Bergen sanitetsforening – Kvinnehelsehuset

What Bergen sanitetsforening – Kvinnehelsehuset does

Bergen sanitetsforening is a Norwegian non-profit association (forening) founded in 1898 and a local chapter of Sanitetskvinnene (Norske Kvinners Sanitetsforening), Norway's largest women's organization with 44,000 members nationally. Its core operating program is Kvinnehelsehus Bergen, a community hub opened in 2021 at a new central location (Vaskerelvsmauet 6, Bergen) in April 2026, delivering free women's health, postnatal, senior, youth, dementia-care, and multicultural integration services through approximately 150 events per year. The organization also wholly owns two specialized health subsidiaries: NKS Olaviken, Norway's only age-psychiatric hospital and a Huntington's-disease nursing home, and NKS Fayehagen, a seven-bed respite care residence for multi-disabled youth. All services to beneficiaries are free of charge; the organization is funded through donations, foundation grants (notably 12 million NOK over three years from Sparebankstiftelsen Sparebanken Norge, Vest in 2026), public sector support from Bergen kommune and Helsedirektoratet, membership fees, and fundraising campaigns such as the annual fastelavnsris sale.

The service portfolio spans a wide demographic range: Kvinnehelsehus Bergen and Kvinnehelse i fokus deliver women's health education; Barseltreff og gravidkafé serves new and expectant parents; Stolyoga, Senior i fokus, and Spis med oss target seniors; Kodekoret, Åpen leseopplevelse, and Kulturhuset address dementia support through music, reading, and culture; Optimistenes Sangverksted and Smak & prat serve immigrant integration; and Sisterhood/United Sisters plus Ro/Uro with Marthe Valle address youth mental health and life skills. The multicultural doula program, run with Haukeland universitetssykehus, has trained 21 active doulas supporting births in Bergen. Delivery is entirely in-person, drop-in or simple-registration, with no proprietary technology stack and no digital revenue model.

Operationally the organization runs lean — a small core staff (Daglig leder Ronja Trolie, Faglig leder Hanne Jones, project and volunteer coordinators, communications lead) supplemented by an extensive volunteer base. In 2025 it reported record-high participation (6,024 people reached, 777 participants in Barselstreff/gravidkafé, over 7,000 youth through Ro/Uro over five years) while simultaneously facing material financial pressure that culminated in the loss of its Sandbrogaten lease in fall 2025, an interim 7 million NOK self-funded bridge, and the 2026 anchor grant that funded the relocation to Vaskerelvsmauet 6. Marketing is organic-only (Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, newsletter, website) with no paid acquisition, and partnerships span Bergen kommune, Kode, Det Vestnorske Teateret, Bergen Offentlige Bibliotek, Litteraturhuset, Amathea, Kirkens Bymisjon, Bergen kvinnesaksforening, and Vestland Innvandrerråd.

Name

Bergen sanitetsforening – Kvinnehelsehuset

Legal name

Bergen sanitetsforening

Website

https://bergensanitetsforening.no

Company type

Private

Founded year

1898

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Bergen sanitetsforening is a Norwegian non-profit (est. 1898) operating Kvinnehelsehus Bergen and two specialized health subsidiaries, delivering free women's health, dementia, youth, and multicultural integration services to individuals and families across Bergen.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Women's Community Health Services

NAICS

Services for the Elderly and Persons with Disabilities (62412), Ambulatory Health Care Services (621), Other Residential Care Facilities (623990)

SIC

Services-Social Services (8300), Services-Health Services (8000), Services-Nursing & Personal Care Facilities (8050), Services-Hospitals (8060)

akta.pro primary industry

Community Health, Prevention & Health Education (BPAGACAC)

akta.pro secondary industries

Community-Based Preventive & Health Promotion Clinics (HLAFAGAO), Community-Based Senior Centers with Adult Day Services (HLADAIAJ), Primary Care for Underserved Populations (e.g., migrant, homeless, refugee clinics) (HLAFAGAN)

Keywords

• Women's health services
• Community health programs
• Nonprofit health association
• Senior care services
• Multicultural women's support

Headquarters

HQ city

Bergen

HQ country

Norway

HQ region

Europe

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure, Others

Revenue model

1. Donations and Grants: Receives financial support from foundations, public bodies, and private donors. Major recent donation of 12 million NOK from Sparebankstiftelsen Sparebanken Norge over 3 years.
2. Membership Fees: Revenue from member subscriptions in Norske Kvinners Sanitetsforening (44,000 members nationally).
3. Fastelavnsris Campaign: Annual fundraising through sale of fastelavnsris (Shrovetide birch), with proceeds funding women's health research.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Bergen sanitetsforening – Kvinnehelsehuset runs a free community health center in Bergen for women, seniors, youth, and multicultural communities, offering exercise groups, conversation groups, social meeting places, and a research and development unit focused on women's health. It is the Bergen chapter of Norske Kvinners Sanitetsforening (founded 1898) and also operates the NKS Olaviken age-psychiatric hospital and NKS Fayehagen respite care facility. All services are delivered free of charge and funded through donations, grants, and memberships.

