Since Monday morning at 9 a.m., amateur sports clubs can again register for the BOSA subsidy. This money is intended for the maintenance and sustainability of sports facilities. The subsidy pot is getting smaller every year, which is why there are concerns among associations that desperately need this money. “It looks more like a lottery than a grant application.”
Rob Kerkhof of football club ASV’33 from Aarle-Rixtel was ready to submit his application on Monday morning. “It wasn’t because of the preparation, I just had to press the send button at 9 a.m.”
He applied for 5,600 euros for, among other things, new painting and a lawn mower to maintain the field. Considerable costs for a small club, the subsidy offers associations the opportunity to continue working with high-quality equipment and to keep accommodations tidy. Despite good preparation, Kerkhof’s application was not successful due to a malfunction with the website. “It is done on a first-come, first-served basis and that feels unfair. Due to the disruption, I have not been able to submit anything and have no idea which place I will now get in the queue.”
Halving the pot
Last year, the subsidy pot was already empty in March. Then it was 87 million euros. For 2026, that amount has been halved to 43.4 million euros. While sports clubs together are estimated to have plans worth around 200 million euros. The Sports Guarantee Fund Foundation (SWS) warns that only one in five associations will receive money.
Director of SWS, Dick Zeegers, finds it frustrating. “With so little money, it becomes a kind of lottery. Eighty percent of the clubs will soon miss out.” On average, associations apply for a subsidy of around 7,000 euros. “If you have one bad luck, it is still manageable,” says Zeegers. “If that happens year after year, it will create a backlog.” There are hardly any alternatives, the DUMAVA subsidy is really only for sustainability and many of these applications do not fall under that. “And not every club can borrow from a bank.”
Lottery ticket
According to Zeegers, the system can only become fairer if more money becomes available on a structural basis. “We need approximately 120 million euros per year. Then clubs can apply all year round and volunteers do not have to stress about clicking on an overcrowded website at the stroke of nine o’clock.”
Yet Zeegers looks ahead with some hope. “The new cabinet is positive about these types of plans. But it remains to be seen whether it will actually be included in the coalition agreement.”
While Kerkhof from ASV’33 is telling his story on the telephone, he suddenly receives a message on his laptop: the fault has been resolved. “I have now submitted the application,” he says with relief. “Let’s just hope that we get that 5,600 euros.” The club will not collapse if the money does not come, he emphasizes. “But the costs are high. Such a subsidy is a very nice addition for us.”