Free Path 2026–2027: partnership pilot
Espoo’s Sports and Exercise Services is looking for partners for the school year 2026–2027 to organise free physical activities for children and young people and adapted physical activities for all ages. The focus is on children and young people. For adapted physical activities, groups with an affordable participation fee are also accepted in the partnership pilot on a discretionary basis. The selection criteria have been created based on the “Espoo liikkuu 2040” vision of the Sports and Exercise Services and the Espoo Story, reflecting on the values of the City of Espoo.
The partnership pilot is an intermediate stage before the transition to the grant reform, which is due to enter into force in 2027. It is planned that, as part of the grant reform, cooperation activities will be integrated into grants. In the partnership pilot for 2026–2027, cooperation activities will be determined for the entire school year (autumn–spring). However, the activities of spring 2027 will be confirmed by December 2026 at the latest. An exception to this is the KULPS activities, which will only take place in autumn 2026.
In the partnership pilot, we are looking for partners to implement the following cooperation activities:
- Töpinät: free family exercise for children aged 2–8 and their families
- JUMPPI groups: free hobby groups for 7–20-year-olds
- KULPS: sports taster sessions for schools, grades 4–9
- Adapted physical activity: adapted physical activities for different age groups
Partners can register their interest to organise the activities through Webropol forms between 18 March and 29 April 2026. Each activity has its own form.
The Sports and Exercise Services will notify its partners of the selections in May 2026, and the activities will begin in autumn 2026.
If there are still opportunities for new groups after the spring registration, the Sports and Exercise Services can agree on cooperation groups later on a discretionary basis.
All partners of the City of Espoo’s Sports and Exercise Services must follow the ethics policy in their activities.
Get to know the cooperation activities
Target group: children and young people aged 7–20. Priorities:
- children and young people without a physical hobby
- children and young people with a lower socio-economic background
- age groups in transition phases (grades 6–9); for secondary school pupils, especially groups meeting on Wednesday afternoons between 14:30–15:30
Description
JUMPPI groups are free hobby groups for 7–20-year-olds that include a wide range of sports and physical activities. The groups are open to everyone, and participation does not require previous experience, special know-how, membership or specific equipment. If the activities require equipment (e.g. skis), it is recommended that the partner loans them out.
JUMPPI partnerships are aimed at Espoo-based sports clubs and associations, but companies operating in Espoo can also apply.
All existing hobby groups of children and young people on the Free Path will become JUMPPI groups: free primary and secondary school groups, Easy Hockey, Monilajimestarit groups, Kylä kasvattaa groups, etc. In the future, all groups will be named "JUMPPI sport age group", e.g. "JUMPPI football 7–9 years".
Groups of primary school pupils meet on weekdays after school or in the early evening or on weekends primarily between 10–18. Groups of secondary school pupils and older students can also meet at other times, but for secondary school pupils, the emphasis is on Wednesday afternoons between 14:30–15:30. All groups meet once a week during the activity periods 31 August–13 December 2026 and 7 January–2 May 2027, excluding public and school holidays. One session lasts 60 minutes. The language of instruction can be Finnish, Swedish or English.
A fee of €40/h will be paid to one instructor for the activities. If more than one instructor is needed, it must be discussed separately with the Sports and Exercise Services.
The activities can take place on city premises, outdoors or private premises. We emphasise activities organised in local school gyms. If the activities are carried out on city premises or during the city’s time slots, the space is free of charge for the partner. The partner must book the space themselves. School gyms can be booked through the sports facility booking system(external link, opens in a new window) for time slots starting at 17:00 or later. If the activities take place earlier in the afternoon or directly after school, the partner must agree on the schedule with the school itself. If the activities are organised on private premises, the facility costs are reimbursed up to €20/h.
The partner adds the JUMPPI groups to the City of Espoo’s Hobby Search website (FI/SWE/ENG). In addition, the partner must communicate about the groups in the neighbouring areas. The partner sends the Sports and Exercise Services’ feedback survey to the participants 1–2 times during the school year.
The partner is responsible for registering participants in the groups and for the appropriate data protection. Registration must be made as easy as possible for the participants, and it must be possible both in advance and on site.
The partner determines the maximum number of participants for the group, considering the nature of the sport, the size of the space and other safety-related aspects. The minimum number of participants is five per group. The number of participants is recorded monthly. If there are fewer than five participants in the group on average during the month, the group may be terminated. If the group is terminated, the Sports and Exercise Services notifies the partner at least two weeks in advance. The partner reports the number of participants per session to the Sports and Exercise Services monthly.
