The Finnish model for leisure activities seeking partners – register by 5 March

The Finnish model for leisure activities offers free-of-charge activities for pupils in grades 3–9 at all of Helsinki’s comprehensive schools. The activities, which are based on children and young people’s preferences, are organised after the school day in school facilities or nearby. The range of activities offered includes cultural, sports, digital and other activities. The goal of the model is to increase the well-being and inclusion of children and young people through leisure activities.

The City of Helsinki is now seeking clubs, organisations, companies and other activity providers to organise leisure activities for children and young people during the 2025–2026 school year.

“Last year, we organised over 90,000 activity sessions and the same number of happy encounters under the Finnish model for leisure activities. Effective cooperation with partners producing activities for children and young people is the key to implementing high-quality hobbies at this scale,” says Project Manager Irma Sippola from the City of Helsinki's Youth Services. 

“I encourage both current and new activity providers to register in the new service provider register of the Finnish model for leisure activities as soon as possible. Inclusion in the register is a prerequisite for participating in this spring’s tendering process,” says Sippola.

Tendering for activities organised during the 2025–2026 school year will start in March

The City of Helsinki has published a new contract notice on the procurement of activities in accordance with the Finnish model for the period of December 2024–June 2029. Tendering will take place within the framework of the dynamic purchasing system.

Participation in future calls for tenders requires registration in the new service provider register of the Finnish model for leisure activities. Activity providers must register by 5 March 2025 in order to participate in the tendering for activities to be organised during the 2025–2026 school year. Activity providers currently organising activities under the Finnish model for leisure activities are also required to register. The registration is valid until June 2029. The calls for tenders for activities to be organised during the upcoming school year will open in March 2025.

The central operating criteria for the Finnish model for leisure activities in Helsinki are inclusion and participation; quality; non-discrimination and accessibility; safety; and provider quality. Activity providers must fulfil these criteria in order to be approved in the service provider register of the Finnish model for leisure activities and participate in competitive tendering.

The activity groups organised under the Finnish model for leisure activities can be found on school websites and on the Hobbies website at harrastukset.hel.fi/thefinnishmodel. Information about activities is also communicated to homes via Wilma. In Helsinki, the activities are coordinated by the Culture and Leisure Division together with the Education Division.