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The EC and the EACEA organized a day-long information seminar on Erasmus+ projects in the field of sport.

The information seminar was held online and in person in Brussels on Tuesday, January 30, and presented all the possibilities that the Erasmus+ program offers in the field of sport. The opening part was attended by the European Commissioner for Innovation, Research, Culture, Education and Youth, Illiana Ivanova, who emphasized the important and positive role of sport, informed the participants about the upcoming update of the EU Work Plan for Sport, which should be published in June, and highlighted, that in the 2024 call, a total of EUR 75 million is allocated to projects and initiatives in the field of sport.

Pierre-Yves Jeholet, Ministre-Président de la Fédération Wallonie-Bruxelles, presented the priorities in the field of sport under the Belgian Presidency of the Council of the EU, which focus on the promotion of quality, an inclusive approach and cooperation. The priorities also include a focus on supporting physical activities, a healthy lifestyle, well-being, volunteering and active citizenship through sports. Several meetings and conferences are planned until June, at which the topic of sports will be further discussed.

Partnerships and centralized activities in the field of sport

This introduction followed by a presentation of different types of the centralized projects that can be applied for. Small-scale partnerships in the field of sport are mainly intended for smaller and inexperienced organizations, in case of interest in larger projects, it is possible to apply for a Cooperative Partnership in the field of sport. Those interested in cooperation with non-European countries should not miss the opportunity to apply to the Capacity building in the field of sport projects, which enable cooperation with countries in Region 1 (Western Balkans) or 2 (Eastern Neighbourhood). Last but not least, it is possible to apply for a grant for the implementation of a specific sports event within the Non-Profit European Sports Events. Each of the given types of projects has its own set priorities and topics, which applicants must respect and choose from among them those on which their project will focus. The deadline for submitting applications for all types of projects is 5 March at 5:00 p.m.

During the seminar, the main novelties compared to the 2023 call were also presented, which concern, for example, specific rules on who can participate as a coordinator and as a partner of given types of projects. Specific information on the rules and conditions for each of the mentioned types of projects can be found in the recording of the infoday (in English), in the Erasmus+ Programme Guide (in English and Czech), on the DZS website (in Czech), or in the recording of the CZELO information webinar (in Czech).

Call 2024:

Small scale partnerships - allocated budget: 10 million, estimated number of approved projects: 170

Cooperative partnerships - allocated budget: 34.2 million, estimated number of approved projects: 110

Capacity building - allocated budget: 1.9 million, estimated number of approved projects: 10

Non-profit European sports events - allocated budget: 7 million, estimated number of approved projects: 20

In the next part of the seminar, through a panel discussion, representatives of already approved projects presented their activities. They shared their experience with the participants and gave tips on writing a high-quality project application. Most of the panelists agreed on the need to discuss the project well in advance with all partners, including the division of duties, activities and budget. According to them, it is also important to choose the priorities and topics that the project will focus on. Everyone also agreed that international projects and cooperation in the field of sport have a great added value and enable the involved organizations to create networks at national and European level, share new methods and procedures and jointly improve quality and inclusive approaches in sport. The second panel discussion then, again via presenting specific projects, focused on systemic changes and the support of relevant policies through sport (for example, gender equality or environmental sustainability in sport).

The afternoon part of the seminar included three parallel workshops focused on the technical aspects of applying. The first of them was intended primarily for newcomers and focused on introducing the FTOP portal and how to work with it. The second workshop focused on important information regarding the application form itself, tips and the most common mistakes made by applicants. The last workshop was dedicated to Capacity Building projects in the field of sport and introduced all participants to this specific activity.

Other opportunities and funding options

In addition to centralized activities, the seminar also presented other possibilities for obtaining funding and support for activities in the field of sport. These primarily include the Mobility of staff in the field of sport, which are projects managed by national agencies in each country (in the case of the Czech Republic, the DZS), that support mobilities of sport staff for their further professional development, for example, job-shadowing or coaching and training assignments.

The so-called Pilot projects and preparatory actions were also presented. In this case, it is no longer the Erasmus+ programme, but specific calls outside of this programme, which are approved annually by the European Parliament and which focus on the preparation and testing of future activities in the field of sport at the European level. In 2024, in the field of sport, one such call is expected to be announced (probably in the summer), with the focus on youth in the context of humanitarian crises caused by migration (Pilot project Emergency Youth). More detailed information will be published on our website immediately after the announcement of this call.

The last initiative presented were the awards that the European Commission annually announces in the field of sport. These are the #BeActive award, organized from 2022 for Erasmus+ projects and initiatives that successfully promote sport and physical activity across Europe. And the #BeInclusive award which has been awarded since 2017 and promotes projects that focus on the topic of inclusion in sport. In the case of both awards, a two-round evaluation takes place in the categories designated for the given year, the best three projects in each category then also receive a financial award. Both awards are usually published in the spring or summer of the given year, we will publish more detailed information after they are announced this year.

A recording of the entire information seminar, including all parallel workshops, is available on the EACEA website, where further details can also be found.