Organizations working at the intersection of humanitarian response, mental health and psychosocial support (MHPSS), child protection, and sport for development now have a unique opportunity to partner with the adidas Foundation through its newly launched Recovery Through Sport Program. Rather than seeking traditional project proposals, the Foundation is inviting experienced organizations to become long-term strategic partners in designing and implementing an innovative global initiative that supports children and young people recovering from crises and displacement.

With a total funding commitment of €6 million, the adidas Foundation plans to select one to three strategic partners that will collaboratively develop programming, learning frameworks, funding structures, and implementation approaches over an initial period of more than three years.

If your organization has demonstrated expertise in humanitarian programming, mental health and psychosocial support, safeguarding, and sport or physical activity, this could be one of the most significant partnership opportunities currently available in the global development and humanitarian sector.

About the adidas Foundation Recovery Through Sport Program

The Adidas Foundation is expanding its impact through the introduction of Recovery Through Sport, a new program area designed to help children and young people rebuild their well-being after experiencing crises, conflict, disasters, or forced displacement.

The Foundation recognizes that sport is far more than recreation. When implemented under the right conditions, sports and structured physical activity can help young people restore:

• Emotional well-being
• Self-confidence
• Social connections
• A sense of routine
• Feelings of safety
• Community belonging
• Personal agency
• Positive participation

However, the Foundation also emphasizes that sport is not intended to replace humanitarian assistance. Instead, it complements recovery efforts where appropriate safeguards, expertise, and community conditions exist.

Why the adidas Foundation Is Looking for Strategic Partners

Unlike conventional grant calls that require applicants to submit complete project proposals, this Expression of Interest focuses on identifying organizations with existing expertise and long-term capacity.

The adidas Foundation is intentionally starting with partners before defining projects because it believes sustainable solutions should be co-created with organizations that understand local realities.

Selected organizations will work closely with the Foundation to:

• Design future programming
• Develop funding models
• Shape implementation strategies
• Build evidence on effective approaches
• Identify suitable implementation contexts
• Test and improve interventions over time

This collaborative approach ensures that programs respond directly to real-world humanitarian needs rather than predetermined project concepts.

Background Research Behind the Program

Before launching Recovery Through Sport, the adidas Foundation undertook extensive groundwork.

Working alongside an independent consortium of experts in:

• Mental Health and Psychosocial Support (MHPSS)
• Sport for Development
• Physical Activity
• Humanitarian Programming

The foundation reviewed existing research and consulted organizations working across humanitarian and development sectors.

The consultation revealed several important findings.

Sport Can Support Recovery

Research shows that carefully designed sport and physical activity programs can help children and young people recovering from crisis by strengthening:

• Emotional resilience
• Social relationships
• Daily routines
• Community participation
• Psychological well-being

Significant Evidence Gaps Remain

Despite growing interest in sport-based recovery interventions, evidence remains limited, particularly in:

• Low-resource humanitarian settings
• Crisis-affected communities
• Displacement contexts
• Refugee environments

The adidas Foundation therefore wants its strategic partnerships to contribute not only to programming but also to expanding global evidence on what works.

What Makes This Opportunity Different?

This opportunity differs from traditional funding calls in several important ways.

1. It Is Not a Traditional Grant Competition

Applicants are not expected to submit detailed project proposals.

Instead, organizations are invited to demonstrate:

• Existing expertise
• Organizational capacity
• Operational systems
• Experience working in complex environments
• Willingness to innovate

2. Long-Term Collaboration

Rather than funding isolated short-term projects, the Foundation seeks partnerships lasting at least three years, with potential for future expansion.

3. Co-Creation

Selected organizations will jointly develop:

• Program design
• Learning priorities
• Funding arrangements
• Evidence-building approaches
• Operational strategies

4. Strong Focus on Learning

The Foundation wants every partnership to generate valuable evidence that improves humanitarian recovery through sport.

