What Sparebankstiftelsen Hedmark does

Sparebankstiftelsen Hedmark is a self-owning Norwegian foundation (selveiende stiftelse) established on October 29, 2015, through the spin-off of Sparebanken Hedmark. It manages wealth accumulated across nearly 180 years of regional banking operations and holds a 44.46% ownership stake in SpareBank 1 Østlandet, making it the largest owner of equity certificates in the bank. The foundation is headquartered in Hamar, Norway, and operates exclusively within the Hedmark region of Innlandet county.

The foundation distributes charitable grants across five primary segments: sports clubs and athletic organizations; educational and research institutions (including Høgskolen i Innlandet, NTNU Gjøvik, and Tynset College Center); humanitarian and social organizations (including Røde Kors and Norsk Folkehjelp); cultural institutions; and innovation/business development through Innlandet Science Park and the First Seed (Såkornfondet) venture fund. Grant programs include Breddegaver (broad community grants), Research and Education funding, and Study Abroad Scholarships. Applications are processed via a dedicated digital portal (gaveportalen.sbsh.no) with continuous deadlines for grants under 30,000 NOK and an annual October 1st deadline for larger amounts. The application portal is scheduled for system migration closure beginning September 1, 2026.

Revenue is generated primarily through dividends from the SpareBank 1 Østlandet stake, supplemented by investment returns on a capital portfolio comprising 2.68 billion NOK in global equity funds (32.2% return in 2025) and 1.27 billion NOK in Norwegian bonds (4.86% return in 2025). Total assets grew from 11.3 billion NOK in 2023 to 13.87 billion NOK at end of 2024, with 9.5 billion NOK held in SpareBank 1 Østlandet equity certificates. Since 2017, the foundation has distributed over 1 billion NOK to public-benefit causes in Hedmark, with notable anchor commitments including approximately 200 million NOK toward Universitetet i Innlandet achieving full university status in November 2024. Day-to-day management is led by Managing Director (daglig leder) Tore Anstein Dobloug.

Name

Sparebankstiftelsen Hedmark

Legal name

Sparebankstiftelsen Hedmark

Website

https://www.sparebankstiftelsenhedmark.no

Company type

Private

Operating status

Operating

Short description

Sparebankstiftelsen Hedmark is a Norwegian self-owning foundation established in 2015 that distributes charitable grants across the Hedmark region, funded primarily by dividends from its 44.46% stake in SpareBank 1 Østlandet and returns on its investment portfolio.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Charitable Foundation Grant-Making

NAICS

Grantmaking and Giving Services (81321), Other Grantmaking and Giving Services (813219)

SIC

Finance Services (6199)

akta.pro primary industry

Education Grantmaking Foundations (BPAGAKAK)

Keywords

• Savings bank foundation
• Community grant programs
• Educational scholarships
• Charitable foundation grants
• Regional development funding

Headquarters

HQ city

Hamar

HQ country

Norway

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D

Revenue model

1. Dividend Income from SpareBank 1 Østlandet: The foundation generates revenue primarily through dividends received from its 44.46% ownership stake in SpareBank 1 Østlandet. As the largest owner of equity certificates in the bank, the foundation receives regular dividend distributions which form the basis for its charitable grant-making activities.
2. Investment Returns on Capital Portfolio: Returns from the foundation's investment portfolio including global equity funds (2.68 billion NOK) and Norwegian bonds (1.27 billion NOK). The portfolio generated 32.2% returns on the global equity portion in 2025 and 4.86% on the fixed income portion.

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

Sparebankstiftelsen Hedmark is a Norwegian self-owning foundation established in 2015 from Sparebanken Hedmark that distributes grants and charitable funding to organizations and individuals in the Hedmark region. Its grant-making capacity is funded by dividends from its 44.46% equity stake in SpareBank 1 Østlandet and returns on a diversified investment portfolio. It operates grant programs covering broad community gifts, research and education, study abroad scholarships, and runs Innlandet Science Park and the First Seed (Såkornfondet) early-stage investment fund.

Product overview

Sparebankstiftelsen Hedmark is a foundation that manages wealth accumulated through nearly 180 years of banking operations. The foundation operates as a unified grant-making organization with interconnected programs: a digital grant application portal for managing all funding requests, grant programs covering broad community gifts, research and education initiatives, and study abroad scholarships. Major strategic initiatives include Innlandet Science Park with campuses in Hamar, Kongsvinger, and Elverum, and Såkornfondet First Seed for startup investment. The foundation's technology infrastructure includes a web-based application system (søknadsportal) for processing grant applications and an eierskap og kapitalforvaltning system for managing its ownership stake in SpareBank 1 Østlandet and capital reserves.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Innlandet Science Park: A science park initiative established by the foundation to create regional growth and innovation, with campuses in Hamar, Kongsvinger, and Elverum.
• First Seed (Såkornfondet)
• Hele laget

Products and services

• Breddegaver (Broad Grants) Grant program supporting sports, outdoor activities, cultural heritage, and community initiatives across the Hedmark region. Aimed at local sports clubs, volunteer organizations, cultural groups, and community projects.
• Forskning og utdanning (Research and Education Grants) Grant program supporting research initiatives and higher education in the Hedmark region. Targeted at universities, colleges, and research institutions, including prior support for Høgskolen i Innlandet achieving university status.
• Stipend for utenlandsstudier (Study Abroad Scholarship) Scholarship program for students from the Hedmark region pursuing education abroad. Targeted at individual students applying through the foundation's online application portal.

