Utrecht, Netherlands – The kick-off meeting on April 11-12 launched the pivotal three-year IN-FORMS project, an initiative co-ordinated by EOSE and funded by the European Commission under the Erasmus+ sport programme aimed at innovating employment in the European sport sector.
IN-FORMS, a welcome follow-on from the highly successful FORMS project, is designed to support the recruitment and retention of skilled sport workers through more innovative and flexible employment practices. The project aims to improve the sector’s understanding of emerging forms of employment and their potential role in better matching the supply and demand of labour, help policy and decision makers at all levels evaluate the new forms of employment, assist employers, employees and the self-employed to engage with emerging forms of employment. Overall, IN-FORMS aims to encourage the development of a more stable, secure, legally employed and professional sport labour force in Europe.
IN-FORMS will expand the research and case studies outlined in the earlier research publication “Towards Innovative Ways of Thinking About Sport Employment in Europe”, developed by EOSE and five international partners in 2021-2022.
The main objectives of this transnational initiative are to:
- Produce a European research report on the challenges of traditional employment in sport and explore innovative employment solutions.
- Develop and share policy recommendations for new forms of employment across various governance levels, focusing on recruitment, retention, worker rights, and social inclusion.
- Develop practical roadmaps for employers, employees, and the self-employed to navigate and benefit from new employment forms.
- Create an online toolkit with interactive guidance on the adoption of new employment forms.
- Design and pilot an online course for staff in the partner organisations and their networks to build expertise in innovative employment models.
- Organise the first European Conference on New Forms of Employment in Sport, aiming to evaluate project outcomes and shar strategies for sustainability.
The IN-FORMS consortium brings together a diverse group of 12 project partners representing 10 countries, including employers’ organisations, universities, research institutes, national sport federations and a government ministry, coordinated by EOSE.
The two-day agenda of the kick-off meeting hosted at the offices of Werkgevers in de Sport (WOS) in Utrecht (Netherlands), an EOSE member and partner in the new project, included the opportunity for the partners to meet as well as engage in detailed discussions on sport labour market challenges, partner expectations, and a comprehensive overview of the project’s goals and anticipated deliverables to be achieved before its conclusion in December 2026.
As well as reviewing and approving the overall objectives and work plan, the partners focused on setting a clear path for the first deliverable: “European research report on employment challenges and innovative forms of employment in sport”.
Through the deliverables of the project, the partnership hopes to strengthen the understanding and capacity of sport organisations to utilise innovative forms of employment and contribute to policy development at both national and international levels.
Geoff Carroll, EOSE’s Director of Skills Development, was delighted by the kick-off meeting:
“This was an excellent start to this ground-breaking project in sport. There are very few projects which focus on the crucial issue of sport employment and practical innovation in recruiting, retaining and providing long-term careers for sport’s most vital resource – employees and self-employed workers with the right skills and attitudes. The project application gained a very high mark from the European Commission, and we know expectations are high for IN-FORMS to deliver some really useful and practical outcomes. The dedication, engagement and synergy demonstrated by the partners in Utrecht gives EOSE every reason to believe that IN-FORMS will live up to expectations and make a lasting impact on European sport.”
For more information about the IN-FORMS project, its objectives, and future activities, please visit the project website at https://informs-sport.eu.
Partnership
- European Observatoire of Sport and Employment (EOSE) – France, Europe – Coordinator
- Fédération Nationale Profession Sport et Loisirs (FNPSL) – France
- Sportwerk Vlaanderen (SV) – Belgium/Flanders
- LUNEX University of Applied Sciences – Luxembourg
- Werkgevers in de Sport (WOS) – Netherlands
- Polytechnic Institute of Santarém (ESDRM) – Portugal
- General Secretariat of Sports, Ministry of Education, Religious Affairs and Sports (GSS) – Greece
- Arbetsgivaralliansen (AGA) – Sweden
- Institute of Sport – National Research Institute (INSP) – Poland
- Portuguese Swimming Federation (FPN) – Portugal
- Romanian Football Federation (RFF) – Romania
- Institute of Sports Research / Sports University of Tirana (SUT) – Albania
Contact
Mr Geoff Carroll – EOSE Director of Skills Development – Click here
Mr Wojciech Waśniewski – EOSE Projects & Research Coordinator – Click here
Mr Aurélien Favre – EOSE Executive Director – Click here
