June 2026
On June 23, 2026, Olympic and Paralympic Day, Mr. Glenn Micallef, Commissioner for Intergenerational Fairness, Youth, Culture and Sport of the European Commission hosted the #Be Active EU Sport Awards 2026 Ceremony at Bozar in Brussels, Belgium. Mrs. Pia Ahrenkilde Hansen, Director-General for Education, Youth, Sport and Culture at the European Commission, offered the opening speech, highlighting that this important event recognizes the significance of projects and individuals committed to sport across Europe.
Then, Mr. Micalef discussed the principles and power of the European Sport Model with Mrs. Athena Michaelidou, Cypriot Minister of Education, Sport and Youth, who recently hosted the EU Sport Forum under the Cypriot Presidency of the Union.
In 2026, the Award encompassed five categories: Across Generations, Inclusion, Peace, Physical Activity, and Volunteering. From the 279 applications, an independent jury selected three finalists for each category. Information on the 15 finalists is available at https://sport.ec.europa.eu/whats-new/news/beactive-eu-sport-awards-first-ever-finalists-announced
During the event, the #Be Active EU Sport Awards 2026 were attributed to:
– Physical Activity category: Fit Senior programme of the Municipality of Oeiras (POR);
– Inclusion category: Planinec initiative of the Alpine Association of Slovenia (SLO);
– Volunteering category: Flow & Learn programme of the United Way Hungary (HUN);
– Across Generations category: Drava Cross League of the Running Club Marathon 95 Varaždin (CRO);
– Peace category: Run4Unity of the New Humanity International Association (ITA).
Mr. Djibril Diop and Mr. Gilles Coudoro provided an artistic hip pop and breakdance performance, whereas Sebastien Bellin, a professional basketball player and survivor of the 2016 Brussels terrorist attacks, testified how sport can help individuals overcoming major personal hardship.
The video of the event is available at https://player.clevercast.com/?account_id=AkN3yR&item_id=W9dMpj
As an official partner of the European Week of Sport and the #BeActive Campaign, EAS was represented by its President (Laura Capranica) and Honorary Treasurer (Mojca Doupona), who had the opportunity to meet project partners and representatives of the European Commission and the Executive Agency EACEA to share information on actual and future actions and strategic opportunities in the field of sport.
On 9–10 June 2026, the FIND ME: University Dual Career Opportunities Erasmus+ Sport project consortium gathered in Trento, Italy, for a productive two-day transnational meeting hosted by the Partner OKKAM SRL. Representatives of all consortium organizations attended the meeting, reaffirming their strong commitment to supporting dual career opportunities for university student-athletes across Europe.
During the meeting, partners reviewed the progress achieved throughout the project and conducted a comprehensive analysis of the completed deliverables. Particular attention was given to the outcomes produced within the various work packages, including research activities, stakeholder engagement, development of educational resources, and the digital platform being developed to support student-athletes in balancing academic and sporting commitments.
The consortium also discussed the final phase of project implementation and agreed on the key actions required in the coming months. Partners identified remaining tasks, established timelines for their completion, and coordinated efforts to ensure the successful achievement of all project objectives before the project’s conclusion. Special emphasis was placed on dissemination activities, sustainability measures, and the promotion of project results among universities, sports organizations, policymakers, and student-athletes.
A significant focus of the meeting was the further development and launch of the FIND ME online platform. This project is particularly important and innovative because it aims to create the first European-wide online platform dedicated to dual career opportunities for student-athletes. By bringing together information on educational pathways, support services, career opportunities, and good practices from different countries, the platform will provide a unique resource for student-athletes, universities, employers, and sports organizations throughout Europe.
Universities willing to enhance the visibility of their Dual Career programmes and/or services and provisions for athletes can share information by completing in about 5-10 minutes a short survey at https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSepAQGxS_ftTyxQwCancqkbVibF6uYrKiQh99K1w_dTb7pgxg/viewform
The meeting provided an excellent opportunity for partners to exchange experiences, share good practices, and strengthen collaboration. The positive atmosphere and active participation of all consortium members contributed to constructive discussions and effective planning for the final stage of the project.
The FIND ME consortium remains dedicated to enhancing dual career support systems and creating sustainable opportunities that enable student-athletes to succeed both in education and in sport, while establishing a lasting European legacy through this pioneering digital platform.
The FIND ME platform will be presented at the 23rd EAS Conference to be held in Oulu, Finland next October 5-7, 2026 where presentations of dual career progress in Europe will be shared and the EAS Bord election for the 2027-2030 term will take place (information available at https://www.dualcareer.eu/call-for-abstracts-and-nominations-for-eas-presidency-and-executive-board-members-for-the-2027-2030-term/).
The FIND-ME: University Dual Career Opportunities project [ERASMUS+Sport, 101134043) is funded by the European Union. Views and opinions expressed are however those of the author(s) only and do not necessarily reflect those of the European Union or the European Education and Culture Executive Agency (EACEA). Neither the European Union nor EACEA can be held responsible for them.
REG. NUMBER: Voluntary Organisation registration VO/1270
PIC NUMBER: 913459865
Email: info@dualcareer.eu