Each year, the UEFA Foundation honours charitable organisations for their outstanding contributions to supporting vulnerable and marginalised children while adhering to the foundation's charter and code of ethics. This year, the €1m of the foundation prestigious award was shared between 23 organisations that excelled in this respect. A total of 101 organisations have benefited from this additional funding since the awards were introduced in 2017.

"On behalf of UEFA, I would like to express my sincere admiration for our award winners, for their tireless efforts and dedication, which have significantly impacted children's lives. Through their selfless work, they have become a beacon of hope and inspiration for countless children, empowering them to overcome challenges and achieve their full potential," said Aleksander Čeferin, UEFA president and chair of the foundation’s board of trustees.

"The impact of their work extends far beyond the immediate beneficiaries, as it has a ripple effect on families, communities, and society as a whole, laying the foundation for a brighter and more inclusive future."

The recipients of the 2023 UEFA Foundation for Children award are listed below:

Charity recommended by	Award winner
Football Federation of Armenia (FFA)	Fund For Armenian Relief (FAR)
Austrian Football Association (ÖFB)	FFBÖ Liga Cup
Association of Football Federations of Azerbaijan (AFFA)	Football Development Foundation
Royal Belgian Football Association (RBFA)	Juna Foot
Bosnia and Herzegovina Football Federation (BHFF)	Fudbalski klub RESPEKT (Football Club Respekt), Sarajevo
Bulgarian Football Union (BFU)	Social Management Bulgara
Croatian Football Federation (HNS)	Zaklada Vatreno Srce (Fiery Heart Foundation)
Cyprus Football Association (CFA)	Hope For Children
Football Association of the Czech Republic (FAČR)	Special Olympics Czech Republic
Danish Football Association (DBU)	UNICEF
English Football Association (The FA)	The Wheelchair Football Association (The WFA)
Football Association of Finland (SPL)	Me-säätiö (We Foundation) – FC Meltsi
German Football Association (DFB)	Spirit of Football e.V. "Ein Ball, eine Welt
Hungarian Football Federation (MLSZ)	Silver Boot Football Academy for Hearing-impaired Young People Foundation
Italian Football Federation (FIGC)	Calciosociale (Social Football)
Lithuanian Football Federation (LFF)	Futbolo klubas Ataka
Football Association of Moldova (FMF)	AO Sunshine
Irish Football Association (IFA)	Irish FA Foundation
Polish Football Association (PZPN	Amp Futbol Polska
Romanian Football Federation (FRF)	Asociaţia Casa Bună (Good House Association)
Scottish Football Association (SFA)	Scottish Para-Football
Swiss Football Association (SFA)	PluSport
Ukrainian Association of Football (UAF)	UAF’s projects for people with disabilities

 

 

Call for projects 2023

The UEFA Foundation for Children is pleased to announce that the 2023 call for projects will open on 1 July.

Applicants are invited to submit their projects through the dedicated platform accessible on the foundation's official website.

Each project must be consistent with the foundation's core principle of supporting children and upholding their rights and opportunities in various areas, including access to sports, health, education, personal development, integration of minorities, employability, and infrastructure and equipment.

It should be noted that the foundation's support extends beyond projects based in Europe.

The board will carefully review all projects submitted and will select the projects to support during its next meeting, scheduled for November.

Meet and greet with Bijzondere Eredivisie

Prior to their meeting, the board members had the opportunity to meet with participants of the Netherlands’ Bijzondere Eredivisie (Special Premier League) and their parents. This initiative sees children with disabilities taking part in training and competitions within professional clubs, making their dream of playing for their favourite club a reality. The board felt honoured to hear about the children’s experiences, and these exchanges provided profound insights into the significance of the support that the foundation and its partners offer and its direct impact on the lives of these children and their families.