Start an association

Who can start an association?

If you are a small group of students, at least 4 people if you study at UiO, with a common interest or goal, you can in practice start an association. Start by agreeing on what the association will do, and what it will be called.

Different rules at the study locations

There are slightly different rules for registering student associations, depending on the place of study. We recommend that you start by checking the rules for the study center that applies to you.

It is also possible to start an association that belongs to a student town, for example Sogn, Bjølsen or Kringsjå. Then you follow the Regulations for student associations in SiO's student towns.

And finally, if the association is not to be run at UiO, OsloMet or a student town, the association must follow the Swedish Welfare Council's regulations for student associations. If you do not belong to UiO, OsloMet or Kristiania, it must be made clear that the association is for students studying in Oslo.

Where do you start?

Start by putting together a start-up group of 3-6 people. It is this group that plans and makes arrangements so that the association can be founded. It is a great advantage that some of the members from the start-up group are also on the board of the association.

The start-up group must do the following:

Spread the word that you are going to start an association. Talk to people, put up posters in places where potential members can see them and use social media. Remember to tell when and where you will hold the foundation meeting

Would you like to promote your foundation meeting on SiO's event calendar? Then you can contact us at eventkalender@sio.no - we will be happy to help you with that.

Draw up the association's articles of association

The statutes are the basic rules of the association, and state how the association is to be run. This should state the purpose of the association, who should be members, members' rights, financial and legal conditions and more.

We have created sample statutes that can be used when you write the association's statutes. Feel free to use these as a template when you draw up your own articles of association.

Here are the sample statutes (in norwegian)
Here are the sample statutes with explanations (in norwegian)

Remember to include notification routines, ethical guidelines and notification handling. It is mandatory to include sections on notification and sanctions in the articles of association. Everything you need from templates and information can be found here

Arrange for a foundation meeting

At the founding meeting, the purpose of the association is determined:

It is important that the start-up group agrees on the articles of association and purpose before they are presented to the participants at the founding meeting. However, new input and proposals at the founding meeting may lead to you having to make changes to the articles of association and purpose.

It is always those present at the founding meeting who finally decide on the association's articles of association. This is fundamentally important to ensure a good democratic process in the establishment of the association.

The foundation meeting elects:

Choose one person to write minutes of the meeting, and 2 people to sign the minutes. The protocol must be in place when the association is to be registered in the Brønnøysund Register and to obtain an organization number.

Register the association in the Brønnøysund Register

Registering the association in the Brønnøysund register is important in order to create an organization number, which enables you to set up a bank account for the association.Most student associations only need to register a minimum of information: Statutes, minutes from the last annual meeting and the name/birth number of all members of the board.

Register the association in SiO's association overview

When the association has been formally founded, it is time to register the association.

Register the association
Create a user on My page and select My Associations. On My associations you will find the Create association button. Fill in the form and submit it to register the association. If you do not fill in all the fields correctly, or if you forget to fill in all the required fields, you will be notified along the way.

Place of learning must be clearly stated
It is important that it is clear which educational institution the association belongs to in the statues. It is also important that you familiarize yourself with the regulations for student associations at your educational institution. There are some requirements from the educational institution that must be met. You can find these regulations further up on this page.

Apply for financial support

Once the association is registered, you can apply for funds from the Welfare Council's Cultural Board. You submit the application from your profile on Mine Foreninger. The Cultural Board is often extra helpful with new associations, so it is a good idea to find out what expenses are related to the start-up. You must upload documentation with the application. The first time you apply, you must at least submit:

Have these documents ready in .pdf format so you can upload them when you submit your application.

Consider other sources of income

Please take a look at the overview of other sources of income for student associations and discuss with the board how you can possibly improve the association's finances.

Help with the application
We have separate guidance sessions for those of you who are applying to the Welfare Council's Cultural Board or if you have questions about other sources of income. If you are applying for the first time, it is especially advisable to have a guidance session, contact us to arrange a time.
Book a guidance session with us or contact us at foreninger@sio.no