The province has established the new sports policy ‘Sporty North Holland.

The policy outlines how the province will collaborate with municipalities, sports clubs, and other sports partners in the coming years to strengthen opportunities for sports and exercise for its residents. The province wants sports and exercise to be accessible and possible for everyone in North Holland, from local sports to talent development. 

Deputy Jeroen Olthof: “Sport is more than movement and ensuring a healthy body and mind. Sport also connects people and contributes to a pleasant and strong society. As a province, we want every resident, young and old, to have the chance to play sports and discover how fun and valuable it is. With this new sports policy, we contribute to that.”

The Sporty North Holland sports policy (pdf) stems from the Sports starting points note established in early 2025. These principles have been discussed over recent months with municipalities and a large number of sports organizations.  

5 goals

The province focuses on 5 goals in its new sports policy.

  • The province wants to support North Holland municipalities where needed in their sports policy. In recent months, regional collaborations between municipalities have been set up to facilitate knowledge exchange. It also offers opportunities to jointly develop activities or sports facilities.
  • The province aims to further support regional sports talent. The province has partnered with the Yvonne van Gennip Talent Fund and established the Talent Book North Holland. Talent Book North Holland provides a platform for sports talents to present themselves and raise resources for sports goals.
  • By supporting various initiatives, projects, or programs, the province aims to contribute to an inclusive and safe sports climate. An environment where everyone feels safe and has the opportunity to participate in sports, regardless of background, sexual orientation, gender, physical abilities, or age. For example, the province sponsors the Special Olympics in March, the largest sports event for people with intellectual disabilities.
  • By creating a movement-friendly outdoor environment, the province wants to enable, motivate, and challenge residents to move and play sports. The province also looks at public space design with a sports perspective. This includes indicating distances on asphalt when constructing cycling or walking paths or creating beautiful canoe routes.
  • Finally, the province wants to continue sponsoring (top) sports events to inspire young and old for a wide variety of sports. This year, the sponsorship conditions have already been expanded, allowing more diverse sports events to qualify for provincial sponsorship.

Next steps 

The final sports policy will be treated by the Provincial States in March 2026, after which an implementation agenda will follow with concrete actions for the policy goals.