Grant awards from the Sólveig Fund

One of the priority projects of the Capital Region's Development Plan aims to encourage the involvement of the business community in innovation projects in the field of welfare and social affairs on the one hand, and the environment on the other.and transport, whilst also strengthening the collaboration between the business community and local authorities within both areas. On 12 December, grants from Sóley, the grant fund of the Association of Municipalities in the Capital Region, were awarded for innovation projects in the aforementioned fields. The allocation committee for projects in the field of environment and transport was composed of Jón Kjartan Ágústsson, nominated by SSH, Einar Olavi Mantyla, nominated by Auðna Technology Park, and Þorsteinn R. Hermannsson, nominated by Betri samgöngur ohf. The allocation committee for projects in the field of welfare and society was composed of Svanhildur Þengilsdóttir, nominated by SSH, Kolfinna Kristínardóttir, nominated by Klaki-Icelandic startups, and Steinunn Hrafnsdóttir, nominated by the Faculty of Social Sciences at the University of Iceland.

When assessing applications, the allocation committees took particular account of the following factors:

• Is the application in accordance with the requirements of the rules of procedure/notices?
• Is this about innovation?
• Does the project connect local authorities and the business community?
• Does the project align with the priorities of the development plan?

The following projects received a grant of 1,000,000 kr. each from the fund.

In the field of environment and transport:

• VSB Engineering's project: „Cycle Test in Primary Schools”: The project involves creating a theoretical and practical cycling test for children aged 10-12, with the aim of improving their skills and reducing the risk of accidents, with the long-term goal of increasing the modal share of cycling.
• EFLU engineering consultancy's project: „Smarter Public Transport“: The project involves analysing how to enhance the on-demand service of Strætó bs. Consideration will be given, for example, to whether and where it would be possible and sensible to introduce on-demand routes, and a survey of residents will be conducted to analyse this. The outcome of the project will be a report which it is expected will be useful to the local authorities in analysing how to best serve, for example, areas that are under development, and routes with low usage, such as outside peak hours.
• Project of Bambuhúsin ehf.: „A child who grows cabbage eats cabbage“: The grant will be used to establish a partnership with a bamboo importer to utilise bamboo, which are 1000-litre IBC tanks used for transporting liquid that would otherwise be discarded. The bamboo will then be used to produce greenhouses, which will be used, amongst other things, for environmental education in nurseries and primary schools. It is hoped that this spring a partnership will be established for the disposal of bamboo and for Bamboo Houses to subsidise nurseries.

In the field of welfare and society:

• Project of The Lost Girls Ltd: „Sara – a girl with ADHD“: We are applying for a grant to write and publish a children's book about a girl with ADHD, to increase understanding of ADHD and raise awareness of its different manifestations by gender.
• Project of Ofbeldisforvarnarskólans ehf: „Bark – A Preventive Film about Hate Speech“: The project involves the production of a short film about hate speech, which addresses xenophobia and gender-based violence. The aim is, among other things, to shed light on what leads to hate speech and to strengthen the self-esteem of young immigrants and LGBTQ+ teenagers.
• A project by Knattspyrnufélag Reykjavíkur, in partnership with the Community Centre at Aflagranda 40, to promote the health of older people: „Kraftur í KR“. This is a collaborative project between the Community Centre at Aflagranda and KR, focusing on physical activity for older people. The grant will be used to enhance the project's activities, to increase the variety of exercise and establish a walking group, and to support the leisure transport service, i.e., a coach that collects individuals from the neighbourhood and brings them to the venue.
• Project of the Media Commission and the Information and Media Literacy Network: „Information and Media Literacy Week“: The project involves developing education and training for teachers and youth workers to enhance the media literacy of the younger generation. This will include translations of foreign material and educational videos. The topics will include social media, news and fake news, hate and harassment, parents and safety.

Further information is provided by Páll Björgvin Guðmundsson, Managing Director of SSH, on 8218179.