Sport United

What Sport United does

Sport United is a Netherlands-based professional services consultancy founded in 2006 by Marieke Pol and headquartered in Laren. The firm operates as a sole proprietorship without external funding and offers three core service lines: event moderation and hosting (including online events), project management using SCRUM methodology, and facilitation of local sport agreements (Lokaal Sportakkoord) and prevention agreements (Preventie-Akkoord) for Dutch municipalities. The historical career-guidance service for (semi-)professional athletes was discontinued in January 2023, and in November 2024 Marieke Pol launched a separate personal-brand website (mariekepol.nl) indicating a strategic repositioning toward her individual expertise in hosting and project leadership.

The company's customer base is concentrated in regional Dutch municipal governments — primarily Gemeente Hilversum, Gemeente Weesp, the BEL-gemeenten (Blaricum, Eemnes, Laren), and Gemeente Eemnes — alongside a small set of sports organizations including KNVB, VV Doetinchem, and Graafschap College, plus one enterprise client (Essent) for a partnership project. Operations are geographically confined to the Gooi en Vechtstreek and Achterhoek regions of the Netherlands, with the multi-year 'Graafschap Helpt Scoren' youth program at De Vijverberg stadium representing the firm's most substantial ongoing engagement outside its home region.

Sport United has no proprietary technology platform, no AI/ML capabilities, no API surface, and no disclosed revenue figures. The go-to-market is event-driven and community-led, relying on Marieke Pol's personal network, including the 'Vrouwen in Sport' network and the sportwomanagement platform. Pricing is project-based and quote-based, with multi-year municipal contracts. Headcount is reported at 12, though operational commentary consistently emphasizes the founder as the primary operator, indicating a lean consulting model where revenue is fundamentally constrained by a single individual's billable capacity.

Name

Sport United

Legal name

Sport United

Website

https://sportunited.nl

Company type

Private

Founded year

2006

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Sport United is a Dutch consultancy founded in 2006 by Marieke Pol that provides event moderation, project management, and facilitation of local sport and prevention agreements for regional municipalities in the Netherlands.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Sports Management Consulting

NAICS

Sports and Recreation Instruction (611620)

SIC

Services-Miscellaneous Amusement & Recreation (7990)

akta.pro industry

PRIMARYMPAKAKAM

Sports Compliance, Governance & Integrity Services (Safeguarding, Anti-Doping, Match Integrity)

Media, Entertainment & Sports/Sports (Leagues, Teams, Events, Venues)/Sports Management & Promotion Services

Keywords

• Sport consultancy services
• Municipal project management
• Event moderation hosting
• Local sport agreements
• Youth sports programs

Headquarters

HQ city

Laren

HQ country

Netherlands

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales

Revenue model

1. Project Management Services: Sport United provides project management services for sports events, prevention agreements, and community programs on a project basis for municipalities and organizations.
2. Moderating, Hosting, and Event Organization: Marieke Pol serves as moderator, host, and day/evening chair for events, including online events, generating revenue through service fees.
3. Career Coaching for Athletes (discontinued): Previously provided career counseling services for (semi-)professional athletes. Discontinued as of January 1, 2023.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Sport United is a Dutch consultancy that provides project management, event moderation/hosting, and facilitation services for municipalities and sports organizations. Its core offerings include coordinating local sport agreements (Lokaal Sportakkoord), prevention agreements (Preventie-Akkoord), the Graafschap Helpt Scoren youth program, and the Vrouwen in Sport network, often deploying former top athletes as role models.