Quantifiable outcome

• Nearly 200 million kroner provided to support Høgskolen i Innlandet achieving university status
• +3 more outcomes

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles6 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Ten partnerships are on record, tiered major, core and minor.

• StrawberrymajorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 18 March 2026Partnership to establish a Quality Hotel with 202 rooms as part of Innlandet Science Park in Hamar, scheduled to open first half of 2029. The foundation initiated the Science Park project.
• Bane NOR Eiendom ASmajorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 18 March 2026Development partner behind Hamar Science Park AS, the property company developing the Science Park area near Hamar station. Partner in the Quality Hotel project.
• NTNUcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 16 February 2026Partnership to establish a new research center (SAFE - Secure Anti-Fraud Excellence Center) with locations in Hamar and Gjøvik. The foundation contributes 25 million NOK to research on digital fraud prevention and cybersecurity.
• Talent NorgemajorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2025Collaboration on talent development programs including Glød/Pianoforte for young musicians, Filmtalent Innlandet for film production, Ungdomssymfonikerne for orchestral musicians, and Produsentløftet TI Ung for theater producers. The foundation provides 7.72 million NOK in 2025 for 2025-2027 programs.
• Handelens MiljøfondminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2025Environmental partnership for the Plastdugnaden (plastic cleanup campaign) where the foundation provides 500 NOK per participating child/young person aged 6-19 for cleanup activities in local communities.
• Fortidsminneforeningen (National Trust of Norway)majorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2023Joint initiative 'Kulturarv Hedmark' supporting preservation of cultural heritage properties. The foundation contributes 14.8 million NOK over three years for property restoration and traditional crafts training.
• Stiftelsen Innlandet Science ParkcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2022The foundation initiated and funds Innlandet Science Park, established as a foundation in Spring 2022 with campuses planned in Hamar, Kongsvinger, and Elverum. The ambition is to foster new growth companies, strengthen established businesses, and contribute to a competitive university.
• SpareBank 1 ØstlandetcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe foundation is the largest owner of equity certificates (44.46%) in SpareBank 1 Østlandet, holding a strategic ownership position built from 180 years of banking operations. The foundation contributes to the bank's development and ensures significant values are returned to Hedmark's communities. The foundation also provides capital support if needed and works to maintain the bank's headquarters in Hedmark.
• Innlandet County MunicipalitymajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaboration on Dagsturhytta (daytrip cabins) project where the foundation and Sparebankstiftelsen DNB contributed 14.3 million NOK, with additional support from the county municipality.
• Sparebankstiftelsen DNBminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCo-funder of the Dagsturhytta project, contributing alongside Sparebankstiftelsen Hedmark to expand daytrip cabin infrastructure across Innlandet.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Sparebankstiftelsen DNB: Norway's largest savings bank foundation, originating from DNB. Shares the same sparebankstiftelse structure, equity certificate ownership model, and grantmaking mandate — making it the closest structural and operational peer.
• Sparebankstiftelsen Sparebanken Vest: Sparebanken Vest's foundation distributes grants in Western Norway using the same equity-certificate-backed dividend model. Direct structural peer operating in a different Norwegian region.
• Sparebankstiftelsen SR-Bank: The savings bank foundation of SpareBank 1 SR-Bank on Norway's west coast. Same legal structure, ownership stake, and grantmaking model; directly comparable governance and revenue mechanics.
• Sparebankstiftelsen Telemark: Telemark-region savings bank foundation with the same equity certificate ownership model and regional grantmaking mandate. Highly comparable in scale and structure.
• Sparebankstiftelsen Nord-Norge: Northern Norway savings bank foundation owning equity certificates in SpareBank 1 Nord-Norge. Operates the same hybrid model of bank ownership and regional grantmaking.
• Sparebankstiftelsen Sogn og Fjordane: Western Norwegian savings bank foundation with identical equity certificate ownership structure and regional grantmaking focus. Directly comparable at the operating model level.
• Stiftelsen Sparebanken Nordvest: Sparebanken Nordvest's foundation in Møre og Romsdal. Same structural archetype — savings bank foundation owning equity certificates and distributing regional grants.

Broad incumbents

• Talent Norge: National talent development organization that is a direct funding partner of Sparebankstiftelsen Hedmark (7.72M NOK, 2025-2027). Comparable as a grantmaking entity operating in adjacent cultural/talent niches.
• Fortidsminneforeningen: National Trust of Norway; a major Kulturarv Hedmark co-funder (14.8M NOK from the foundation). Comparable as a large-scale Norwegian nonprofit/heritage organization receiving and deploying philanthropic capital.

Regional players

• Sparebankstiftelsen BV: Sparebanken Vest's foundation serving Vestland county. Same ownership-based foundation model but focused on a different Norwegian region, making it a structural rather than geographic peer.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xtwitter.com/forhedmark
• Facebookfacebook.com/sparebankstiftelsenhedmark
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/24284798
• Instagraminstagram.com/forhedmark

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

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 Sparebankstiftelsen Hedmark