The project “Sport & Entrepreneurship” (SPORT-ENT), Co-funded by the European Commission under the umbrella of the Programme Erasmus+ Sport, is a 24 months collaborative partnership which involves seven public and private entities, (Sport Federations and Institutions, Research Centers, Chambers of Commerce and NGOs) based in different Countries: Slovenia, Italy, Germany, Spain, UK, North Macedonia, Azerbaijan. The project is coordinated by the Slovenian Football Federation.

According to paper ‘EU Guidelines on Dual Careers of Athletes: Recommended Policy Actions in Support of Dual Careers in High-Performance Sport’ (2012) ‘… The design of dual career programmes should meet athletes’ individual needs taking into account their age, sport specialisation, career stage and financial status, with the athletes themselves taking increasing responsibility as they progress through their careers…’ The SPORT-ENT project addresses this particular issue but adds the dimension of ‘preparation for self-employment through entrepreneurship training’ that builds on existing skills and competencies learnt in sport (using football as an exemplar) – which can then be adapted to meet any sport. This project aims to create a set of TRAINING & SUPPORT MATERIALS for granting real opportunities to individuals engaged in sport to enhance their ‘employability pathway’ by developing their entrepreneurial skills and competences. This will be achieved by harnessing the complimentary and overlapping dimensions of entrepreneurship and sport thereby enhancing their opportunities for a dual career. The sport of football will be used as the ‘methodological template’ for other sports to adapt and implement. The similarities between the entrepreneur and the footballer are striking. To be successful in either arena – the business office or the playing field – the participant must learn to maximize their strengths and negate their weaknesses. Bringing together these two disciplines are both innovative and unique and will provide the appropriate mind set and competencies for an individual to succeed as an entrepreneur. They can learn what’s needed using a blended learning approach – learning the practical approach at a football club and the theoretical approach using the on-line training programme. Find more about the Project visiting the website https://www.sportent.org