Currently, a consortium led by the Centre for Strategy and Evaluation Services (CSES) is carrying out a study on how sport and physical activity can be supported under the EU’s Structural Funds is being carried out. DG Education and Culture of the European Commission launched the call in order to both provide a sound evidence base highlighting the value of investing in sport and physical activity (particularly on the basis of concrete cases previously supported under the Structural Funds), to help sport stakeholders to be better informed about the European Structural and Investment Funds and to develop proposals and projects in this area. The study will run until April 2016.

The consortium furthermore aims to provide assistance to stakeholders that want to develop more sport-based actions under the structural funds. There are therefore considerations to set up a network to support and implement proposals for sports-based action (the Sports Action Network) and to organise a stakeholder workshop before the end of the study period.

Currently, CSES is collecting examples of projects that have been funded in the past funding period. While also working with their own national networks, the consortium is actively looking for inputs from the sport sector. Such information on projects and the contribution of sport and related activities to economic and social development can be provided via the project’s website (see below).

FURTHER INFORMATION

Website of the Study on the Contribution of Sport to Regional Development