Project ELEVATE, funded by Erasmus+, held its first in-person gathering in Warsaw, bringing together partners from across European football, education and technology to develop practical tools that improve accessibility in the matchday environment.

ELEVATE connects accessibility, education, technology and football operations through a shared working framework. The project is designed to support clubs, leagues, federations and stadium operators with practical knowledge, training content and digital tools that can strengthen access for disabled fans and other spectators with access requirements.

The consortium brings together a wide range of expertise. AccessibAll contributes its specialist knowledge in accessibility, inclusion and matchday operations, helping ensure that the project is grounded in the real experience of disabled supporters and the practical realities of stadium delivery. LTT Sports contributes its experience in football education and knowledge development. LFP, Ligue de Football Professionnel, and representatives from the French football ecosystem connect the project to the operational reality of professional football and matchday delivery. CampusAI Polska supports the digital learning side of the programme, helping turn project content into scalable learning resources. The project is led by the Romanian Football Federation, which oversees the overall programme. Additional support is provided by Integrated Dreams and the Ministry of Sport of North Macedonia.

Florin Sari, Public Policy and Sustainability Manager from the Romanian Football Federation, said, “Technology has been on the Romanian agenda for years, and working with a consortium like this helps turn that ambition into practical outcomes for fans. It creates a path towards real tools that can be shared with national associations, clubs and stadium operators. This is one of the most important steps forward for disability tech in fan engagement”.

Olivier Jarosz, CEO of AccessibAll, said, “ELEVATE brings together operational expertise, innovation and lived experience to create practical tools that can improve the matchday experience. We are pleased to contribute our accessibility knowledge to a partnership that is focused on delivery and collaboration across Europe”.

The Warsaw meeting focused on project planning, shared methodology and the first stage of content development. Discussions covered supporter services, matchday operations, training approaches, accessibility practice and the role of technology in improving delivery across football settings.

On the second day, the partners organised a working session with representatives from the Polish sports ecosystem, hosted by Legia Warszawa and LTT Sports. The session connected project partners with stakeholders from football, technology, accessibility and public institutions.

Following an opening presentation from the Legia Foundation, participants heard contributions from Marcin Animucki, CEO of Ekstraklasa, representatives connected to PZPN Innovation Hub, the Polish Ministry of Sport, disabled fans’ organisations, Zero Project and Migam. The session was followed by an open discussion on how technology, football operations and accessibility practice can be better connected in ways that support clubs and supporters alike.

The programme also included a stadium visit and a practical session focused on accessibility in the venue environment. This part of the meeting allowed the group to connect strategic discussion with operational reality and identify areas where future project outputs can support implementation.

ELEVATE-SS stands for “Experiential Learning for Enhanced Venue Accessibility via AI-Empowered Training for Stadium Staff and in practice, it is the Erasmus+ project to design and test an interactive digital training programme for stadium staff including stewards, security, ticketing, and hospitality staff, delivered through a dedicated platform.

The platform is being developed as a collaborative European project with the aim of producing tools and learning resources that can be used across different football contexts. The work now continues with the next phase of development, partner coordination and stakeholder engagement.

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Erasmus+ is the EU's programme to support education, training, youth and sport in Europe. The programme is managed by the European Commission, and offers funding for international actions to promote inclusive opportunities.

For more information about the project, please email [email protected]. 

The European Commission's support for the production of this publication does not constitute an endorsement of the contents, which reflect the views only of the authors, and the Commission cannot be held responsible for any use which may be made of the information contained therein.

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Published 30/4/2026