This year, the City of Tallinn has revised the fundamental principles of its sports support system for children and young people. The reform aims to encourage participation in organised physical activity by increasing both the number of children eligible for support and the amount of support per child. Starting next year, the support will extend to 35,000 young Tallinn residents, with the total funding volume rising to €12 million.

Part of the reform has already taken effect with the start of the new school year, bringing more than 4,000 children and young people into the city’s funding system who were previously not eligible for support.

“The youth sports funding model in Tallinn had remained largely unchanged for nearly 15 years. Although it had been adjusted over time, the result was an increasingly rigid and bureaucratic system that excluded many children who were, in fact, regularly training,” explained Deputy Mayor Kaarel Oja. “The new model is not only reaching more young people but is also much more flexible. For example, the support now follows the child if they change sports during the year and can even be shared between different sports clubs,” Oja added. “Our reform is likely to have a wider impact as many municipalities tend to follow Tallinn’s example in this area.”

The updated system introduces several changes to the eligibility criteria: the support now includes children aged 5–6; major funding differences between sports disciplines have been removed; weekly training load requirements have been reduced; and the qualification requirements for coaches have been expanded – coaches with an EKR level 4 certification are now also eligible.

In addition, under the new model, support can be divided between multiple clubs, and it follows the child if they move to another club. In cooperation with sports clubs, a clearer model will be developed to ensure training opportunities for young people from low-income families.

Funding for youth sports activities increased by €1.7 million this September. The additional funds were distributed through a supplementary application round: part of the funding went to children who previously did not qualify but now meet the new criteria, while the rest was paid as additional support to those already receiving funding earlier in the year. The additional round brought 4,259 new children and young people into the system. In total, nearly 27,000 children will receive support in 2025.

• Ages 5–6: 1,499 children
• Ages 7–13: 1,955 children
• Ages 14–19: 801 young people
• With special needs: 4 young people

In total, 114 sports clubs submitted applications, including eight clubs participating for the first time. In addition to new participants, 17 sports clubs received nearly €100,000 in integration support. The aim of the integration measure is to promote the inclusion of young people from different cultural backgrounds in sports and to support the transition to Estonian-language education by offering language practice opportunities outside school.

In 2026, Tallinn’s annual sports funding will increase from €7 million to €12 million. As a result of the new system, the number of supported children is expected to grow from the current 22,000 to up to 35,000 next year – covering about half of all eligible children and nearly three-quarters of young people participating in sports clubs in Tallinn.

The deadline for submitting applications for the 2026 youth sports support is 15 October. More information is available here.