City-wide

The Culture Committee will decide on the recipients of Stockholm City's cultural scholarship for 2026. The Culture Administration proposes 20 artists from various fields such as visual arts, music, and literature, all of whom have contributed to the city's cultural life. Each scholarship recipient will be awarded 40,000 kronor.

The Culture Committee is set to review proposals for eight individuals who will receive the City of Stockholm's Adult Education Scholarship for 2026. This scholarship, totaling 10,000 SEK per recipient, is awarded to those who have made significant contributions to adult education in Stockholm during the past year, with study associations nominating candidates to the Culture Administration.

The City Planning and Cultural Administrations propose new guidelines for managing Stockholm's particularly valuable buildings, public spaces, and built environments. This is due to stricter requirements introduced by amendments to the Planning and Building Act (PBL) effective December 1, 2025, even as general permit requirements decrease. These guidelines will serve as a temporary solution until Stockholm's new comprehensive plan is adopted and the city's cultural-historical classification map is complete, aiming to improve predictability for property owners and the city alike.

The Culture Committee is set to approve the City Archives' 2027 budget proposal and 2028-2029 plan, which includes strategic priorities such as improving digital accessibility, modernizing search interfaces, developing physical locations, and leveraging AI for information management. The Archives also plan to seek external funding and optimize resource use to address rising costs and competency needs, particularly in digitalization and security protection.

The Culture Administration has prepared a basis for the 2027 budget and planning for 2028-2029. They highlight challenges such as deteriorating economic conditions for cultural life, unequal access to culture for residents, and new demands from digitalization. To address this, strategic priorities are proposed, including strengthening cultural infrastructure, promoting equal access to culture, developing digital services, and undertaking major premises projects like renovating the City Library and a new Medieval Museum.

The City Council will review minutes from the Disability Issues Council. The Council discussed accessibility and visitor experience at the Stockholm City Museum for people with disabilities, emphasizing personal service, clear signage, and screen reader-compatible digital information. They also highlighted difficulties in booking wheelchair spaces at Kulturhuset Stadsteatern.

The Culture Committee will be informed of several delegated decisions made by officials. These include the procurement of art project managers and exhibition services for Liljevalchs art gallery, and grants of up to SEK 200,000 for various cultural and artistic activities. The City Museum has also responded to referrals concerning building permits and detailed plans, such as for the Nobel Center, a public sauna in Smedslätten, and solar energy installations.

This matter includes information from the Swedish National Council of Adult Education regarding new tools and guidelines for adult education associations. Notably, a new model is presented for how municipalities can allocate grants to these associations based on quality rather than quantity. Additionally, democratic conditions will be introduced for state grants to adult education, requiring associations to meet specific criteria to receive funding.

The Labour Market Committee is set to approve its March 2026 monthly report, which indicates higher-than-budgeted revenues from the National Agency for Education and the Migration Agency, prompting a request for budget adjustment. Concurrently, unemployment in Stockholm has slightly decreased, as has the number of adults receiving financial assistance due to unemployment.

The Labor Market Administration is to comment on the report "Principals in Focus (SOU 2026:4)," which aims to strengthen principals' pedagogical leadership and reduce staff turnover. The Administration largely agrees with the proposals but advises against defining principals' pedagogical leadership in the Education Act and introducing new, stricter eligibility requirements for principals. Instead, the Administration proposes that the National Agency for Education be tasked with developing support materials and recommendations.

The Labour Market Administration is to submit an opinion on proposed new guidelines for financial assistance in Stockholm. The administration proposes, among other things, clarifications regarding Swedish for Immigrants (sfi) studies and emphasizing the shared responsibility between district councils and the Labour Market Committee in supporting individuals towards self-sufficiency. They also request clarification on financial assistance for young people aged 18 to 21 without financially responsible parents.

The City Executive Board proposes that all municipal administrations in Stockholm switch to digital personnel files to improve handling of employee documents, scanning old paper files for a unified digital record per employee. The Labour Market Administration supports the proposal but seeks a clearer plan for cost distribution among administrations, given the varying number of files.

The Labour Market Administration has reviewed the proposed "Program for Events" from the City Executive Board. While welcoming the program, the administration suggests the city more clearly promote itself as an inclusive employer and strengthen its environmental and climate perspectives. They also emphasize the importance of collaboration on labour market initiatives and adult education related to events, given the many job opportunities within the visitor industry.

The Labor Market Committee is to comment on the City Executive Board's proposed Action Plan for a Gender Equal Stockholm 2030, which aims to ensure equal rights and opportunities for all Stockholmers regardless of gender. The Labor Market Administration supports the plan but suggests expanding educational equality goals to include adult education, strengthening school staff's responsibility in cases of vulnerability, and having Jobbtorg Stockholm actively work to reduce gender segregation in the labor market. The administration also wants the plan to include sub-targets on unpaid home and care work, and on ending men's violence against women and honor-related violence.

The Center Party and Liberals inquired about introducing "SAO jobs" in Stockholm, offering paid employment to 8th graders instead of traditional work experience (PRAO). The Labour Market Administration finds SAO jobs interesting for certain groups and potentially complementary to efforts for at-risk youth, but believes they fall under the Education Administration as a PRAO development. They suggest awaiting results from an ongoing pilot program by the Education Administration and Stockholm Business Region.

The Labour Market Administration proposes that the Labour Market Committee approve the Labour Market Report for 2025. This report details the state of Stockholm's labour market, its development, and an analysis of the city's initiatives, particularly focusing on groups distant from the job market. It notes that unemployment and youth unemployment in Stockholm stabilized during 2025, with an overall unemployment rate of 7.1 percent in December, and over 11,700 young people in summer jobs.

The Labour Market Committee is to approve a budget document for 2027, with a focus for 2028 and 2029. This document outlines the committee's strategic plans, including how to manage new social services laws and activity requirements for social assistance, and how adult education will be adapted to better meet the job market's needs and residents' circumstances in Stockholm.

The Head of Administration will inform the Municipal Council about the conditions for gymnastics in the City of Stockholm. This will be addressed under the heading "Conditions for gymnastics in the City of Stockholm".

Hanna Wistrand (L) and Mikael Peterson (C) questioned the Sports Committee on the state of e-sports in Stockholm, inquiring about available support and facilities, and the city's handling of the Tax Agency's definition of sport affecting e-sports clubs. The Sports Administration replied that e-sports clubs can apply for the same financial support and book facilities as other child and youth associations, but there are no facilities specifically adapted for e-sports currently. Furthermore, the administration stated that the Tax Agency's interpretation of the sports concept must be handled by the Swedish Sports Confederation and e-sports federations themselves, not by the municipality.

The Sports Committee will approve a statement in response to the City Executive Board's referral regarding the city's event program. This new program, replacing the 2015 version, will clarify Stockholm's ambition to be a vibrant and sustainable event city. The goal is for events to create value for residents and attract organizers, focusing on enhancing the city's attractiveness, growth, and community.