Fritidsbanken
Fritidsbanken is a Swedish non-profit association that lends sports and leisure equipment free of charge for 14 days through 131 branches operated primarily by municipalities, circulating 2.2 million items in 2025. It serves private individuals, schools, and persons with disabilities through a national network coordinated from Karlstad.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2013
- HeadquartersKarlstad, Sweden
- Headcount11–50
- GTM typeB2C
- OfferingServices
What Fritidsbanken does
Fritidsbanken is a Swedish non-profit association (ideell förening) founded in 2013 that operates a free library-style lending system for sports and leisure equipment. Borrowers can take items for up to 14 days at no cost, with no deposits, fees, or late charges. Over 90% of local branches are operated by Swedish municipalities, which fund local staff, premises, and operations; the national kansli in Karlstad handles franchise establishment, quality assurance, partnerships, brand, and communications. The organization has scaled to 131 locations across more than 40% of Sweden's municipalities and circulated 2.2 million articles in 2025.
The core technology is Bankboken, a proprietary digital lending system provided to member municipalities that handles equipment registration, lending logistics, and automated performance statistics. Beyond general sports and outdoor gear, Fritidsbanken has built out specialized programs: a school lending program (Skol-lån) for recess and PE, an adaptive-equipment vertical (Fritidshjälpmedel) for persons with disabilities integrated with healthcare referrals (FaR prescriptions, BUP), and an event-based certification model for accessible cycling races co-developed with Swedish sports federations. Strategic partnerships include Swedish Sports Confederation, Svenskt Friluftsliv, Swedish Cycling Federation, and the EU-funded ReSolutions project.
Revenue mechanics are non-commercial: the national entity is funded by grants from foundations (The Crown Princess Margaretas Foundation, Family Erling-Persson Foundation, Freemasons Foundation, etc.), regional governments (Värmland, Västra Götaland), and the Swedish Sports Confederation; local branches are separately funded by their host municipalities. Donations of equipment and money are accepted from companies and individuals. The organization is statutorily prohibited from operating for profit. Recognition includes twelve awards since 2013, including Årets Samhällsaktör 2024 and Årets barnrättsinitiativ 2025.
Fritidsbanken firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Fritidsbanken
- Legal name
- Fritidsbanken Sverige
- Website
- https://fritidsbanken.se
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2013
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 11–50 employees
- Short description
- Fritidsbanken is a Swedish non-profit association that lends sports and leisure equipment free of charge for 14 days through 131 branches operated primarily by municipalities, circulating 2.2 million items in 2025. It serves private individuals, schools, and persons with disabilities through a national network coordinated from Karlstad.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Fritidsbanken industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Community Equipment Lending Services
- NAICS
- Libraries and Archives (51921), Religious, Grantmaking, Civic, Professional, and Similar Organizations (813), Civic and Social Organizations (813410)
- SIC
- Services-Membership Organizations (8600)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Public Libraries & Information Services (BPAIACAO)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Sports Fundraising & Development Services (Foundations, NIL Collectives Support) (MPAKAKAK), Donation Pickup & Reuse Hauling (HSAKALAI)
Keywords
Where Fritidsbanken is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Karlstad
- HQ country
- Sweden
- HQ region
- Europe
Offices2 records
Markets served
Fritidsbanken business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2C
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Supply Chain
Revenue model
- Municipal Funding: Local Fritidsbanken branches are primarily financed by municipalities. The local principal is responsible for ensuring funds for staff, premises rent, and other expenses.
- Grants and Donations: Fritidsbanken Sverige receives grants from various organizations including Swedish Sports Confederation, Swedish Central Association for the Promotion of Sports, The Crown Princess Margaretas Foundation, Värmland Region, Västra Götaland Region, and The Freemasons Foundation. Additional grants from Family Erling-Persson Foundation, Kronprinsessan Margaretas Minnesfond, Radiohjälpen Kronprinsessan Victorias fond, Stiftelsen Frimurare Barnhuset i Stockholm, and others.