As a rule, JUMPPI groups follow these age groups:
- 7–9 years
- 10–12 years
- 13–15 years
- 16–20 years
Other age groups between 7 and 20 are also possible. In this case, the partner must justify their wish on the Webropol form. On the Webropol form, the partner also indicates the desired number of groups and the details of each group (e.g. sport, location, time, day of the week, activity description).
Selection criteria and priorities for JUMPPI groups
- Regional distribution and diversity
- Selections are made to ensure that activities are available as evenly as possible in different parts of Espoo, with emphasis on the major districts of Keski-Espoo, Leppävaara, Matinkylä-Olari and Espoonlahti.
- Selections are made to include as many sports as possible in the groups.
- Selections are made to include as many partners as possible.
- Path to affordable activities
- Priority: partners who can offer the child/young person a path to an affordable hobby in the local area after the free JUMPPI group. This can mean a path to the partner’s own activities or those of another actor.
- Pedagogical competence and training of instructors
- Priority: partners whose instructors have experience and training in guiding children’s physical activities as well as pedagogical competence
- Communication
- Priority: partners who systematically strive to reach foreign-language speakers and immigrants and to lower their threshold for participation
- Priority: partners with an effective process for communicating about the activities to reach the target group
- Inclusion
- Priority: partners who can adapt the activities for children and young people in need of support as well as hobbies that everyone can participate in, including those in need of support, persons with reduced mobility and foreign-language speakers
- Priority: activities that assistants can participate in
- Experience in organising similar activities
- Priority: partners with experience in organising similar activities successfully
- Space and possible booking
- Priority: partners using free city premises or free outdoor locations
Register your interest in becoming a JUMPPI partner here(external link, opens in a new window). Registration is open during 18 March and 29 April 2026.
Further information:
Sports Planner Helena Pennanen +358 46 8773548 helena.pennanen@espoo.fi
Target group
- children aged 2-8 with their families
Description
On weekends, children exercise together with their family, grandparents or other adults. A wide variety of equipment is available. The equipment may vary depending on the location, and the participants exercise independently without instruction. The child must always be accompanied by an adult. The activities can also be arranged in swimming halls (Vesitöpinät). The organisers are not responsible for supervising the children, and no advance registration is needed. The partner reports the number of participants to the Sports and Exercise Services monthly.
Töpinät partnerships are aimed at sports clubs in Espoo.
Töpinät groups meet around once a month on Sundays during the activity periods 31 August–13 December 2026 and 7 January–31 May 2027. Partners can organise the activities on city premises/time slots, on private premises, outdoors or in a swimming hall (Vesitöpinät). We emphasise activities organised in school gyms and outdoors. The partner makes the gym and pool reservations themselves. If the activities are organised on city premises, the space is free of charge for the partner. If the activities take place on private premises, low-cost facilities will be prioritised.
In the Töpinät activities, the partner’s task is to build a safe sports track/exercise point suitable for the target group that encourages versatile physical activity. The equipment must be ready for use in the space (e.g. equipment in school gyms) or the partner must acquire the equipment themselves. During the activities, the partner keeps an eye on the participants, taking safety into account, and helps, inspires and encourages them to exercise and experiment.
Swimming activities (Vesitöpinät) are organised in teaching pools, and the partner’s task is to supervise the activities while taking safety into account. The swimming hall’s equipment, such as pool noodles and other toys, are used in the activities. The instructors supervise from the edge of the pool or in the pool and provide tips for using the equipment, for example.
Töpinät activities in gyms/outdoors: Sessions take place between 10–12. Time has been reserved for building and dismantling the sports track between 9–10 and 12–13. A maximum of €25/h per instructor is paid to the partner for the activities (school gyms and outdoors). If the location requires more than one person for supervision, it must be negotiated separately with the Sports and Exercise Services.
Vesitöpinät activities in swimming halls: Sessions last for two hours. €36/h per instructor is paid to the partner for the Vesitöpinät activities.
The partner adds the activities to the City of Espoo’s Hobby Search website (FI/SWE/ENG) and communicates about them in the neighbouring areas.
On the Webropol form, the partner indicates which school/other facility they would like to use for the activities. It is a good idea to have the gym/pool reserved already.