Product overview

Bergen sanitetsforening operates Kvinnehelsehus Bergen as its core community health hub offering a diverse portfolio of free activities and safe meeting places. The offerings include: Kvinnehelsehus Bergen (the main community center); Barseltreff og gravidkafé (postnatal and pregnancy support); Stolyoga, Senior i fokus, and Spis med oss (health and social activities for seniors); Kvinnehelse i fokus (educational theme meetings); Åpen leseopplevelse and Kodekoret (cultural programs for people with dementia); Optimistenes Sangverksted and Smak & prat (integration and community building for immigrants and youth); Sisterhood and United Sisters (youth programs); FKM (multicultural women's political meeting place). Additionally, the organization operates NKS Olaviken (Norway's only age-psychiatric hospital with Huntington's disease care) and NKS Fayehagen (respite care for multi-disabled youth), and lends Komp tablets to elderly users. All activities are free and supported by Sparebankstiftelsen Sparebanken Norge, Vest and other donors.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Kvinnehelsehus Bergen: Et varmt og inkluderende fellesskap som styrker kvinners helse gjennom kunnskap, støtte og fellesskap. Tilbyr gratis aktiviteter og trygge møteplasser.

Products and services

• Kvinnehelsehus Bergen Community Programs

Quantifiable outcome

• Reached 6024 persons in 2025 through various activities
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers2 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

13 partnerships are on record, tiered core and secondary.

• AmatheacoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCo-located at Kvinnehelsehuset, providing integrated services in close daily collaboration.
• Bergen kvinnesaksforeningcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCo-organizer of FKM (Flerkulturelt Kvinnepolitisk Møtested) - monthly meetings on gender equality, democracy and human rights.
• Kirkens BymisjoncoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner in FKM (Flerkulturelt Kvinnepolitisk Møtested) collaboration for multicultural women's gatherings.
• Vestland InnvandrerrådcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner in FKM collaboration for multicultural women's engagement and integration.
• KodecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCultural institution partner for Kodekoret (choir for people with/without dementia), art workshops, and exhibition spaces. Provides venue at Permanenten and Rasmus Meyer.
• Det Vestnorske TeateretsecondaryStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaboration partner for Åpen leseopplevelse (Open reading experience) using Shared Reading methodology.
• ForandringshusetcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCo-organizer of United Sisters Sisterhood group for young women aged 13-20, held at Forandringshuset V13.
• Bergen demensforeningsecondaryStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner in Kodekoret collaboration for dementia support through music.
• Haukeland universitetssykehuscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerTraining partner for multicultural doula program. Provides healthcare expertise and birth support training.
• Bergen kommunecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerSupports various activities including Senior i fokus, Stolyoga, Barseltreff, and Kulturhuset project.
• VID vitenskapelige høgskolesecondaryStrategic or Co-development PartnerResearch partner for Kulturhuset project on culture-based day programs for persons with dementia.
• Norske Kvinners SanitetsforeningcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerParent organization - national women's organization with 44,000 members. Coordinates fastelavnsris fundraising for women's health research.
• Kompentansesenter for demenssecondaryStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner in Kulturhuset project for dementia care innovation.

Scale indicators10 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• Kirkens Bymisjon: Large Norwegian nonprofit delivering social, health and integration services including community meals, women's programs and refugee support. It is also an active Bergen sanitetsforening partner (FKM collaboration), making program overlap and target population highly comparable.
• Sex og samfunn: Oslo-based nonprofit providing sexual and reproductive health information, counseling and clinical services to young people. Highly comparable mission and audience (women's and youth health) with a similar free-of-charge, grant-funded community service model.
• Mental Helse Norge: Norwegian nonprofit advocating for and delivering mental health peer-support services, including youth-targeted programs that closely parallel Bergen sanitetsforening's Ro/Uro life-skills project and youth mental health initiatives.
• Amathea: Norwegian nonprofit offering counseling and reproductive health support for women, co-located inside Kvinnehelsehus Bergen. Operates the same community-based women's health service model with similar funding (grants and public sector) and target audience.

Broad incumbents

• Frelsesarmeen (Salvation Army Norway): Major Norwegian nonprofit operating community centers, senior programs and family support services. Comparable volunteer-driven operating model and grant-funded community health/social service delivery.
• Norske Kvinners Sanitetsforening (Sanitetskvinnene): The national parent federation of which Bergen sanitetsforening is a local chapter. It operates 44,000 members, multiple health institutions and is launching the Kvinnehelsehus model that originated in Bergen, making it the most directly comparable umbrella organization in scope and mission.
• Røde Kors Norge: Norway's largest humanitarian organization running integration, youth and elderly programs nationwide including in Bergen. Comparable in volunteer-driven service delivery, grant funding mix and community hub model, though broader in scope.

Others

• Helsedirektoratet: Norwegian Directorate of Health — a public funder of Stolyoga activities and broader health prevention policy. Comparable only as a funding and policy ecosystem counterpart, not a direct service peer.
• Nasjonalt senter for kvinnehelseforskning: Norwegian national research center focused on women's health. Adjacent rather than competing; represents a knowledge and referral partner comparable to Bergen sanitetsforening's Kvinnehelse i fokus educational series.

Emerging players

• Nasjonalt kvinnehelsehus (Norsk Kvinnehelsehus): Emerging national concept for dedicated women's health community centers following the Bergen model. Represents both a peer and a potential scaling pathway for Kvinnehelsehus Bergen, with overlapping programs in education, peer support and clinical referrals.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xfacebook.com/bergensanitetsforening
• Facebookfacebook.com/bergensanitetsforening
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/bergens-sanitetsforening
• Instagraminstagram.com/bergensanitetsforening

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Subsidiaries2 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Bergen sanitetsforening – Kvinnehelsehuset