The Kind of Partners the adidas Foundation Is Looking For

The Foundation seeks organizations that already possess strong operational experience and are ready to strengthen and expand their work.

Ideal partners should demonstrate experience in areas such as:

• Humanitarian response
• Crisis recovery
• Forced displacement
• Child protection
• Mental health and psychosocial support
• Sport for development
• Physical activity programming
• Community-based interventions

Organizations should also have:

• Robust safeguarding systems
• Strong organizational governance
• Experience working in complex operational environments
• Capacity to deliver large-scale programming
• A culture of learning and adaptation
• Willingness to collaborate over the long term

Expression of Interest Focus Areas

The Foundation wants to understand what organizations already bring rather than asking them to create entirely new concepts.

Applicants should be prepared to demonstrate:

• Existing recovery practice
• Mental health and psychosocial support expertise
• Safeguarding policies and systems
• Operational reach
• Sport or physical activity experience
• Organizational learning culture
• Readiness for long-term collaboration

Key Funding Information

The Recovery Through Sport initiative includes substantial financial support.

Total Funding

€6,000,000

This represents the total funding commitment across all selected strategic partners and future program activities.

Number of Strategic Partners

Between:

• One
• Two
• Three

organizations will ultimately be selected.

Partnership Duration

The initial partnership will last more than three years with opportunities for continued collaboration beyond that period.

Benefits of Becoming an adidas Foundation Strategic Partner

Organizations selected through this Expression of Interest will benefit from:

• Multi-year funding instead of short project cycles
• Collaborative program design
• Long-term strategic partnership
• Joint development of implementation approaches
• Access to evidence-informed frameworks
• Opportunities to contribute to global learning on recovery through sport
• Close collaboration with the adidas Foundation
• Participation in shaping an emerging global program area
• Strong emphasis on safeguarding and quality programming
• Potential for long-term growth beyond the initial partnership period

Key Dates

How to Apply

Interested organizations should carefully review the complete Expression of Interest Guidelines before preparing their submission.

The guidelines include:

• Complete eligibility requirements
• Partner profile
• Submission questions
• Selection criteria
• Application process
• Timeline
• Additional process details

Applications must be submitted before the closing deadline.

APPLY HERE

What Applicants Should Know Before Applying

Applicants should note that:

• This is a partner selection process.
• It is not a request for project proposals.
• Programming will be designed collaboratively.
• Contexts for implementation will be jointly identified.
• The Foundation prioritizes evidence, safeguarding, and quality implementation.
• Long-term collaboration is central to this initiative.

Why This Opportunity Matters

Children and young people living through conflict, disasters, displacement, and humanitarian emergencies often experience profound disruptions to their emotional well-being, education, social relationships, and daily routines.

Recovery Through Sport seeks to explore how structured sport and physical activity can help restore normalcy while complementing broader humanitarian and psychosocial interventions.

By investing in experienced organizations and emphasizing collaborative learning, the adidas Foundation aims to strengthen global evidence on sport-based recovery interventions and develop sustainable approaches that can benefit vulnerable communities worldwide.

Visit HERE for more information about the Adidas Foundation Expression of Interest 2026

Conclusion

The adidas Foundation’s Recovery Through Sport Expression of Interest 2026 represents an important opportunity for organizations working in humanitarian response, child protection, mental health, psychosocial support, and sport for development. Rather than funding isolated projects, the Foundation is investing in long-term strategic partnerships built on trust, evidence, collaboration, and shared learning.

Organizations with proven operational experience, strong safeguarding systems, and a commitment to improving the lives of children and young people affected by crisis are encouraged to review the guidelines and submit their Expression of Interest before the deadline. Successful partners will play a central role in shaping an innovative global program that seeks to harness the power of sport to support recovery, resilience, and hope for young people facing some of the world’s most challenging circumstances.

Application Deadline: 30 August 2026 at 11:59 PM CEST

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