OpenActive is a community-led initiative to help people in England get active using open data.

Research from Sport England shows that one fifth of adults have been put off doing a physical activity because it was too difficult to find or book online.

OpenActive is run by a community of volunteers from across the physical activity sector, and is backed by grant funding from Sport England and DCMS. The ODI are key partners to the initiative, and host OpenActive. 

The initiative has a simple governance structure – a steering committee who sets the direction for the initiative, practitioners forums to provide a home for the people involved in the practical work around OpenActive, an executive function to oversee delivery, and a W3C standards working group who maintain the data standards that OpenActive relies on for its technical operation.

Executive

The executive role is shared between the organisations involved in the practical delivery of OpenActive. 

Steering Committee

The Steering Committee takes a long-term and broad view in order to set and carry out the strategy of the initiative. Members are drawn from a range of organisations across the sector, each bringing their own particular expertise, to ensure that the initiative makes balanced decisions. The Steering Committee welcomes input, and considers advice received at each meeting.

Strategic direction 2024-26 Steering Committee Meeting slides and notes Risk Register

Our vision

We want to kickstart a digital transformation to tackle inactivity and increase participation in sport and physical activity.

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Case studies

Find out how OpenActive is creating impact, using open data to get more people active.

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Blog

Keep up to date with all the news from OpenActive

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Digital guiding principles

We share the digital principles that guide OpenActive. They inform what we do and how we make decisions.

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OpenActive data standards

A short introduction to OpenActive data standards, and how they are developed.

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OpenActive Champions

The OpenActive Champions programme recognises and supports key individuals within the OpenActive community.

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