The European Commission has created a €13m (£10.3m, US$15m) fund for sports organisations which plan to launch programmes with a strong social inclusion thread.

In March, Sports Management reported that sporting bodies across the continent would be able to bid for ERASMUS++ grants of up to €600,000 (£462,347, US$657,647) for projects designed to foster freedom, tolerance and non-discrimination during a fractious time in Europe.

The fund has been established following the publication of an EU Declaration on Promoting Citizenship report last May, which states that education was the key to combating racism and intolerance across Europe.

While the paper calls for proposals specifically around education, training and youth, sport is explicitly mentioned as a key component of the plan.

During the EU Sport Forum in March, several members of the European Commission highlighted sport as an important cog in dealing with the huge number of migrants making their way to the continent following unrest in the Middle East and Africa, and in combating social exclusion and extremism which has resulted in fatal terrorist attacks in Paris and Belgium over a short period of time.

Those interested in apply can visit the European Commission website. The application period closes on 30 May 2016.