The World Baseball Softball Confederation has endorsed the European Union development programme Erasmus+Sport to help grow the sport of baseball and softball across Europe.
Erasmus+Sport, which has an available budget exceeding €51 million, allows for the funding of cooperation partnerships in the field of sports focused on transnational projects, not for profit sports events and the building of sports fields.
The programme has amongst its priorities the encouragement of participation in sport and physical activity, the promotion of integrity and values in sport, the promotion of education in and through sport and combating violence, racism, discrimination and intolerance in sport.
Public and private organisations established in a programme country can access Erasmus+Sport. Transnational cooperation projects, duration between 12 and 36 months, need to involve a minimum of 3 organisations from 3 different countries. Small-scale partnerships, for a period between 6 and 24 months, need to involve a minimum of 2 organisations from 2 different countries.
Erasmus+Sport makes available also funds for not-for-profit European sports events, either European-wide, with at least 10 participants from 10 countries or local, taking place in different countries.
Funds are also available for transnational projects that aim to change policies on one specific area, such as values, skills, migrants or reconciliation. This project needs to involve two EU member States and one or two countries associated with the programme.
Erasmus+ has offered a life-changing experience to more than 10 million participants over the last 30 years. The latest cycle opened in 2021 and will run through 2027.
The European Education and Culture Executive Agency presented the Erasmus+Sport project at the WBSC Europe Congress in Ljubljana, Slovenia, where the the Romanian Baseball & Softball Federation also introduced European Sports Connected - a project for an online, multi-modular platform that would enable clubs, athletes, National Federations, Continental Confederations, Sports Ministries and National Olympic Committees to communicate, collaborate and receive eventual support across Europe. The platform would be instrumental for making the most of the Erasmus+Sport opportunities.
