The EU funded SKILLS4CHANGE is in the middle of its research phase, and the Global Online Survey of Sport for Development Training Needs will stay open for responses until 10 July. The innovative sport for development project held its second Full Partner Meeting online in May 2026 to share initial findings from the survey.
One key decision from the May meeting was to extend the deadline for organisations to submit survey responses to the Global Online Survey of Sport for Development Training Needs, now open until the 10th of July 2026. Add your voice to over 500 coaches, managers, policymakers, practitioners and academics who have already taken the survey!
SKILLS4CHANGE is a two-year project aiming to meet the needs of the Sport for Development (SfD) sector with a comprehensive set of free E-learning courses. The survey is an early step in the process of understanding the assets and needs in the rapidly changing sector. Through this project and other recent sector surveys, such as Res Sportiva’s recent Panorama of the sector, sportanddev has learned that SfD is less siloed than ever, with community and grassroot sports programmes in nearly every country applying SfD practices.
This SKILLS4CHANGE partner meeting centred on a presentation and discussion of survey findings so far. Firstly, partners agreed that there needs to be a big push for responses up to the deadline, with all avenues explored to increase the response rate – using direct contacts, social media, newsletters etc.
Countries represented in the SKILLS4CHANGE survey so far (results up to 26 May)
Top ten goals of organisations who responded to the survey so far (results up to 26 May)
A key part of the survey is to explore what skills are most in need of improvement in the field of sport for development.
Top training needs of sport for development managers/ coordinators (results up to 26 May)
Top training needs of those who work face-to-face with sport for development participants (results up to 26 May)
These early findings sparked debate among partners, and it will be interesting to see the final results to gain a snapshot of training needs in sport for development globally.
SKILLS4CHANGE partners will use the findings to inform a suite of new e-learning courses for the global sport for development workforce.
During the online meeting the partners also discussed the organisation of nine roundtable discussions on skills and education in the field, planning for course development, and the next in-person meeting due to take place in Copenhagen in September.
The SKILLS4CHANGE project has been funded under the Erasmus+ Sport Programme of the European Union (Call 2025) and has a duration of 2 years, January 2026 – December 2027.
Read more about the project at: www.s4c-sport.eu
Read more about the Survey and how to take part or promote it here
Click here to fill the SKILLS4CHANGE Training Needs Survey
Full list of SKILLS4CHANGE partners:
- SportMalta
- European Observatoire of Sport and Employment (EOSE)
- Athletes Inspire Children (AIC)
- International Platform on Sport and Development, operated by International Sport and Culture Association (ISCA)
- International Table Tennis Federation Foundation (ITTFF)
- Palacký University of Olomouc, Faculty of Physical Culture
- Play International
- Sport Against Racism Ireland (SARI)\
- The Johan Cruyff Foundation (JCF)