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.
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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:
- Political & Religious Independence Programming must not promote political or religious ideologies or restrict services based on beliefs.
- Registered Non‑Profit / NGO Status
- Legally Registered & Operational for at Least Two Years In the country of implementation (France, Germany, Spain).
- Legally Permitted to Receive Foreign Charitable Funds
- Experience Delivering Sport‑Based or Physical Activity Programming for Youth Minimum two years in one of the three eligible countries.
- Mission Alignment The organization’s statutory purpose must align with the partnership’s objectives.
- Safeguarding Policy in Place Must include reporting procedures, safe practices, and protection mechanisms.
- Documented Code of Conduct / Ethics Policy
- Financial Stability The €50,000 grant must not exceed 50% of the organization’s last externally reviewed annual revenue.
- Governance Oversight Documentation Available
- Financial Control Mechanisms Ability to track project‑level income and expenditure.
- 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
- Commitment to the Three‑Year Project
- Monitoring, Evaluation, Accountability & Learning (MEAL) Framework
- Willingness to Support Communications & Storytelling Including sharing photos (with consent), updates, and impact data.
- Commitment to Inclusivity Regardless of race, gender, ability, sexual orientation, religion, etc.
- 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
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