The General Assembly of the Unió de Federacions Esportives de Catalunya (UFEC) has underscored its central role in the Catalan sports system with impact figures that clearly demonstrate its ability to generate tangible value for clubs and federations.
During the Assembly, the organization reported on its 2025 activities and outlined the 2026 action plan. A key highlight includes a 100% bonus on common Social Security contributions, which has already led to cumulative savings exceeding €20 million for Catalan federations and clubs.
Additionally, the more than 3,700 services provided by UFEC to sports entities in 2025 generated direct savings of €2 million for federations and clubs.
Furthermore, UFEC distributed over €2 million in subsidies to advance financing for federations and clubs, supporting the maintenance of their activities. These figures confirm a growing trend in UFEC’s capacity to generate direct economic returns for the sports network.
“UFEC acts as a driving force for services, representation, and growth for sports federations and clubs in Catalonia. We provide real solutions to the day-to-day challenges of these organizations and defend their interests before institutions,” said UFEC President Gerard Esteva. He emphasized the entity’s role as the sector’s interlocutor with administrations: “Our objective is clear: to ease the burden on clubs and federations so they can devote all their efforts to sports activities.”
UFEC also highlighted that it represents a broad and consolidated system, comprising 71 federations, over 12,500 clubs, and 850,000 athletes. The organization’s strategic direction focuses on defending the sports sector and consolidating its role as a benchmark entity, continuously striving to improve services for federations and clubs.
Looking ahead to 2026, in collaboration with the Department of Sports of the Government of Catalonia, UFEC is driving a comprehensive set of strategic projects aimed at strengthening the Catalan sports system. These include the Congress of Clubs, the Catalan Sports Week, the Catalan Sports Festival, the Sports Observatory, the Sports Opinion Study Center, the WESE women’s leadership program, the Women and Sport Gala, the Olympic Values program, the inventory material program for federations, the Compliance and Legal Security Framework program, and the “Federa’t” campaign to promote federation licenses.
During the Assembly, the composition of the UFEC Board of Directors was updated to achieve parity. New members ratified include Marie Teixidor (President of the Catalan Rugby Federation), Palmira Jarque (President of the Catalan Agility Federation), and Mar Visa (President of the Catalan Sports Federation for the Deaf). This milestone reflects a commitment to equality and increased visibility of women in sports leadership roles.
UFEC also officially received international ISO certifications in quality, sustainability, and equality from Bureau Veritas. This recognition validates excellence in management and the entity’s commitment to quality policies, environmental sustainability, and equality. Cristina Ortega, Commercial Director of Bureau Veritas Certification in Iberia, Spain, and Portugal, noted during the event that “Catalan sports is a driving force for transformation.”
