SPRINT STRENGTHEN the people 2.0
A smaller project support for initiatives that strengthen the people in our rural areas
Sprint
Strengthen the people 2.0
Sprint Strengthen the people 2.0 is one of our small project supports. Sprint means just as it sounds – that it goes faster. A Sprint means a smaller support amount, faster decisions, and faster implementation compared to regular leader projects.
What can we apply for?
Sprint Strengthen the people 2.0 can be applied for to carry out concrete activities with the aim of strengthening the people who live, work, and operate in our rural areas. It can, for example, involve developing leisure and cultural activities, getting more people to engage in community life, or creating inclusive networks and collaborations.
The activity you are applying for support for should be based on local engagement and carried out in collaboration with other actors. We want to see a broad public benefit where the activity benefits more than just you as the applicant.
How much can we apply for?
Sprint is a smaller project support where you can apply for approximately 20,000 to approximately 50,000 kronor including VAT. You are applying for support for 100% of the costs you have in the project.
Our Geography
To apply for support from us, you need to belong to our leader area, which consists of the municipalities:
- Gävle (Furuvik-Säljsjön, Forsbacka-Överhärde, Valbo, Hagaström-Lexe, Hille-Åbyggeby, Björke-Norrlandet, Bergby-Norrsundet) with the exception of Hedesunda.
- Sandviken (Sandviken's southern and northern surroundings, Årsunda, Storvik, Kungsgården, Järbo) with the exception of Österfärnebo.
- Hofors and Ockelbo
When we grant support for rural development, the central parts of Sandviken and Gävle are excluded. See our GIS map for the exact boundary between city and countryside.
Co-financing
You who are applying need to co-finance the project with voluntary time. We want to see voluntary time that corresponds to at least half of the amount you are applying for. If you, for example, apply for 30,000 kronor, we want you to contribute voluntary time worth at least 15,000 kronor to the project. Information on how to calculate the voluntary time can be found in the application form.
You CANNOT apply for support for:
- Ongoing operating costs
- Renovation, maintenance, or replacement purchases
- Already started activities
- Commercial activities that generate sales revenue during or after the project.
- Investments. An investment is a physical or intangible asset with a purchase price over 24,000 SEK excluding VAT and which has a lifespan of more than three years.
If your application is approved
If your application is approved, we will write a contract that regulates the implementation and conditions for the disbursement of the support.
About the support
Support level: 100% of the costs
Co-financing: You who apply need to co-finance the project with voluntary engagement. We want to see volunteer time that corresponds to at least half of the amount you are applying for.
Project period: October 2026 – Jan/Feb 2027
The announcement is open from 2 October to and including 30 October 2026.
About the project
Sprint Strengthen the people 2.0
The project is about offering small and fast project support as a complement to our regular project support.
External actors can apply for support to carry out practical and concrete participation activities. The participation activities should contribute to goals and indicators for the intervention area Strengthen the people!
Project period
Start spring 2026
Project owner
Leader Gästrikebygden Locally led development
Intervention area
Strengthen the people!
Project purpose
To contribute in an inclusive way to the achievement of the leader area's development strategy within the intervention area Strengthen the people.
Project goals
At least eight participation activities have been carried out by different actors in the leader area with the aim of strengthening the people.
About funding
Approved leader support
599,874 kronor
Incoming EU funds have been granted from:
Rural Development Fund
Ongoing Sprint activities
The house invites!
The purpose of the activity is to give elderly people in Hofors municipality's nursing homes the opportunity to experience live music and cultural experiences at the place where they live.
Mountain culture will conduct four concerts at Brukshöjden and Spelmannen during the summer of 2026, featuring both Scottish folk music and Swedish songs with guitar and violin. The goal is to create community, joy, and inclusion for people who cannot attend concerts themselves, while the project strengthens collaboration between Bergkultur, Hofors municipality, and several local cultural actors.
About the project
Project owner:
Mountain culture
Place: Torsåker
Leader support: 36,341 kr
Contact: Reach out to us at the leader office and we can facilitate contact.
