Community support

DesignMarch 

In 2023, Landsbankinn became a sponsor of DesignMarch to enhance our support for innovation and the arts even further. We participated in various ways, such as by hosting events at our new headquarters at Reykjastræti. Before the festival began, we visited eight designers and created videos to that give an insight into their work. 

Reykjavík Pride 

We support the campaign for LGBTQIA+ rights and Landsbankinn has been a proud sponsor of Reykjavík Pride since its inception. This year, fifteen entries receive grants from the Pride Parade Fund of Reykjavík Pride and Landsbankinn which provides financial support to individuals and smaller groups who participate in the Pride Parade. 

Reykjavík Culture Night 

We have been an active participant in Reykjavík Cultural Night from the beginning and sponsor the festival. We have focused on ensuring that financial support directly benefits artists and groups organising events for Reykjavík Cultural Night. Our Reykjavík Culture Night Fund, a collaboration with Höfuðborgarstofa, supports original and special ideas. In 2023, 22 exciting projects received grants from the Culture Night Fund of Landsbankinn and Reykjavík. 

The Árni Magnússon Institute 

We support the project “In the footsteps of Árni Magnússon in the New World”. The project sets out to record manuscripts in public and private collections in both Canada and the US in a database on the website handrit.is. The database ensures scholarly access to information about Icelandic manuscripts in the New World and provides new options to undertake comparative studies. 

Aldrei fór ég suður festival 

Landsbankinn is one of the main sponsors of rock festival Aldrei fór ég suður, held in Ísafjörður around Easter. Landsbankinn has supported the festival since 2010 as part of our efforts to actively foster the grassroots music scene in Iceland. 

Among the articles we published in 2023, “What does it cost to take short-term loans and spread payments?”, “Higher debt service - what are my options?” and “Inflation, inflation, inflation - some key facts”. 

Financial instruction 

We are happy to participate in financial education and in promoting financial literacy. We focus on financial instruction at upper secondary school level, with the aim of boosting students’ financial literacy. This instruction is available to all upper secondary schools and is carried out in collaboration with the schools' representatives. 

We are also an active participant in the project Fjármálavit, which is educational material in financial literacy for older elementary school students. The project is under the auspices of the Icelandic Financial Services Association and the National Association of Pension Funds in collaboration with members. 

Gulleggið innovation competition 

We sponsor Gulleggið, an annual innovation competition hosted by Klak. The key goal of the competition is to create a platform for entrepreneurs to practice and gain experience of shaping new business ideas and operating a company. As part of the competition, participants are offered courses, advice and specialist assistance with everything from shaping a business idea to budgeting to communication with investors. 

Future Programmers 

The Future Programmers Fund is social initiative to promote and increase interest in programming and effective use of equipment in domestic schools. The Fund provides financial support for schools to provide teachers with programming and technical education, for the purchase of smaller equipment for teaching purposes and donates used computer hardware. Landsbankinn is one of the Fund's patrons. 

Skólahreysti - Fit for School 

We are the main sponsor of Skólahreysti, a sports tournament for elementary schools, and an active supporter of the competition. The aim of Skólahreysti is to encourage kids to participate in a comprehensive sports experience based on the tenets of physical education. The competition was held for the 19th time in 2023. We got to see four new national records and in the end, Heiðarskóli emerged victorious after exciting finals in Laugardalshöll. 

Chess tournament Friðriksmót 

The country’s strongest rapid chess tournament, Landsbankinn’s Friðriksmót – the Icelandic rapid chess tournament – was held at the Bank’s headquarters at Reykjastræti in December. This was the 20th Friðriksmót jointly organised by Landsbankinn and the Icelandic Chess Federation in honour of Friðrik Ólafsson, Iceland’s first Grandmaster. 

Football Association of Iceland 

We sponsor the Football Association of Iceland (KSÍ). Landsbankinn provides financial support for development of Icelandic football country-wide, for all youth national teams and the A-level men's and women's teams. 

In recent years, Landsbankinn and KSÍ have presented a new award to players in the junior leagues throughout Iceland, the Politeness Prize. This prize is intended to encourage honourable conduct and decorum in players and others involved in matches. 

Icelandic Student Services and the University of Iceland Student Council 

We have collaborated successfully with both Félagsstofnun stúdenta and the University of Iceland Student Council. Together, we have worked on various initiatives and hosted joint events.

Svanni - Women's Loan Guarantee Fund 

We support Svanni - Women's Loan Guarantee Fund. Svanni issues guaranteed loans to companies that are majority-owned by women. The purpose of the Fund is to boost industry and encourage innovation. Svanni has for many years partnered with Landsbankinn as a credit institution.  

Háskólasjóður Eimskipafélagsins fund 

The Board of Directors of Eimskip University Fund awarded ISK 127.5 million in grants to PhD students at the University of Iceland in 2023. The Fund is managed by Landsbankinn. It was created in memory of Icelanders who emigrated to the USA and Canada and aims to support research students at the University of Iceland. While the Board of the Fund determines the amount for allocation each year, grant allocation is coordinated by the Board of Directors of the University of Iceland Research Fund. Since regular allocations from the Fund began in 2006, total allocation amounts to ISK 1.6 billion, ISK 500 million thereof allocated to the construction of Háskólatorg in 2006 and 2007.

Cluster initiative in tourism 

We have participated in a tourism cluster initiative since the project was launched in 2012. Key companies in the travel industry, public entities and companies in tourism support branches or collaborative sectors all join forces in the cluster. Its key goal is to boost competitiveness and value-creation in the travel sector. 

The Fintech Cluster 

We are one of the founding members of the Fintech Cluster, alongside 62 other companies, universities, organisations and other entities. The aim of the Fintech Cluster is to promote innovation in finance and work to improve and facilitate business transactions of all kinds. 

Ljónshjarta 

As in previous years, Landsbankinn has made a donation to a good cause in the name of all Exceptional Companies recognised by Creditinfo. This year, the donation of ISK 4 million, goes to Ljónshjarta. 

Action against cybercrime

We have actively shared information and educated the public about cybersecurity for several years. In 2023, we wrote articles and hosted six popular seminars on cyber security, including in collaboration with the Senior Citizens’ Society of Akureyri, the Icelandic Organization of the Visually Impaired and Búmenn housing co-operative. We also hosted a well-attended seminar about cybersecurity for corporates.

Umræðan in English - the Forum

Landsbankinn’s content and news site is now also available in English as the Forum. Sharing information is one of the best ways to promote financial health and cybersecurity, and we have been an active contributed in that field. By offering accessible material in several languages, we also promote inclusion, embrace diversity and increase awareness about financial matters.