Product overview

Sport United is a consultancy services company founded in 2006 by Marieke Pol, offering a portfolio of professional services including moderating/hosting, project management, and career guidance. The company operates across sectors including sports, education, healthcare, labor market, and youth care. Core services include facilitating Local Sport Agreements (Lokaal Sportakkoord) for municipalities and Prevention Agreements (Preventie-Akkoord) addressing health topics. Notable projects include Graafschap Helpt Scoren for early school leavers, and the Vrouwen in Sport network. The company deploys former elite athletes as role models for events and clinics. As of 2023, career guidance services for athletes have been discontinued, with the company focusing on event moderation, project management, and prevention/sport agreement facilitation.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Moderating & Hosting Services

Quantifiable outcome

• Successfully developed and facilitated local sport agreements for multiple Dutch municipalities including Hilversum, Weesp, and BEL municipalities
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers7 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Seven partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• EHC CommunicatiecoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2019Partnership started in 2019 with EHC Communicatie, founded by ex-top athlete Elsemieke Havenga (TV presenter and communication advisor). Companies execute joint interim assignments and organize corporate events together.
• Pascal HeijeminorOthersFormer professional footballer Pascal Heije serves as ambassador for the Weesp sport agreement. He has his own football school (Goldenboys Voetbalschool) and provides training at FC Weesp.
• KNVBcoreOthersSport United placed Houssin Bezzai as programmamanager for racism and discrimination at KNVB. Collaboration on the 'Groene Club' project with Essent and KNVB.
• Voetbalvereniging VV DoetinchemminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerMulti-year partnership established November 2022 with VV Doetinchem to host the 'Graafschap Helpt Scoren' youth project at the club's stadium 'De Vijverberg'.
• Graafschap CollegeminorStrategic or Co-development Partner15+ year collaboration with Graafschap College for the 'Graafschap Helpt Scoren' early school leavers program in the Achterhoek region.
• Zilveren KruisminorOthersHealthcare insurer involved in the Hilversum prevention agreement collaboration with municipalities and health organizations.
• GGD Gooi en VechtstreekminorOthersRegional health service participating in prevention agreements and health promotion initiatives in the Gooi en Vechtstreek region.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Broad incumbents

• KNVB: Royal Dutch Football Association. Comparable to Sport United because KNVB is both a partner (sport United placed personnel there) and a customer-like stakeholder engaging in local sport agreements, anti-discrimination programs, and community football initiatives.
• NOC*NSF: Dutch Olympic Committee and Sports Federation that drives national sport policy and supports local sport agreements. Comparable to Sport United because both facilitate multi-stakeholder sport initiatives linking municipalities, federations, and community organizations.
• Two Circles: International sport marketing and analytics consultancy. Comparable to Sport United in providing outsourced sport-sector expertise to rights holders, federations, and brands — though at a much larger scale and with proprietary data products.
• Sport en Bewegen: National Dutch knowledge and infrastructure platform for sport and physical activity. Comparable to Sport United because both engage Dutch municipalities on local sport policy, prevention, and community activation initiatives.
• Vereniging Sport en Gemeenten (VSG): Dutch association representing municipal interests in sport and physical activity. Comparable because it works at the intersection of Dutch municipalities and sport policy — the same operating environment Sport United navigates as a sportformateur.

Emerging players

• The Sports Consultancy: UK-based sports management and event consultancy. Comparable to Sport United because both operate as boutique sport consultancies delivering project management, event moderation, and stakeholder facilitation for sport-sector clients.

Direct peers

• EHC Communicatie: Dutch communication consultancy founded by ex-top athlete Elsemieke Havenga. Has been Sport United's strategic partner since 2019 on joint interim assignments and corporate events — making it a tight comparable on sport-focused, athlete-led consultancy work.
• Mulier Instituut: Dutch research and consultancy institute focused on sport and physical activity in society. Like Sport United, it advises municipalities and public-sector organizations on sport policy, prevention, and community health programs, making it the closest comparable peer in the Dutch sport consultancy space.
• Buro22: Dutch sport management consultancy that runs the 'sportwomanagement' platform of which Sport United has been an affiliated member since 2018. Both firms operate as small sport consultancies serving Dutch municipalities and the broader sport ecosystem.

Regional players

• GGD Gooi en Vechtstreek: Regional public health service in the same geography where Sport United operates. Comparable as a stakeholder in the prevention agreements Sport United facilitates; useful as a regional reference point rather than a true competitor.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/sport_united
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/sport-united

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

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 Sport United