In collaboration with the European Union

NOC*NSF has initiated the "Sportmatch" project to encourage more people to engage in sports. The Sportmatch project is co-funded by the European Union under the theme 'Grassroots sport programs and infrastructure innovation.' The project is a pilot initiative with a duration of 24 months and commenced in the first quarter of 2022.

Sharing of knowledge and insights

The knowledge and insights gained from this project are shared with both national and international partners, such as sports federations, municipalities, and European National Olympic Committees (NOCs). NOC*NSF accomplishes this through webinars, study visits, and a final conference.

Webinar

On November 27, representatives from more than ten European Olympic Committees, sports federations, and sports associations participated in the NOC*NSF Sportmatch webinar. These representatives, dedicated to grassroots sports and sports participation in their respective countries, discovered how Sportmatch connects sports offerings with the demand for sports.

Study visit

From February 26 to 28, 2024, NOC*NSF organized a three-day Sportmatch study visit at Papendal. Representatives from grassroots sports organizations from a maximum of five EU countries learned during this study trip how to intelligently connect sports offerings in their countries with the demand for sports via Sportmatch. Participants gained technical insights from the platform and visited successful implementations in the municipality of Deventer and the Dutch Golf Federation.

Final conference

In this Webinar on April 18, NOC*NSF will share the project's outcomes and insights gleaned over the course of the past two years. NOC*NSF will guide you through the objectives of the EU project, discuss our approach, and share our outcomes. You'll learn how to reach new target audiences with the diverse offerings of your sports clubs. An interactive panel discussion will highlight the significance of digital tools for sports clubs with volunteers, encouraging more individuals to engage in sports and physical activities. Finally, you'll gain insights into the technology behind the platform and witness how a Dutch municipality and sports federation showcase their clubs' offerings through the online platform.

This hybrid Final Conference will present a condensed version of the three-day study visit held in February. In order to give you a clearer insight into Sportmatch, NOC*NSF would like to share a quote from one of the participants of the study visit, Sturla Frøyland, Head of Digital Product Development at the Norwegian Olympic and Paralympic Committee and Confederation of Sports: "The tool was impressive with its sustainable model for meeting the municipalities' needs for data on activity, and it was reassuring to see that it undergoes continuous development as we move forward."

Project goals

Since 2014, NOC*NSF has been measuring sports participation in the Netherlands every month. A growing gap is evident between the needs of certain target groups and the available sports offerings. To address the changing needs of athletes, they strive for a more diverse and flexible sports offering. Especially after the COVID-19 pandemic, national sports participation has declined, with fewer residents of the Netherlands participating in sports.

The main goal of the project is to develop a system and approach that allows sports federations and municipalities to respond to changing needs, thereby increasing sports participation in the Netherlands.

Specific goals of the project include:

• Creating an innovative digital system that bridges the gap between athletes and sports offerings.
• Implementing a digital platform in six Dutch municipalities, aiming for a conversion of 10% of the total population.
• Promoting synergy and efficiency between national and international partners, such as sports federations, municipalities, and other European NOCs.
• Developing four proven activation programs that can also be used in other municipalities through Sportmatch.