Imagine a child dreaming of playing the violin – but having to give it up because the family can’t afford it. Unfortunately, this is the reality for many children in the Nordic countries and across Europe, where inequality in access to leisure activities is growing. Research shows that children who lack access to activities often miss out on community, wellbeing and opportunities.

Sweden has taken this seriously and introduced a simple, national solution.

Fritidskortet – a concrete step against inequality

Fritidskortet (the Swedish “Leisure Card”) is a government-funded initiative that provides financial support for children and young people to participate in leisure activities.

The purpose is clear: to make culture and sports accessible to everyone – regardless of the family’s financial situation.

This means more children can explore their interests – whether it's music, dance, art or sport – without money standing in the way.

SpeedAdmin makes it easy in practice

The Swedish eHealth Agency (eHälsomyndigheten) has done much of the groundwork:

They have developed a national digital service where parents can register their invoice and apply for support. At the same time, they provide a simple integration option so system providers can connect directly and support the scheme.

Based on this, SpeedAdmin has developed a solution that builds on the authorities’ digital foundation and makes the process more seamless for both cultural schools and payers.

Without integration, schools get a fragmented workflow: Parents apply through eHälsomyndigheten’s service, while the school must manage applications, approvals and deductions across different systems.

With SpeedAdmin’s integration, everything happens in one unified flow:

• Parents apply for support directly through SpeedAdmin

• The eHälsomyndigheten service handles the approval

• The approved amount is automatically deducted from the next invoice

This gives cultural schools:

• A clear overview of which students have applied and been granted support

• A consistent invoicing process without manual deductions

• An easier experience for payers, with support shown directly on the invoice

In short: a digital workflow that links the government service with the school’s administration in a practical and transparent way.

A growing movement across the Nordics and Europe

Across Europe, countries face the same challenge: support schemes exist, but they are often fragmented, manual and rarely digital. Fritidskortet is a strong example of what a unified model can achieve.

A quick overview:

🇳🇴 Norway: Many municipalities offer leisure funds, but schemes are local and often manual. Digitalisation is a priority, but there is no national standard.

🇮🇸 Iceland: Several municipalities – including Reykjavík – offer annual grants for culture and sport. Schemes vary, and the need for a unified digital solution is significant.

🇩🇰 Denmark: Leisure passes and subsidies exist, but vary by municipality and often require manual applications. No national model.

🇬🇧 United Kingdom: Support comes from local councils and charitable foundations. Schemes are project-based and administratively heavy.

🇩🇪🇨🇭🇦🇹 Germany, Switzerland, Austria: Various cultural support programmes exist – but they typically target institutions and projects rather than families or children directly.

A step toward equal access to culture

With Fritidskortet, Sweden shows the way – and SpeedAdmin makes it work in practice.

When technology simplifies social initiatives, more children can participate in music, arts and community life.

This is not just digitalisation that saves time and paperwork.

This is cultural policy that works – and a step toward a more open and inclusive cultural sector.

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