Luleå municipality, together with its 25 collaboration partners in the KOSA culture and community fund project, has been nominated in the Innovative Sponsorship category of the prestigious industry competition Gyllene Hjulet 2026. The Innovative Sponsorship category highlights ideas that challenge established working methods and show how sponsorship can be used in new ways to create value, engagement, and business benefits. Gyllene Hjulet is the industry competition for all those active in interest- and experience-based communication, celebrating companies and organizations that have used experiences and engagement in a creative and effective way to create results.
The KOSA culture and community fund is a unique model where companies invest in a fund that gives cultural actors the opportunity to apply for support for projects that contribute to a multifaceted and sustainable society. A total of 25 actors are currently involved in the KOSA project, including SSAB, LKAB, Tromb, cultural actors such as Konstnärsgruppen i Luleå, Dansinitiativet, BD Pop, Filmpool Nord, and Ebeneser, as well as Boden municipality and Kiruna municipality. The project is carried out with financial support from the Impact Innovation program Swedish Metals & Minerals, an initiative by the Energy Agency, Formas, and Vinnova, as well as Luleå municipality, the County Administrative Board, and Region Norrbotten.
The culture fund is financed by SSAB and LKAB. The nomination is a recognition for all collaboration partners, cultural actors, and community-engaged organizations that together with KOSA contribute to creating new opportunities and long-term effect. Municipal councilor Fredrik Hansson stated, 'The broad engagement behind KOSA is unique.
' Project manager Hanna Isaksson added, 'We are incredibly proud, it is proof that what we do together in Norrbotten works. ' The specific criteria or achievements that led to the nomination have not been disclosed, and the timeline for the Gyllene Hjulet 2026 competition, including when winners will be announced, remains unclear.