2025 European Sport Platform: Driving Innovation and Change in Grassroots Sport
The 8th edition of the European Sport Platform took place from 23-25 October 2025 in Barcelona, Spain, and was hosted by ENGSO’s associated member, the Catalan Sports Federations Union – UFEC.
Starting with the 3rd International Women in Sport Congress, which focused on women and diversity in sport, and followed by the CHANGE project conference under the theme ‘Empower & Evolve: Driving Innovation and Change in Grassroots Sport’, the event offered a valuable opportunity to connect with ENGSO members, National Olympic Committees, National Sports Organisations, and other key stakeholders. Together, participants explored the vital role of innovation and transformation in shaping the future of grassroots sport.
ENGSO President Stefan Bergh welcomed the guests, highlighting ENGSO’s important work in using sport as a tool to strengthen communities through advocacy, innovation, equality, and collaboration: “In our pursuit of a grassroots sport movement that strengthens communities, it is crucial to explore how grassroots sport organisations can operate more effectively, overcome challenges more efficiently, and remain ready and relevant for the future. I am pleased that, with the support of the CHANGE project partnerships and ENGSO member organisations, we are working towards making European grassroots sport organisations more inclusive, sustainable, and digitally equipped for the years ahead.”
Why CHANGE?
The 2025 European Sport Platform was dedicated to the CHANGE project which explored how grassroots sport organisations operate, the barriers they face, and their readiness for change. To address these challenges, the Erasmus+ CHANGE partnership — short for “Cooperation for Change Management and Innovation in Sports” — was launched back in 2022. Its goal was to support European grassroots sport organisations in becoming more inclusive, sustainable, and digitally equipped for the future.
The partnership brought together 11 organisations from 9 countries, along with a team of experts in digitalisation, inclusion, and sustainability. Together, they collaborated through research, workshops, and the development of educational resources which were now presented and discussed during the second day of the European Sport Platform 2025.
Moderated by Lovisa Broms, ENGSO Project Manager, the day began with a presentation of the research outcomes by Karin Book, Senior Lecturer in Sport Science at Malmö University, and continued with two panel discussions exploring how to implement meaningful change within sport organisations. The panels, moderated by Marisa Schlenker from SandSi, brought together a diverse group of experts, including Iva Glibo (researcher and sustainability expert), Geoff Kohe (researcher and inclusion expert), Johan R. Norberg (sport policy researcher), Tiago Guilherme (Managing Director, ENGSO Youth), Tarja Krum (inclusion expert, Safe Sport), Stéphane Schwander (digitalisation expert in equestrian sport), and Clara Lucia Tonnisen (sustainability expert).
The “CHANGE” part of the event concluded with a series of interactive workshops. The CHANGE project team guided participants through a “deck of cards” activity focused on three thematic tracks: sustainability, digitalization, and inclusion. ENGSO Youth led a workshop on Digitalization in Youth Sport, facilitated by Lira Galieva, Founder & CEO of PEAKSTERS. The session showcased how digital innovation can foster youth engagement, empower participation, and shape the future of sport through a human rights-based approach.
Change in sport policy: Reinforcing the European Sport model
ENGSO EU Advisory Committee Chair Theo Neyenhuis welcomed Sacha Beck, Policy Officer at the Sport Unit of the European Commission, who presented the EU Sport Policy and led a consultation on the upcoming Commission Communication titled “A Strategic Vision for Sport in Europe: Reinforcing the European Sport Model.”
During the session, participants had the opportunity to share their perspectives and actively contribute to the consultation process. Sacha Beck, Policy Officer at the European Commission’s Sport Unit, also shared her reflections: “It was a pleasure to participate in the 2025 European Sport Platform and experience such an engaging and collaborative environment firsthand. The opportunity to engage with the grassroots sport sector and hear directly about their specific challenges and possible solutions to consider was extremely valuable for informing the strategic vision being developed at EU level.
The final day of the 8th European Sport Platform concluded at the Juan Antonio Samaranch Olympic and Sports Museum with a session on innovation, team management, and the DAMA method, led by Humanzentric.
Stepping up for Equality: UFEC signs the Brighton plus Helsinki Declaration
The 2025 edition of the European Sport Platform began with the 3rd International Women in Sport Congress which brought together coaches, executives, lawyers, communicators, and investors to discuss women’s participation and diversity in sport.
UFEC officially signed the International Working Group (IWG) on Women in Sport’s Brighton plus Helsinki Declaration, reaffirming its commitment to promoting gender equity and equality in sport. The signing ceremony took place in the presence of Annamarie Phelps CBE OLY, Chair of the IWG Global Executive, and it was signed by Gerard Esteva, President of UFEC. He was joined by Maribel Zamora (UFEC Vice President), Isabel Pérez (UFEC Secretary General), and six members of UFEC’s Women’s Commission.
After the signature, Annamarie Phelps CBE OLY shared her impressions: “We are delighted to welcome the Unió de Federacions Esportives de Catalunya (UFEC) as a signatory to the Brighton Plus Helsinki Declaration. This is an important moment to bring their reach and influence across Catalonia to the cause of gender equality in sport. Their commitment to promoting inclusion and equality sets an inspiring example for the sporting community and beyond.”
ENGSO serves as the European representative within the International Working Group (IWG) on Women in Sport, with Tarja Krum, Chair of the ENGSO Equality Within Sport (EWS) Committee, acting as the IWG Europe representative on the IWG Global Executive.
Equipped to empower
On the occasion of the European Sport Platform, ENGSO Youth hosted “Equipped to Empower: A Blueprint for Human Rights Education through Sport” — an international activity funded by the Council of Europe through the European Youth Foundation.
The initiative aimed to develop a comprehensive strategy for promoting Human Rights Education (HRE) through sport. During the event, ENGSO Youth Managing Director Tiago Guilherme participated in the CHANGE panel, highlighting the importance of involving young people in sport governance to ensure meaningful and lasting progress. In addition, ENGSO Youth, in collaboration with Peaksters, led a workshop on digitalisation in youth sport, showcasing how digital innovation can enhance youth engagement, strengthen participation, and shape the future of sport through a human rights-based approach.
Looking ahead
On the occasion of the European Sport Platform, meetings of the ENGSO Executive Committee (ExCom), EWS, EUAC, the ENGSO Youth Committee, and ENGSO staff were also held to discuss ongoing developments and future activities of the organisation.
The event concluded with the announcement that the 9th edition of the European Sport Platform will be hosted by an ENGSO member, the Croatian Olympic Committee, in Split on 16–17 October 2026.
We would like to express our gratitude to UFEC for their warm hospitality in Barcelona and the success of this year’s event. We would also like to express our gratitude to Sara Massini for her immense contribution to the development and strengthening of ENGSO over the years.