Fútbol Más, Elitfotboll Dam, and Bonito Foundation receive EU funding for COACH HER

Women remain significantly underrepresented in football coaching across Europe. Systemic barriers, limited training opportunities, and lack of professional networks make it difficult for women to access and sustain coaching roles, particularly at elite levels.

COACH HER aims to address this. Starting in 2026, we'll be working together to create training, mentorship, and peer support for around 50 women coaches in Sweden and beyond.

The project centers on an immersive training bootcamp—combining online learning with in-person sessions—focused on gender-responsive coaching, Sport for Development methodologies, and leadership strategies. After the bootcamp, coaches will receive ongoing mentorship as they implement what they've learned in their clubs and communities.

Each partner brings something different to this work:

• Fútbol Más France, the project coordinator, has been using football as a tool for social development across multiple countries. From their Más Que Campeonas project in Spain to their work training role models in Paris, they've built expertise in empowering people through sport.
• Elitfotboll Dam (EFD) represents Sweden's top two women's football leagues—OBOS Damallsvenskan and Elitettan—with a network of 28 member clubs. They'll ensure the training reaches coaches working at the highest levels of competitive women's football and help integrate the methodology into professional club structures.
• Bonito Foundation will lead communications, outreach, and technology. We'll work to ensure the project's stories, insights, and impact reach people who can learn from them—helping position COACH HER as a model for gender-equitable coaching that others can build on.

What this means for Bonito

As our first funding from the EU's Erasmus+ Sport programme, it opens new possibilities for how we can support the Football For Good sector. Coaching sits at the center of our work—it's one of our four founding principles. COACH HER brings that to life in a specific way: creating pathways for women in football coaching where too few exist. It also connects us more deeply with football coaches around the world—building relationships with people coaching in different contexts and learning from their experiences.

Thanks to the European Commission, Fútbol Más France, and Elitfotboll Dam for making this possible. We’re looking forward to beginning this journey together.