municipalities will gradually encounter a more standardised procedure. By the end of 2026, all 104 municipalities in the canton are set to be connected to eBauSO.

The process is not yet entirely paperless
The digital portal only partially eliminates the need for switching between different media during the process. The objection and appeal procedures continue to be conducted on paper. Although the canton describes eBauSO as a step towards a digital and paperless process, a complete transition has not yet been achieved under the current framework conditions.

Public consultation isnowlocation-independent
In connected municipalities, the public consultation of plans can now also be viewed online via my.so.ch. This primarily changes access to documents. For planners and property owners, the process becomes more transparent; for the administration, it becomes more standardised. Grenchen is thus becoming part of a digital infrastructure that is set to become the new standard in the canton of Solothurn.