- Donations: Money donations accepted from companies and individuals without counterclaims. Used primarily to spread the concept to more municipalities and continuously work with quality development at existing Fritidsbank locations.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Freemium | Pay-as-you-go | Free lending for all - 14 day loan period |
Go-to-market motion2 records
Distribution channels4 records
Marketing channels5 records
Fritidsbanken product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Fritidsbanken operates a free "library for sports and leisure items" where anyone in Sweden can borrow donated sports and outdoor equipment at no cost for a 14-day lending period. The organization runs 131 physical branches across more than 40% of Swedish municipalities, supported by a digital lending system called Bankboken that member municipalities use to manage equipment registration, loans, and reporting.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Free Sports & Leisure Equipment Lending Free lending of donated sports and leisure equipment for 14 days, available to anyone in Sweden through 131 branch locations.
- School Lending Program (Skol-lån) Formal cooperation program with schools for borrowing equipment for recess, physical education, outdoor days, and after-school programs, including "mini-Fritidsbank" setups on school premises for extended lending periods.
- Adaptive Equipment Lending (Fritidshjälpmedel) Specialized lending of adaptive and parasport equipment (including terrain wheelchairs, paraboule sets, magneters) for persons with disabilities, supported by regional funding and partnerships with Parasport organizations.
- Fritidsbanken Establishment Service Membership and establishment support for municipalities and community organizations to set up a local Fritidsbanken branch, including access to the Bankboken digital lending system, training, and ongoing national coordination.
Quantifiable outcome
- 70% climate impact reduction compared to linear model when maintaining and repairing equipment
- +2 more outcomes
Companies that use Fritidsbanken
Customer profileNamed customers4 records
Segments5 records
Ideal customer profiles4 records
Fritidsbanken technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature1 record
Fritidsbanken partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
14 partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.
- ReSolutions (EU Project)coreInterreg Central Baltic project 2025-2028 encouraging innovative recycling methods. Project partners include South-Eastern Finland University of Applied Sciences, Kymenlaakson Jäte Ltd, Parik foundation, Föreningsalliansen Bollnäs, BORAB, Green Liberty, Liepajas RAS LTD, and Ltd. ZAAO.
- Svenskt FriluftslivcoreNational partnership to give more people opportunity to discover outdoor life and find their way to outdoor organizations. Includes QR codes at locations linking to local activities.
- Swedish Cycling Federation (Svenska Cykelförbundet)coreMulti-year collaboration focusing on cycling in general and paracycling in particular. Now developing certification model for accessible cycling races.
- VätternrundancorePartnership to make cycling races accessible to more people including those with disabilities. Collaborating on certification of accessible cycling events.
- Region VästerbottencoreRegion provides funding through Socialstyrelsen for adaptive equipment. Helps connect FaR (prescription of physical activity) patients with Fritidsbanken. Also collaborates with Parasport Västerbotten.
- Parasport VästerbottenminorCollaboration to reach target groups for adaptive sports equipment in Västerbotten region.
- Scouterna, Sportfiskarna, FriluftsfrämjandetminorInitial partners in collaboration with Svenskt Friluftsliv, providing QR code links to activities offered by these outdoor organizations.
- Swedish Boule Federation (Svenska Bouleförbundet)minorFederation received funding from Swedish Sports Confederation to purchase paraboule equipment and donate sets with soft balls and magneters to all Fritidsbanken locations.
- Swedish Casting Federation (Svenska Castingförbundet)corePartnership to increase interest in casting sport. Fritidsbanken offers casting equipment at several locations with staff trained to help beginners get started.
- Swedish Curling Federation (Svenska Curlingförbundet)minorPartnership for floor curling sets that can be played anywhere. Equipment is portable and suitable for lending.
- Swedish School Sports Federation (Svenska Skolidrottsförbundet)coreNearly 1000 school sports clubs exist. Partnership ensures necessary equipment is available and students can borrow equipment for free time activities.
- Swedish Archery Federation (Svenska Bågskytteförbundet)minorPartnership to spark interest in archery. Due to safety risks, archery is offered at selected events with instructors rather than general lending.
- Swedish Triathlon Federation (Svenska Triathlonförbundet)corePartnership to raise awareness of triathlon (swimming, cycling, running) and encourage more people to try the sport. Also collaborates on paratriathlon.
- Swedish Sports Confederation (Riksidrottsförbundet)coreProvides grants to Fritidsbanken Sverige. Project 'SF Material och utrustning' provides funds to sports federations for adaptive equipment to distribute to Fritidsbanken and clubs.