- Selection criteria and priorities for Töpinät
- Regional division and diversity
- Selections are made to ensure that activities are available as evenly as possible in different parts of Espoo, with emphasis on the major districts of Keski-Espoo, Leppävaara, Matinkylä-Olari and Espoonlahti.
- Selections are made to include as many different sports and clubs as possible.
- Experience in organising similar activities
- Priority: clubs with experience in organising similar activities successfully
- Path to affordable activities
- Priority: clubs who can offer the child a path to an affordable hobby in the local area after the free activities. This can mean a path to the partner’s own activities or those of another actor.
- Communication
- Priority: clubs with an effective process for communicating about the activities to reach the target group
- Priority: clubs who systematically strive to reach foreign-language speakers and immigrants and to lower their threshold for participation
- Space and possible booking
- Priority: clubs using free city premises/time slots or free outdoor locations
- If the Töpinät activities are organised outside city premises, low-cost facilities are prioritised
Register your interest in becoming a Töpinät partner here(external link, opens in a new window). Registration is open during 18 March and 29 April 2026.
Further information:
Sports Planner Maija Pelttari +358 40 6368380 maija.pelttari@espoo.fi
Target group
- Grades 4–9
Description
The KULPS culture and sports path is a unique system in Espoo, the goal of which is to promote equality between pupils and develop the use of culture and sports services for learning. KULPS promotes the cultural and sports visits of preschoolers and comprehensive school pupils by organising visits during the school day and as part of teaching. KULPS consists of three paths: culture path, library path and sports path. The contents of all paths are free of charge for schools. KULPS is implemented in cooperation between Finnish-language teaching and early childhood education and care, the Swedish Education and Cultural Services, the Cultural Unit and the Sports and Exercise Services.
The KULPS sports path is aimed at grades 4–9 and introduces students to different sports and venues. The wide range of sports also creates opportunities to try brand new sports that might be difficult to access otherwise. Espoo-based sports clubs, associations and companies can apply to become KULPS partners.
During the activities, the partner offers tasters of different sports and exercises. The activities must be inspiring and suitable for the target group. The partner can organise the taster sessions on their own premises, in other facilities they have booked or at schools. The necessary equipment must be available on site. If the school does not have the equipment, the partner must bring it themselves. The entire class must be able to participate in the activities at the same time.
KULPS taster sessions are offered to the following class groups:
- Grades 4–6
- Grades 7–9
The partner informs the Sports and Exercise Services of the activity, the class group and other necessary information concerning the planned sessions. The Sports and Exercise Services adds this information to the website where teachers can learn more about the KULPS taster sessions. The teacher contacts the partner directly to book a session. The partner keeps a record of the agreed bookings and compiles monthly statistics on the number of participants per session.
The KULPS taster sessions can be organised on weekdays between 31 August–13 December 2026 during the school day. One session lasts 60 minutes.
A total of 20 KULPS partners will be selected, and each partner will receive a maximum of €1,750 (including all costs arising from the activities) for the entire autumn period. On the Webropol form, the partner reports the price of one session €/60 min (VAT 0%), including all costs, such as material, invoicing, office and employer costs. The reported price determines the maximum number of sessions for the autumn; the partner ensures that the agreed number of sessions and the total amount of €1,750 is not exceeded.
Selection criteria and priorities for KULPS
- Regional distribution and diversity
- Selections are made to ensure that sports taster sessions are available as evenly as possible in different parts of Espoo.
- Selections are made to include partners who can use their own premises and partners who can organise the activities at schools.
- Selections are made to include as wide a range of taster sessions and as many partners as possible.
- Pedagogical competence and training of instructors
- Priority: partners whose instructors have experience and training in guiding children’s physical activities as well as pedagogical competence
- Experience in organising similar activities
- Priority: partners with experience in organising similar activities successfully
- Inclusion
- Priority: partners who can adapt the activities for pupils in need of support as well as activities that everyone can participate in, including those in need of support, persons with reduced mobility and foreign-language speakers
- If the sports taster sessions are organised on the partner's own premises, accessible facilities are prioritised
- Path to affordable activities
- Priority: partners who can offer the child/young person a path to an affordable hobby in the local area. This can mean a path to the partner’s own activities or those of another actor.
- Price
- Priority: partners with the lowest hourly rates
Register your interest in becoming a KULPS partner here(external link, opens in a new window). Registration is open during 18 March and 29 April 2026.
