specialsport.dk

What specialsport.dk does

Specialsport.dk is a Danish non-profit organization (forening) founded in 2014, headquartered in Copenhagen with a regional office in Aarhus, that helps children and young people with special needs and disabilities access sports and club life. The organization operates a four-pillar model: (1) the Specialsport Guide, a searchable online portal (specialsportguide.com) combined with printed regional catalogs covering all five Danish regions, mapping 999+ special teams across 550+ sports clubs; (2) the Sports Internship method, a structured 4-week school-to-club bridging program delivered in partnership with special schools; (3) hands-on family support and sportsmatching delivered by regional advisors; and (4) club development services including an e-learning trainer certification course, advisory support, and a physical Specialsport Suitcase toolkit. The organization serves approximately 11,000 special school students nationally, with documented 50–78% conversion rates to active club membership depending on the program track, against a baseline of 80% of special school children being outside club life without intervention.

The business model is donation- and grant-funded. Services are free to families and clubs; the organization earns nominal membership fees (50–250 DKK annually) and operates on a mix of institutional grants (Egmont Foundation as main sponsor 2022-2024, Juchum Foundation, Lemvigh-Müller Fonden, Jascha Fonden, Den Fælleskommunale Handicapidrætspulje, among others), corporate donations (Kvalitek LED, Bjarne Mortensen, IQ SOX, TAXA 4x35), and municipal operating agreements (Copenhagen, Aarhus, Aalborg, Brønderslev, plus a 15-municipality Greater Copenhagen pool). Operations are delivered by approximately 9 employees sharing 5 full-time positions, supported by around 90 active volunteers and governed by a 7-member volunteer board.

Distribution operates through direct family support, school partnerships, club partnerships, and physical guide distribution. Geographic scope is primarily Denmark with 98 of 98 municipalities mapped by 2024 (69 with active representation), and international expansion underway since spring 2023 with volunteer-led replication in Nigeria (Adorable FC in Zaria), Germany, and Ankara, Turkey. The organization previously operated under the name IFEL (2014–2020 accounting records) before rebranding.

Name

specialsport.dk

Legal name

Specialsport.dk

Website

https://specialsport.dk

Company type

Private

Founded year

2014

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Specialsport.dk is a Danish non-profit (founded 2014) that helps children with special needs access sports and club life through an online guide of 999+ special teams, sports internship programs, family counseling, and club development across Denmark.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Inclusive disability sports services

NAICS

Other Individual and Family Services (624190), Religious, Grantmaking, Civic, Professional, and Similar Organizations (813)

SIC

Services-Social Services (8300), Services-Membership Organizations (8600), Services-Membership Sports & Recreation Clubs (7997)

akta.pro primary industry

Disability & Adaptive Sports Organizations (Paralympic, Special Olympics) (MPAKACAH)

akta.pro secondary industry

Rare Disease & Special Needs Support Organizations (BPAGACAM)

Keywords

• Disability sports access
• Inclusive club programs
• Special needs sports
• Sports internship programs
• Community sports matching

Headquarters

HQ city

Copenhagen

HQ country

Denmark

HQ region

Europe

Offices3 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Others

Revenue model

1. Membership fees: Annual membership fees from supporting members
2. Donations and sponsorships: Corporate and individual donations, with main sponsor Egmont Foundation 2022-2024
3. Municipal operating agreements: Operating agreements with various municipalities for services

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Specialsport.dk is a Danish non-profit organization that connects children, youth, and adults with special needs and disabilities to sports clubs and club life across Denmark. Its core offering is the Specialsport Guide — an online portal combined with physical regional catalogs mapping 999+ special teams at 550+ clubs — supplemented by sports internship programs, family advisory and matching services, club development support, and trainer e-learning. All family-facing services are free of charge, funded through memberships, donations, foundation grants, and municipal operating agreements.