Scale indicators6 records
Recent moves7 records
Expansion highlights6 records
Fritidsbanken competitors and assessment
Company assessmentEmerging players
- Hygglo: Swedish peer-to-peer rental marketplace for personal items including sports and outdoor equipment. Overlaps with Fritidsbanken's product domain (sports/leisure gear lending) but operates a commercial, transaction-fee model rather than a free municipal one.
- Stuffstr: Swedish circular-economy startup enabling trade-in and resale of personal items. Adjacent to Fritidsbanken's reuse model and shares Swedish origin, but operates commercially via retailer integrations.
- Fat Llama: UK-based peer-to-peer rental platform for camera, music and sports equipment. Adjacent business model to Fritidsbanken's equipment-lending concept, but consumer-paid rather than charity-funded.
Direct peers
- Library of Things: UK-based non-profit/enterprise running neighborhood lending libraries for household, garden and leisure items. Closest functional analogue to Fritidsbanken's "library of things" model, though not sport-specific.
Others
- The Restart Project: UK-based non-profit running community repair events and tool libraries to extend product life. Comparable sustainability mission, community-led structure and equipment-sharing ethos, but focused on repair rather than lending.
- Sportello / Sporthallen (municipal Swedish sport infrastructure): Riksidrottsförbundet (Swedish Sports Confederation) and its local federations are core partners of Fritidsbanken and operate complementary municipal sport-development and equipment programs. Useful peer for benchmarking public-sector sport-infrastructure models in Sweden.
Regional players
- Svenskt Friluftsliv: Swedish umbrella organization for outdoor recreation, an active national partner of Fritidsbanken. Comparable Swedish non-profit mission to enable outdoor activity for all, but focused on advocacy and outdoor organizations rather than equipment lending.
Broad incumbents
- REI Co-op: Large US outdoor equipment member-cooperative. Comparable product domain (outdoor and sports gear) and member-governed structure; differs by being a commercial retailer rather than a free municipal lending service.
- Decathlon: Global sports and outdoor equipment retailer with active operations in Sweden. Directly comparable product portfolio (sport/leisure gear) and Swedish retail footprint, but operates a buy-new commercial model opposite to Fritidsbanken's reuse lending.
- Patagonia (Worn Wear): US outdoor brand with a circular-economy trade-in and resale program. Shares Fritidsbanken's reuse/sustainability narrative and outdoor product category but at commercial scale.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat5 records
Key risks1 record
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
Fritidsbanken social profiles
Digital presenceFritidsbanken financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Fritidsbanken leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles16 records
Fritidsbanken funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Fritidsbanken M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Fritidsbanken
What does Fritidsbanken do?
Fritidsbanken operates a free "library for sports and leisure items" where anyone in Sweden can borrow donated sports and outdoor equipment at no cost for a 14-day lending period. The organization runs 131 physical branches across more than 40% of Swedish municipalities, supported by a digital lending system called Bankboken that member municipalities use to manage equipment registration, loans, and reporting.
Is Fritidsbanken a public or private company?
Fritidsbanken is a private company. It is classified as nonprofit foundation owned and is currently operating.
When was Fritidsbanken founded?
Fritidsbanken was founded in 2013. It employs 11 to 50 people.
Where is Fritidsbanken based?
Fritidsbanken is headquartered in Karlstad, Sweden, in the Europe region.
How does Fritidsbanken make money?
Three revenue lines are on record. Municipal Funding is the primary driver. The others are grants and Donations and donations.
Who are Fritidsbanken's main competitors?
Emerging players on record are Hygglo, Stuffstr and Fat Llama. Library of Things is listed as a direct peer. Others are The Restart Project and Sportello / Sporthallen (municipal Swedish sport infrastructure). Svenskt Friluftsliv is listed as a regional player. Broad incumbents are REI Co-op, Decathlon and Patagonia (Worn Wear).
Does Fritidsbanken have an API?
No public API is recorded for Fritidsbanken.
What industry is Fritidsbanken in?
Fritidsbanken's product category is Community Equipment Lending Services. Its primary akta.pro industry code is BPAIACAO, Public Libraries & Information Services, with a secondary code of MPAKAKAK, Sports Fundraising & Development Services (Foundations, NIL Collectives Support). Its NAICS code is 51921 and its SIC code is 8600.