Adidas Foundation’s 2026–2029 Youth Participation & Sport-for-Good Funding Opportunity

The Play for the Lead project, under the adidas Foundation’s Playing for Purpose Program, is a multi‑year initiative designed to strengthen youth participation, elevate community‑based sport organizations, and empower young women to co‑design meaningful social impact projects. This article provides a full, detailed breakdown of the application form, eligibility requirements, organizational expectations, and documentation needed to apply.

Deadline: The uploaded document does not specify a deadline. (If the deadline appears elsewhere, it should be added manually.)

1. Overview of the Play for the Lead Project

The adidas Foundation aims to identify and support organizations in France, Germany, and Spain that use sport or physical activity as a core tool for social impact. Through this project, selected organizations will receive funding, capacity strengthening, and a three‑year learning journey focused on youth participation, especially the leadership of young women.

Applicants must complete the full application in one session, as progress cannot be saved. After submission, a confirmation email is sent (which may appear in Spam/Junk folders).

2. Part 1 – Eligibility Screening

This section ensures that only organizations meeting the non‑negotiable requirements proceed.

A. Organization Basics

Applicants must provide:

• Legal name of the organization
• Website
• Social media links
• Country of legal registration and implementation (France, Germany, or Spain)

B. Mandatory Eligibility Criteria

Organizations must answer “Yes” to all the following to qualify:

1. Political & Religious Independence Programming must not promote political or religious ideologies or restrict services based on beliefs.
2. Registered Non‑Profit / NGO Status
3. Legally Registered & Operational for at Least Two Years In the country of implementation (France, Germany, Spain).
4. Legally Permitted to Receive Foreign Charitable Funds
5. Experience Delivering Sport‑Based or Physical Activity Programming for Youth Minimum two years in one of the three eligible countries.
6. Mission Alignment The organization’s statutory purpose must align with the partnership’s objectives.
7. Safeguarding Policy in Place Must include reporting procedures, safe practices, and protection mechanisms.
8. Documented Code of Conduct / Ethics Policy
9. Financial Stability The €50,000 grant must not exceed 50% of the organization’s last externally reviewed annual revenue.
10. Governance Oversight Documentation Available
11. Financial Control Mechanisms Ability to track project‑level income and expenditure.
12. Willingness to Provide Due Diligence Documentation Including:

• Proof of legal existence
• Governance structure
• Financial statements
• Safeguarding procedures
• Ethics and conduct frameworks
• Key personnel information
• Responses to compliance questions

13. Commitment to the Three‑Year Project
14. Monitoring, Evaluation, Accountability & Learning (MEAL) Framework
15. Willingness to Support Communications & Storytelling Including sharing photos (with consent), updates, and impact data.
16. Commitment to Inclusivity Regardless of race, gender, ability, sexual orientation, religion, etc.
17. Experience with Participatory Approaches Organizations must have previously tested or implemented community participation methods.

If any answer is “No”, the applicant is not eligible.

Applicants must also confirm:

• Accuracy of information
• Disclosure of any professional relationship with members of the Young Women Advisory Group

3. Part 2 – Organizational Context, Motivation & Readiness

This section evaluates the organization’s mission, governance, community engagement, and readiness to collaborate with young women.

A. About You

Applicants provide:

• Primary contact details
• Secondary contact details

B. Organization Overview

Applicants must describe (max 200 words each):

• Mission and core work
• Staffing structure (full‑time, part‑time, volunteers)
• Gender representation across leadership and coaching
• Governance structure
• Financial management systems
• Safeguarding integration
• Trauma‑informed approaches
• Anti‑discrimination practices
• How sport/physical activity is used intentionally
• Types of programs offered (girls‑only, mixed, boys‑only)

C. Community Context & Involvement

Applicants must explain:

• Age groups served
• Gender breakdown of participants
• Community demographics, especially:
  • Girls
  • Underserved youth
  • Migrant/refugee backgrounds
  • Asylum seekers
  • Ethnically marginalized communities (Max 300 words)
• Barriers preventing girls and underserved youth from accessing sport (Max 300 words)
• Example of youth involvement in shaping programs (Max 200 words)
• How feedback influenced decisions and how results were communicated back (Max 200 words)
• Challenges in involving the community (Max 200 words)
• How the organization engages young women suitable for co‑design (Max 300 words)

D. Motivation & Strategic Fit

Applicants must describe:

• How Play for the Lead aligns with their mission (200 words)
• Skills or learning they hope to gain (200 words)
• How they will ensure sustained commitment to the learning journey (200 words)
• Staff members who will lead the project and their qualifications (200 words)
• How leadership will support new practices (200 words)

4. Outcomes & Impact

Organizations must explain:

• How they currently measure program success (200 words)

They must also confirm their ability to track mandatory adidas Foundation indicators:

• Number of unique participants reached
• Number of coaches/teachers/mentors trained
• Number of schools or nonprofits supported

 

5. Final Disclaimers & Agreement

Applicants must acknowledge:

• adidas Foundation may accept or reject applications without explanation
• Submission does not guarantee selection
• Late applications will not be considered
• All documents are confidential
• Some application content will be shared with the Young Women Advisory Group
• Data will be deleted when no longer needed

Applicants must confirm:

• Authority to submit
• Accuracy of information
• Consent to communication
• Consent to data processing

Deadline: Monday 6 July 2026, at 23:59 CEST

For more information about this opportunity and to apply visit here

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