EU funds for sport-related projects

Article written by Lynn Spiteri, Manager at SEM

Published in The Malta Independent

Sport is not only beneficial for physical and mental health but also has an important social element. It brings people together in the voluntary sector within sport clubs, federations and other organisations. Sport can also be a tool for social inclusion, gender equality, the acquisition of soft skills and the promotion of community well-being. For athletes, it is an important career path aside from being a hobby or passion.

The EU’s support for sport is aimed to build community cohesion and social inclusion and leads to an enhanced sense of European identity. Through Erasmus+, the EU’s main funding programme for sport, the EU promotes participation in sport, physical and voluntary activities.

Servizzi Ewropej f’Malta (SEM) is committed to provide information about EU funding opportunities including matching project ideas with relevant EU funding opportunities and providing advice on how project ideas can be better tailored to such funding streams to be competitive for funding.

For non-profit entities seeking EU funding for their projects, SEM assists with the application process as well as at project implementation stage. SEM assisted the Għajnsielem Redcoats to become the first local sport club to benefit from Erasmus+ funding under the Small Collaborative Partnerships funding strand. Their project, ‘Inclusion & Gender Equality Through Softball’ (IGETS), involved two foreign softball clubs - Olympia Haarlem from the Netherlands and SK Princ Zagreb from Croatia. The IGETS project promoted gender equality in sport, improving the capacity of the participating organisations in softball coaching as well as encouraging youths to take up softball. As part of the project, a final conference was organised to present a document outlining project results to the European Softball Federation. This was intended for further dissemination to all European softball associations affiliated with it and to promote a multiplier effect from the project.

Different organisations within the field of sport and physical activity are eligible to benefit from different funding opportunities in the field of sport. The Malta College of Arts, Science & Technology (MCAST) benefitted from SEM assistance to successfully receive Erasmus+ funding to start developing educational content for sports coaches. This project is being implemented in partnership with three other higher education institutions from Denmark, Iceland and Turkey and the International Council for Coaching Excellence based in the United Kingdom.

During the project, the developed educational content will be piloted with a group of international students. Comparative research on sports talent development in Malta, Iceland, Denmark and Turkey will be undertaken to highlight best practices and share them outside the project partnership. The project partners are also committed to sharing the project results outside the group of participating organisations, including through events to be organised across all participating countries.

SEM expertise in the field of EU funding is invaluable for organisations wishing to identify relevant funding opportunities for their projects. For instance, although Erasmus+ is the main EU funding programme for sport, other EU funding opportunities can be relevant to sport organisations. The LEADER programme is intended to promote rural development including the preservation of local cultural identity. In this context, the role of local voluntary organisations in keeping local cultural and social traditions alive is recognised, including in the field of sport.

Żejtun Corinthians F.C. received assistance from SEM to successfully acquire funding through the LEADER programme to purchase furniture and other items that enable them to turn the hall of their club into a living space, including a dormitory. This project allows the club to host foreign delegations in projects with other sport organisations and will also benefit the local community, such as the adjacent school, which also makes use of this space.

For further information about EU funding opportunities in the fields of sport and physical activity, including how SEM can assist you to benefit from EU funds, please contact SEM on 2200 3300 or info.sem@gov.mt.