Further information:
Sports Planner Helena Pennanen +358 46 8773548 helena.pennanen@espoo.fi
Target group: Persons in need of adapted physical activity. Adapted physical activity (formerly special physical activity) refers to the physical activity of people who find it difficult to participate in general physical activities due to a disability, illness, other impairment of functional capacity or social circumstances.
- 1st priority: people under 21 years of age
- 2nd priority: elderly people
- 3rd priority: working-age people
Description
Cooperation groups for adapted physical activity are versatile exercise groups for those who cannot find opportunities for physical activity in ordinary groups. Adapted physical activity refers to the physical activity of people who find it difficult to participate in general physical activities due to a disability, illness, other impairment of functional capacity or social circumstances. Adapted physical activity is a question of adaptation, and organising it requires special expertise. The participant must be able bring an assistant to the class. Participation does not require previous experience, special know-how or membership in a club/association. The cooperation groups are primarily free of charge, but groups with an affordable participation fee can also be included.
The groups can focus on basic physical activity, learning new skills, a certain sport or activities with varying themes. Groups of children and young people in particular have wanted to try several different types of exercise in the same group. Espoo-based sports clubs and associations can apply to become KULPS partners. All current cooperation groups on adapted physical activity will be transferred to the partnership pilot.
As a rule, all groups meet once a week during the activity periods 31 August–13 December 2026 and 7 January–2 May 2027, excluding public and school holidays. One session lasts 45–60 minutes. If necessary, 90-minute sessions are also an option.
One instructor is paid a fee of €40 per 45–60 min session (€60 per 90 min) for the activities. If there is a special need for another instructor, it can be discussed separately with the Sports and Exercise Services.
The activities can take place on city premises, outdoors or private premises. We emphasise activities organised in local school gyms. If the activities are carried out on city premises or during the city’s time slots, the space is free of charge for the partner. The partner must book the space themselves. School gyms can be booked through the sports facility booking system(external link, opens in a new window) for time slots starting at 17:00 or later. If the activities take place earlier in the afternoon or directly after school, the partner must agree on the schedule with the school itself. If the activities are organised on private premises, the facility costs are reimbursed up to €20/h. Ice rink time slots are agreed upon separately.
The partner adds the adapted physical activity groups to the City of Espoo’s Hobby Search website (FI/SWE/ENG). In addition, the partner must communicate about the groups in the neighbouring areas. The partner sends the Sports and Exercise Services’ feedback survey to the participants 1–2 times during the school year.
The partner is responsible for registering participants in the groups and for the appropriate data protection. Registration must be made as easy as possible for the participants, and it must be possible both in advance and on site.
The partner determines the maximum number of participants for the group, considering the nature of the activities, the participants, the size of the space and other safety-related aspects. The minimum number of participants is five per group. If there are fewer than five participants in the group on average during the month, the group may be terminated. If the group is terminated, the Sports and Exercise Services notifies the partner at least two weeks in advance. The partner reports the number of participants per session to the Sports and Exercise Services monthly.
Using the Webropol form, the partner indicates the desired number of groups and the details of each group (e.g. activity, location, time, day of the week, activity description).
The language of instruction is Finnish, but it is desirable that Swedish- and English-language participants can also receive instruction and guidance.
Selection criteria and priorities for adapted physical activity
- Regional distribution and diversity
- Selections are made to ensure that activities are available in different parts of Espoo, with emphasis on Jalavapuisto, Järvenperä, Kilonpuisto, Kuitinmäki, Meritori, Pohjois-Tapiola, Postipuu, Ruusutorppa and Rinnekoti schools and the neighbouring areas.
- Selections are made to include a wide range of different groups.
- Pedagogical competence and training of instructors
- Priority: partners whose instructors have experience and training in guiding physical activity in the age group in question as well as pedagogical competence. Experience/training in adapted physical activity is considered an advantage.
- Communication
- Priority: partners with an effective process for communicating about the activities to reach the target group
- Priority: partners who systematically strive to reach foreign-language speakers and immigrants and to lower their threshold for participation
- Experience in organising similar activities
- Priority: partners with experience in organising similar activities successfully
- Space and possible booking
- Priority: partners using free city premises or free outdoor locations
Register your interest in becoming a partner in adapted physical activity here(external link, opens in a new window). Registration is open during 18 March and 29 April 2026.
Further information:
Sports Planner Elina Räsänen +358 46 8771293 elina.rasanen@espoo.fi