Equal Opportunities is a values-driven initiative launched in 2021 by NPG Sport & Communication with one clear mission: to turn equality in sport from vision into reality. By uniting federations, clubs, athletes, and sponsors, the project has already achieved major milestones.
In 2025, Equal Opportunities took on its most important challenge: securing equal prize money at the FIS Nordic World Ski Championships in Trondheim. Historically, female athletes in ski jumping and Nordic combined received less than 40% of men’s prize money. Although the organizers committed to equality, the funding gap threatened to reduce grassroots sport investment.
Equal Opportunities solved this by mobilizing purpose-led sponsorships. Thon Hotels contributed fresh funding, while Coop leveraged its influence with the International Ski Federation, ensuring FIS itself covered the remaining gap. The outcome was historic: for the first time, men and women received equal prize money at a World Championship – and FIS announced that equal prize money will be the standard for all future championships.
The project generated extensive media coverage, sparked national and international debate, and positioned sponsors as leaders in socially responsible sponsorship. Most importantly, it proved that sponsorship can be a powerful driver of systemic change, not just branding.
Equal Opportunities is determined to build on this momentum – ensuring that sport truly becomes a field of equal opportunity for all.
