On December 12, 2025, the Erasmus+ project SESE – Sharing European Sport Excellence officially concluded its three-year journey with a Final Conference held in Brussels, bringing together project partners and external stakeholders from several European regions.

Following a constructive Transnational Project Meeting (TPM) on December 11, the Final Conference, titled “How to Empower Sports in EU Regions”, provided an opportunity to present the results achieved throughout the project and to officially introduce the SESE Online Platform, an innovative digital tool dedicated to learning, sharing and transferring best practices among European regions committed to excellence in sport.

The platform represents a concrete outcome of extensive research and interregional cooperation and aims to support regional and local authorities in strengthening their sports systems through a common European model, while encouraging collaboration, inspiration and mutual learning.

ACES, proud partner of the SESE project, was represented at the conference by Alessio Di Maio, European Projects Manager, and André de Jeu, member of the ACES Board, who delivered an appreciated speech highlighting the value of inclusive sports policies as a driver of wellbeing, social cohesion and public health.

During the conference, stakeholders underlined the growing need for clear reference frameworks to help regions unlock their full potential in sport, both for territories already performing at a high level and for those still at an early stage due to limited resources or the lack of long-term strategies. Particular emphasis was placed on grassroots sport, school-related sport, and policies promoting social inclusion, gender equality, integration and health through sport.

Funded by the European Commission through Erasmus+ Sport, the SESE project (€400,000 budget) ran from January 2023 to December 2025, involving a pan-European partnership including Portugal (Azores), the Netherlands, Belgium, Finland and Croatia, with ACES Europe playing a key role in representing excellence in European sports policies.

The SESE Online Platform will be available from January 2026 on the ACES website and will be open to all regional and local entities interested in developing and improving their sports sector.

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