Frequently asked questions about becoming a service provider for the Espoo Hobby Path

I am a freelancer and I invoice using an invoicing service. Can I submit an offer?   

• An operator without a business ID may submit an application to participate. Once we have received the applications, we will assess whether the applicant meets our criteria.

Can I submit my application in Swedish or English?  

• Applications should preferably be submitted in Finnish.

Can I receive the materials for the call in Swedish or English?  

• The materials are only available in Finnish.

Can I offer activities that are carried out remotely?

• You can offer also distance learning groups. 

The hobby groups do not include any music activities. In which group can I offer choir activities or band clubs?  

• We welcome all kinds of suggestions for hobby groups. Offer the hobby under "Kategoria 5, muut harrastuspalvelut” (Category 5, other hobby services)

Do I need to know all hobby instructors when I apply for the register?  

• You do not need to know the instructors at this stage. The responsible instructors must be known before the start of the service. In the first phase, we examine the operator’s qualifications to become a service provider.

What are the qualification requirements for the hobby instructors?  

• The staff running the hobby groups must be over 18 years of age. 
• The instructors must have a degree related to the instruction of children/youth or at least one year of experience in instructing regular recreational activities, as well as expertise and skills related to the hobby/art. 

What am I committing to when I submit an application to participate (offer)?  

• In the first phase, when you sign up to the register of service providers, you do not commit to anything. 

What is your pricing policy? Is the pricing policy hourly or per school year? 

• The service providers set their own prices. Pricing is on an hourly basis with the price per hour (60 min) including all costs of the activity, including administrative costs, any licences, equipment and consumable supplies. 

Is it so that the clubs can be held on school premises, e.g. in a classroom? Is there a cost for the club operator, or is this included in the model? 

• The hobby groups take place primarily on school premises. The facilities are free of charge for the organiser of the activity. Any available equipment and supplies will be determined on a case-by-case basis and will not be charged to the service provider. More detailed instructions will be given during the mini competition.

Is it possible to go to Helsinki to carry out the activities? What kind of municipal restrictions does the project have? 

• The activities of the Espoo Hobby Path cannot be carried out in other municipalities or cities. Each municipality handles the procurement of activities in its own area and may have different ways of organising the tendering process. 

Our organisation knows hobby instructors, e.g. in the arts, and organises hobby activities independently, but we do not have a comprehensive register of instructors. Can the Espoo Hobby Path support us in building a register of instructors?  

• Unfortunately, the grants under the Finnish model for leisure activities cannot be used to develop the activities of individual operators. For this type of activity development, you should look into Espoo’s grants for culture and explore opportunities for cooperation. 

Can the hobby take place on a Saturday? 

• The hobbies in the Finnish model for leisure activities are organised before or after school day, not during weekends or holidays. 

What does the one million euros mean in the liability insurance?

• The amount of liability insurance must be at least one (1) million euros per occurrence. The liability insurance must be valid for the entire contract period (e.g. as a continuous annual insurance policy that is automatically renewed every insurance period). The risk covered by liability insurance is the potential liability of the insured to pay compensation to someone else.

Who should I contact if I have questions? 

• Once the call for tenders is open, questions can be submitted via the tarjouspalvelu.fi portal. Before the call for tenders opens, you can send questions by email to harrastuspolku@espoo.fi.