Government Amends Regional Sports Support Plan and Boosts Funding for Clubs and Associations

The Regional Government of Madeira published in the Official Gazette Ordinance No. 613/2026, which makes the first amendment to Ordinance No. 625/2025, of 18 November. This ordinance approves the Regional Sports Support Plan (PRAD) for the 2025/2026 sports season, running from 1 July 2025 to 30 June 2026.

The amendment was signed by the Regional Secretary for Education, Science and Technology, Elsa Maria dos Santos Fernandes, and by the Regional Secretary for Finance, Duarte Nuno Nunes de Freitas. It enters into force on the business day following its publication, with effect from the date of entry into force of Ordinance No. 625/2025.

Main changes#

• Overall value: the maximum amount to be allocated to each sports support chapter and to sports entities is set at 15,523,498.51 EUR.
• Accountability deadlines: beneficiary entities must submit expenses and required reports on the sports platform by 31 August 2026 (values from the initial ordinance) and by 30 November 2026 (values from this amendment).
• Travel: air and sea transport fares have been updated. For example, the air route Porto Santo/Madeira/Porto Santo is now 60.00 EUR (adult) and 51.00 EUR (child), and the sea route Porto Santo/Madeira/Porto Santo has different values for July to December 2025 and for January to June 2026.
• Non-resident athletes: athletes who are non-residents or have lived in the Region for less than six months are allocated a maximum amount of 400.00 EUR, up to a limit of six months per athlete.
• Limits on non-regional athletes: at the highest competitive level, the maximum percentage is 50% for Athletics, Badminton, Billiards and Table Tennis, 50% (men) and 25% (women) for Swimming. For Women's Handball the limit is 100%, and for Men's Basketball it is 50%.
• Distribution of funds: the subsidy value is divided among components such as federated demography, sporting results, multi-year projects (52.17%), high-potential athletes and high-performance referees (13.13%) and regional selections (7.20%), among others.
• Events: 92.30% of the value is allocated to national and international sporting events and 7.70% to training of sports human resources.

High-Potential Projects (PEP)#

The ordinance sets the following values for PEP projects:

• AERAM - Fencing Association of the Autonomous Region of Madeira: 8,000.00 EUR;
• AARAM - Athletics Association of the Autonomous Region of Madeira, Badminton Association of the Autonomous Region of Madeira and Table Tennis Association of Madeira (A.T.M.M.): 30,000.00 EUR;
• Prestige Dance - Sport Dance Club: 50,000.00 EUR.

Exceptional support#

Six entities receive exceptional support, under paragraph 3 of Article 5 of the Sports Support Regulation (RAD):

• A.C.M. - Cycling Association of Madeira: 6,541.01 EUR;
• Swimming Association of Madeira: 3,111.05 EUR;
• Sport Fishing Association of the Autonomous Region of Madeira: 250.55 EUR;
• Galomar Sports Association: 641.67 EUR;
• Regional Canoeing Association of Madeira: 11,506.79 EUR;
• Quinta do Padel Club: 7,433.14 EUR.

The total of these exceptional supports is 29,484.21 EUR.

The ordinance also adds a new Annex X to the RAD, dedicated to exceptional support, and clarifies the definition of regional sporting expression, which results from the number of federated athletes, clubs, the regional competitive framework and other affiliated sports agents.