The initiative, part of the Bizkaia European Region of Sport 2026 programme, will bring together stakeholders from the sporting and social sectors to draw up the Manifesto for Sport in Bizkaia.

1. The initiative aims to define an inclusive model under the slogan “sport for everyone throughout their lives”.
2. The participatory process will culminate in the drafting of the Manifesto for Sport in Bizkaia and will feature eight key working sessions in September and October.
3. All the information, the framework of guiding principles and the map of the sports ecosystem are now available on the official website www.kirolur.bizkaia.eus/manifest

The Directorate-General for Sport of the Bizkaia Provincial Council has launched an ambitious participatory process with the aim of envisioning and co-designing the future of sport in the region. Based on the premise of ensuring "sport for everyone throughout their lives", this initiative invites the various stakeholders in the sector and the general public to reflect on the model for sport that Bizkaia needs for the coming decades.

This process forms part of the Bizkaia European Region of Sport 2026 strategic framework. This is an unprecedented opportunity to redefine the vision for sport from a broad, inclusive perspective that is firmly aligned with contemporary social, demographic and cultural challenges. Key challenges include the progressive ageing of the population, the growing diversity of life courses, changing patterns of sports participation and the need to eradicate persistent inequalities in access to physical activity.

A shared path towards the “Manifesto for Sport in Bizkaia”

The main aim of this collaborative process is to develop a participatory process culminating in the drafting of the Manifesto for Sport in Bizkaia. To this end, the Provincial Council seeks to establish an in-depth, structured and inclusive consultation process that will help define a shared vision. The process will combine strategic vision with a focus on action, proposing specific courses of action to guide the future steps of the entire sports ecosystem in Bizkaia.

This process will take place within a clear framework of operational and institutional constraints and defined areas of responsibility, ensuring its rigour, viability and consistency with the powers and responsibilities of the public authorities involved. Furthermore, the initiative will be governed by non-negotiable cross-cutting principles: a focus on people, communities and diverse circumstances, intersectionality and gender equality as a structural pillar.

Mapping the ecosystem and the process timetable

As a starting point, a comprehensive mapping of Bizkaia’s sports ecosystem has been carried out, incorporating a more inclusive social perspective. This map, the result of intensive research and interviews with representatives from within the Provincial Council itself, working in both sport and social affairs, can now be viewed on the official website.

The process will begin on 22 September and will feature eight working sessions.

• Five of the sessions will address sport from different perspectives that take diversity into account: functional, intercultural and origin-related, gender and sexual orientation, and generational perspectives (young people and older people).
• Three additional sessions will examine the work undertaken from the perspectives of school sport, federated sport and sport for all.

Full details can be found at: www.kirolur.bizkaia.eus/manifest

Furthermore, updates on the process will be shared on social media, including: Instagram (@kirolur), Facebook and TikTok

If you would like to take part in any of these workshops, please send an email here: Bizkaia Kirolur Manifesto bizkaiakirolur@gmail.com