Revitalize FUB Western Gästrikland and Ockelbo
The purpose of the activity is to give children, young people, and young adults with intellectual disabilities a more active and meaningful leisure time. Through a Funkis day at Högbo Bruk, participants will get to try various activities, such as golf, gymnastics, dance, music, parasports, animal activities, running events, and walking bingo.
The goal is to create safe meetings, reduce the risk of isolation, and capture which activities the target group wants to continue with moving forward. The activity should also lay the foundation for new operational groups, such as Lilla Ringen for children and the Teen Group for young people, where participants can meet regularly even after the project's end.
More about FUB
About the project
Project owner:
FUB Western Gästrikland
Place: Högbo
Leader support: 16,400 SEK
Contact: Reach out to us at the leader office and we can facilitate contact.
Websites for the associations in Gästrike-Hammarby
The purpose of the activity is to strengthen the association life and communication in Gästrike-Hammarby by providing more associations with knowledge and tools to create and manage their own websites. Through a joint training in WordPress, several associations will get started with their own websites, while the work on a common website for the village begins.
The goal is to make information about the associations' activities, the village's history, and local opportunities more accessible to both residents and visitors. The activity should also contribute to increased collaboration between the associations and strengthen the cohesion in the village.
About the project
Project owner:
Gestrike-Hammarby Community Association
Place: Gästrike-Hammarby
Leader support: 20,020 SEK
Contact: Reach out to us at the leader office and we can facilitate contact.
Culture Festival Ockelbo
The purpose of the activity is to create an open and inclusive cultural activity in Ockelbo, where people of different ages have the opportunity to meet through cultural experiences. The culture festival will take place on September 12 and will include theater, author visits, concerts, dance workshops, outdoor cinema, chess school, poetry workshops, art exhibitions, choir marathons, and EPA parades.
The goal is to broaden the cultural offerings in Ockelbo, strengthen the community, and showcase the power that exists in collaboration between the municipality, associations, cultural practitioners, and local actors. The activity should also contribute to the Culture Festival developing into an annual recurring event.
About the project
Project owner:
Ockelbo Municipality
Place: Ockelbo
Leader support: 50,386 SEK
Contact: Reach out to us at the leader office and we can facilitate contact.
The sky is the limit
Hofors AIF wants to give people with various disabilities the opportunity to try new cultural and leisure activities that they currently have little access to.
The project includes occasions with themes such as creation, dance and song, nature and leisure life, as well as culture and games. The activities are planned together with the participants and adapted to their wishes.
The purpose is to create joy, community and strengthened self-esteem – both through movement, creativity and social interaction. Participants get the chance to develop on their own terms, feel belonging and dare to try new things in a safe environment.
The project is run by Hofors AIF in collaboration with parents, LSS housing, assistants and local cultural and leisure actors such as the Theater Association, Entré Ungdom, People's House and the Scouts.
The goal is for the activities to become a recurring part of the association's operations, and for more local actors to open their doors to the target group even after the project's end.
About the project
Project owner:
Hofors AIF
Place: Hofors
Leader support: 45,000 SEK
Contact: Reach out to us at the leader office and we can facilitate contact.
Completed Sprint Activities
Historical village walk
Kolforsen's village association organizes a historical village walk, open to villagers and other interested parties. The walk of about 3 km tells the story of the village, houses, mountain pastures, tar production, and schools, and ends at the beach with refreshments and sing-along.
The activity is carried out in collaboration with Medborgarskolan and is based on collected material from the village's homeowners, including pictures and historical information. Information signs are permanently installed so that the walk can be conducted even after the event.
The goal is to strengthen the community, increase pride in the village's history, and make Kolforsen more known and attractive. In the long term, a book is planned to preserve the knowledge for future generations.
The activity was finalized in December 2025.
About the project
Project owner:
Kolforsen's village association
Place: Ockelbo
Leader support: 15,741 SEK
Contact: Reach out to us at the leader office and we can facilitate contact.