Product overview

Specialsport.dk operates a platform of interconnected products and services built around its core Specialsport Guide — an online portal and set of physical regional catalogs that map and connect sports opportunities for children, youth, and adults with special needs and disabilities across Denmark. The portfolio includes an e-learning Trainer's Course (online certification), Sports Internship programs (structured 4-week school-to-club bridging), club advisory and team support services, and a physical Specialsport Suitcase toolkit for clubs. All offerings are free to families and clubs, funded through donations, grants, and operating agreements with municipalities.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Specialsport Guide (E-Guide) Online portal at specialsportguide.com combining barrier-reducing search criteria with club opportunities, mapping sports possibilities for children, youth, and adults with special needs across Denmark. Lists 999+ special teams across 550+ clubs.
• Specialsport Physical Regional Guides Printed regional catalogs covering Danish regions (Nordjylland, København, Aarhus, Fyn, Region Hovedstaden, Nordsjælland) that map, inspire, and guide families to local club sports opportunities for children and youth with special needs.
• Specialsport Træner Kursus (Trainer's E-Learning Course) Online e-learning course teaching coaches and volunteers how to run special-sport training sessions, including practical tips, video demonstrations, and structured learning modules for inclusive sports coaching.
• Sportspraktik (Sports Internship) Structured 4-week program in which special school students are introduced to club life through the school and paired with a sports club, with hands-on support from Specialsport.dk for families, clubs, and schools to ensure lasting participation. Documented success rate of 78% transition into active club membership (2022-2024).
• Foreningsrådgivning og Holdstøtte (Club Advisory & Team Support) Advisory services helping clubs start and sustain special teams, including recruitment, trainer courses, starter packs, guest training, and connections to volunteer team supporters.
• Brobygningsforløb (Bridging Programs) Hands-on support and guidance for families navigating the path from school to club participation, including finding the right sport, arranging transport companions, and resolving financial or practical barriers.
• Specialsport Kufferten (The Specialsport Suitcase) Physical toolkit of practical items and training materials (Time Timer, marker mats, visual training boards, postcards, welcome gifts) provided to clubs to support the setup and running of special teams.

Quantifiable outcome

• 78% of sports internship participants become active club members
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers3 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature2 records

Partnerships

Three partnerships are on record, tiered core.

• Videncenter om HandicapcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaboration on data surveys and research about special school students' club participation. Published joint article in 2024.
• Special schools across DenmarkcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerSystematic collaboration with special schools to establish baselines and run sports internship programs.
• 550+ Sports clubscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership with sports clubs across Denmark to provide special teams and accept children with special needs.

Scale indicators11 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Broad incumbents

• DGI: Denmark's largest grassroots sports organization, running inclusive and adaptive-sports programs alongside its broader portfolio. Overlaps with Specialsport on club-development advisory and coach training, but operates at much greater scale and across all abilities.
• Special Olympics International: Global umbrella organization providing adaptive-sports training and competition across 170+ countries. The parent of Special Olympics Denmark and a benchmark for the methodology and outcome-validation work Specialsport pursues.
• Dansk Idrætsforbund (DIF): National Olympic Committee and umbrella sports federation for Denmark. Engages with adaptive-sports policy and municipal funding mechanisms that Specialsport also depends on, but is a broad incumbent rather than a disability specialist.

Regional players

• Move United: U.S. national network of community-based adaptive sports organizations. Operates a comparable hub-and-club model mapping disability sports opportunities in another geography, making it a relevant regional peer for benchmarking.
• Handicap Sport Sverige: Swedish disability-sports body providing a comparable mix of club development, coach training, and family support. Regional Nordic peer offering benchmarking on cross-Nordic expansion possibilities.

Emerging players

• Disability Snowsport UK: UK adaptive-sports nonprofit that combines a club network, instructor training, and a central guide/directory. Operates at smaller scale than Specialsport but illustrates an adjacent single-country model in a different geography.

Direct peers

• Parasport Danmark: The Danish national federation for disability sports, directly serving the same end population (athletes with disabilities in Denmark). Competes for the same municipal funding, club affiliations, and family mindshare as Specialsport.dk.
• Special Olympics Denmark: Danish affiliate of Special Olympics International, providing adaptive sports training and competition for children and adults with intellectual disabilities. Directly comparable mission, beneficiary base, and club-network model.

Others

• Bevica Fonden: Danish foundation funding disability-related initiatives and products. Not a direct competitor but a potential alternative funder or partner whose portfolio overlaps Specialsport's beneficiary base and grant pipeline.
• Videncenter om Handicap: Danish national knowledge center on disability that already co-publishes research with Specialsport. Functions as an enabling partner and ecosystem participant rather than a competitor, but its publications shape the evidence environment Specialsport depends on.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UCmeZcne04lmndYvzgFYE-Pw
• Facebookfacebook.com/specialsport.dk
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/specialsport
• Instagraminstagram.com/specialsport.dk

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles13 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about specialsport.dk