Svenska Spel extends Swedish Sports Federation partnership
Swedish operator Svenska Spel has extended its partnership with the Swedish Sports Federation until the end of 2020, in a deal that will see a further SEK17m (£1.4m/€1.6m/$1.7m) distributed to organisations across the country.
Under the agreement, which will come into effect from 1 June, Svenska Spel will continue to send funds to 62 specialist sports associations as part of the ongoing ‘Project Forward’ initiative.
Money will also be used to support the ‘Future Fund’, where all special sports federations in Sweden can access funding for project ideas aiming to help more people, youth, adults and the elderly access sport.
Svenska Spel and the Swedish Sports Federation will also continue to award the Elite Sports Scholarship to support athletes with their studies. The scholarship is valued at SEK50,000 and is awarded to 75 athletes each year.
In addition, funds will go towards initiatives designed to combat match-fixing in sport, including digital education projects and an anonymous tipping service.
“The cooperation with Svenska Spel and the financial support for sport enables efforts to reach more people, support elite athletes in education, counter match-fixing and provide the conditions for associations and unions to continue to develop their activities,” Swedish Sports Federation secretary general Stefan Bergh said.
Svenska Spel president and chief executive Patrik Hofbauer added: “When the Swedish sports movement has been hit hard by the coronavirus pandemic, it feels good that Svenska Spel and the Swedish Sports Federation have extended their cooperation.
“In this way we ensure important funds for Swedish sport and at the same time, work is underway on a more long-term plan for how we together can continue to strengthen sports in the country.”
The extension comes after Svenska Spel last month brought forward a payment of SEK20m to grassroots sports initiatives across the country due to concerns over how the novel coronavirus (Covid-19) will impact the projects.