Destination Sport has been shortlisted in the Excellence in Grassroots Sports Development category at the 2026 Sports Business Awards.
The nomination celebrates the impact of inspiresport, Destination Sport’s youth experiences brand, in connecting schools, clubs and grassroots organisations with world-class sporting environments and unforgettable development opportunities.
This recognition follows Destination Sport’s success at last year’s Sports Business Awards, where we were proud to win the Best Business Serving Sport award. To be shortlisted again this year is a fantastic reflection our commitment to creating meaningful sporting opportunities from grassroots through to elite level.
As the UK’s leading youth sports tour operator, inspiresport gives young people the chance to train, learn and grow in settings usually reserved for elite athletes. Through exclusive and long-standing partnerships with some of the world’s most respected clubs, teams and sporting institutions, inspiresport delivers experiences with the likes of Real Madrid, Scottish Rugby, Manchester City, R66T Academy, Inter Milan and many more.
The shortlisting also recognises Destination Sport’s wider commitment to grassroots development through its community sport sponsorship fund. The initiative enables colleagues across the business to apply for funding to support local clubs and organisations that sit at the heart of their communities.
To date, the fund has invested £23,000 into community sports clubs across the UK, Australia, New Zealand and the US, helping to support the volunteers, participants and grassroots networks that play such a vital role in widening access to sport.
Destination Sport and inspiresport are shortlisted alongside beIN Media Group, Community Integrated Care, Gallagher, LTA, M&S, SailGP and Union Cycliste Internationale (UCI) in the category.
The winners will be announced at the Sports Business Awards ceremony in London on Friday 27 November 2026.
Steve Butchart, Managing Director of Elite and Youth at Destination Sport, said:
“We’re incredibly proud to be shortlisted for this award. Grassroots sport is where so many journeys begin, and through inspiresport we have the privilege of helping young people access environments, coaching and experiences that can genuinely inspire their development. This nomination is a fantastic recognition of the impact being made across Destination Sport, both locally and internationally.”
To find out more about inspiresport, click HERE.
