Start an association

Who can start an association?

More than 450 associations are registered with SiO. It is therefore smart to check in the association overview whether there is a similar association from before.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.Rules for starting an association at UiO (only in Norwegian)Rules for starting an association at OsloMet (only in Norwegian)It is also possible to start an association that belongs to a student village (for example Sogn, Bjølsen or Kringsjå). Then you must follow the Regulations for student associations in SiO's student villages.And finally, if the association is not to be run at UiO, OsloMet or a student village, the association must follow the Welfare Council's regulations for student associations.

Make a last check

It is smart to think twice before starting an association. Take a minute with your colleagues and answer these questions:

• Do you want the group to be a democracy where the members together decide the group's direction?
• Do you want the group to continue to exist even after you have finished studying?
• Do you want the group to apply for and earn money to make the activities even better?
• Are you prepared for board meetings, general meetings and other formalities that are necessary for the group to be an association?

Make an unformal start-up group

Start by putting together a start-up group of 3-6 people. This group should make plans and 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:

• Determine the association's name
• Determine the purpose of the association
• Write the association's articles of association
• Invite to foundation meeting
• Find board members for the association (often several of the members from the start-up group)
• Possibly set up a budget for the first semester/year

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

Create the Statues for your association

The statutes are the fundamental rules of the association and specify how the association should operate, what the purpose of the association is, how general meetings are conducted, who can become members, how the board is elected, members' rights, financial and legal matters, and how the association can be dissolved.

We have created sample statutes that can be used when you are writing the association's statutes. We have also provided explanations for the different parts of the statutes.

Here are the sample statutes with explanations

Here are the same sample statutes without explanations

It is important that the statues are written in Norwegian, especially for registering in Brønnøydsundregisterene. But we have translated them so that you can get some help getting there. You can translate them to norwegian by using ChatGPT or another translating tool. 

Please note that the sample statutes were amended in December 2019. If you have already created statutes based on the old ones, that's perfectly fine.

Arrange a foundation meeting

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

• What should the association focus on?
• Who should it be for?
• What laws (statutes) must the association have?

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 also elects the association's board, and any activity plans and budget for the coming period. A minimum for establishing the association is that articles of association have been determined and a board has been elected.

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.

Example of proceedings for a foundation meeting (only in Norwegian)Example of minutes from the foundation meeting (only in Norwegian)

Tips for the start-up meeting

Premises

As you do not yet have the opportunity to book a room at the place of learning, the foundation meeting can be held in a public place, for example a cafe. If you expect many people to come, you can ask one of the student pubs if you can hold the foundation meeting there.

Summons

Call the foundation meeting well in advance, and use the channels you have available. You can, for example, invite on Facebook, via Canvas or speak in a relevant lecture.

Moderator

It can be nice to have an outside person to fill this task. In this way, the chairman will not interfere in matters that are taken up for debate or be subjective in elections. Who will be the chairman should be clear well in advance of the meeting.

Referent

It is important that the founding meeting is properly documented, both for the history of the association, but also because these are papers you must submit to various agencies. It can be useful to have a minutes template lying around (see the document above), so that it is done right away.

Protocol signatories

Persons to sign the minutes do not need to be prepared in advance, but can be chosen at the meeting itself. They must read through the minutes and sign that what is written agrees with what happened at the meeting.

Counting Comitee

If there is an election of new board members and more than one candidate for the position(s), a counting comitee must be chosen by the assembly. This comitee organizes the counting in open elections, and distribution, collection and counting of ballots in secret elections. In the case of a secret election, it is sufficient to say who got the most votes, not how many votes each got.

Alcohol serving

It is recommended to keep the discussions and elections sober, and preferably wait to serve alcohol until after the meeting. Speakers and those who present the various cases should of course be sober.

Register the association in SiO's association overview

When the association has been formally started and the articles of association are in place, it is time to register the association.

Register the association

Log in to My page and look in the My page menu after the heading Associations. Under Associations you will find the link Create an association. You must then fill in the form for registering the association. The form will at all times check and validate what you enter. 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

Also remember to upload the association's articles of association. It is important that either through the articles of association or through the description of the association it is made clear which educational institution the association belongs to.If the association is at UiO or OsloMet, it is important that you familiarize yourself with the institution's regulations for student associations. There are certain requirements from the educational institution that must be met. You will find these regulations under "Who can start an association".

So glad you're still hanging in there! You are almost done. Remember that you can contact us if you are stuck.

Register the association in the Brønnøysund Register

To register the association in Brønnøysundregisteret is important to get an organization number. You will need this in order to open 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.Please take a look at SiOs own guidance for associations (only in Norwegian) that must register in the Brønnøysund register.

Apply for financial support

When the association is registered on My Association, you can apply for funds from the Welfare Council's Cultural Board. You send the application from your profile on My Associations.The cultural board is often extra easy with new associations, so it is a good idea to state that you have just started up, and what expenses are related to the start-up.You must upload documentation for the application. The first time you apply, you must deliver at least:

• Letter of application
• Plan for period/project
• Budget for period/project
• Any overview of equity

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

Consider other sources of income

Feel free to look at the overview of other sources of income for student associations, and discuss in the board how you can possibly improve the association's finances.

Help with the application

We have separate counseling sessions for those who are applying for 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 particularly advisable to have a guidance session.Contact us to arrange an appointment.