From Erasmus+ opportunities to #BeActive awards: European funding for sports and our tips for sports organizations<\/p>\n
The European Union recognizes the fundamental role of sport in promoting health, civic participation, European values, education, and social inclusion. This approach is at the heart of key documents such as the 2007 White Paper on Sport<\/a>, which identifies strategic objectives for the sector, and the fifth EU Work Plan for Sport<\/a> (2024\u20132027), which outlines priorities and activities for the reference period, complementing and supporting national policies. <\/p>\n \u201cRivincite\u201d<\/a> and \u201cCrescere in Europa\u201d<\/a> are two \u201cdocuseries\u201d dedicated to the theme of sports, which have told the stories of people, initiatives, and organizations that\u2014through sports and European funding\u2014have fostered social cohesion and inclusion. The collaboration between these projects and our Guide has resulted in a series of \u201cshort videos\u201d on European project planning<\/a>. <\/p>\n On the European Commission\u2019s website<\/a> dedicated to sports, you can find information on funding opportunities<\/a>, European policy<\/a> for the sector, and the various initiatives<\/a> promoted by the EU in this area. Let\u2019s explore them together. <\/p>\n Sports: The Erasmus+<\/a> program is the cornerstone of EU funding for sports<\/a>. The program supports the mobility of sports professionals and cooperation among sports organizations. <\/p>\n Under Key Action 1, the sub-action\u201cStaff Mobility in the Field of Sport\u201d<\/strong>provides funding for the mobility of staff from sports organizations to strengthen their skills. The sub-action is primarily aimed at organizations active in the grassroots and non-professional sports sectors. <\/p>\n Key Action 2 includes the following:<\/p>\n A distinctive feature of Erasmus+ calls for proposals in the field of sports is that they are centralized: applications should not be submitted to the relevant National Agency, but directly to the Education, Audiovisual, and Culture Executive Agency (EACEA). This means that different application forms must be used, and applications must be submitted via the European platform<\/a>. <\/p>\n Opportunities vary from year to year. We recommend consulting the Erasmus+ Program Guide<\/a> to check the identified priorities and available opportunities for the current year. <\/p>\n In addition to calls for proposals, the EU promotes awareness-raising initiatives. The main one is the European Week of Sport<\/a> (EWOS), an initiative launched by the European Commission in 2015, which takes place every year during the last week of September in all member countries to encourage citizens to be active. On the website, you can view the events scheduled<\/a> for each edition via a map that links to the event websites for each country. <\/p>\n Here you can find a comprehensive calendar of events of European significance<\/a> across various sectors.<\/p>\n Under the #BeActive banner, starting in 2022, the European Commission will also present the #BeActive Awards<\/a> and #BeInclusive<\/a> Awards, designed to highlight projects and organizations that have excelled in promoting sports as a tool for inclusion and social participation.<\/p>\n The awards are presented in five categories: physical activity<\/a>, inclusion<\/a>, volunteerism<\/a>, intergenerational activities<\/a>, and peace<\/a>. Of the 15 finalists, the five winners (one per category) are announced during the awards ceremony in Brussels, which is streamed live. <\/p>\n We recently announced<\/a> the release of the new #BeActive calls for proposals<\/a>, which are due in September.<\/p>\n Sports projects and activities are also funded at the national and regional levels through structural funds<\/a>: <\/p>\n Opportunities can be tracked through the Guida’s Call for Proposals Portal<\/a>, the websites of the regions, and the Department of Sports’<\/a> website.<\/p>\n If you are a sports organization or an entity active in the sports sector, here are some tips for identifying and preparing for European calls for proposals:<\/p>\nThe Erasmus+ Program<\/h2>\n
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European Week of Sport and the #BeActive Awards<\/h2>\n
The Structural Funds<\/h2>\n
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Practical Tips for Sports Organizations<\/h2>\n
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