Open call for organizations interested in co-designing and implementing initiatives to increase girls and young women’s access to and participation in sport
The call is open to sport clubs, sport-for-good, and social organizations using sport or physical activity as a core tool, willing to strengthen youth participation practices and empower young women with migrant or refugee backgrounds, asylum seekers, and individuals from ethnically marginalized communities to co-design and implement inclusive sport initiatives in France, Germany, and Spain
This call is for organizations to join Play for the Lead, our new project under Playing for Purpose focused on increasing access and participation in sport for Girls and Young Women in Germany, Spain and France. Selected organizations will have access to multi-year financial support to strengthen organizational learning and change - particularly in young people participation - alongside support for co-designing and implementing inclusive sport and physical activity initiatives in collaboration with young women.
Context – Why we are launching Play for the Lead
Girls and young women from underserved communities – specifically those with migrant or refugee backgrounds, asylum seekers, and individuals from ethnically marginalized communities- face structural and gender-specific barriers that limit their access to and participation in sport and physical activity. Sport programs are often not designed with their lived realities in mind highlighting the need for more inclusive, participatory initiatives.
At the adidas Foundation, we believe that sport can contribute to building fairer, more connected societies when the organizations shaping community sport are equipped to be inclusive. That is why we focus on supporting those organizations by building capacity, centering lived experience, and fostering partnerships grounded in trust. To fulfil this intent, we are launching Play for the Lead, a new project under our Playing for Purpose program.
Kabubu sport activities in France
Key Information
Key dates
Call for Applications Launch: Wednesday 8 June 2026 at 10:50 CEST
Call for Applications Deadline: Monday 6 July 2026 at 23:59 CEST
Submissions received outside of this timeframe will not be accepted for consideration.
Information Webinar
We will be hosting an online information webinar for interested organizations
Date & Time: 15 June from 13:00 to 14:00 CEST
Funding Guidelines
All organizations should review our funding guidelines before submitting their application. Read the full guidelines here.
Project Model
The project supports organizations to strengthen their youth participation practices and work in closer collaboration with young women aged 18–25 through a three-year journey. This journey includes organizational capacity strengthening, a dedicated leadership journey for young women, a co-design phase where initiatives are jointly developed, and a two-year implementation and peer learning phase focused on improving access to, quality of, and retention in sport and physical activity for girls and young women from underserved communities, including those with migrant or refugee backgrounds (first- and second-generation), asylum seekers, and individuals from ethnically marginalized communities. Multiyear grants support partners in implementing these actions and strengthening long-term capacity.
Project Countries
The project countries are:
- Germany
- Spain
- France
Why these countries?
Germany, France, and Spain are highly relevant contexts for this project as they host a large foreign-born population in the EU and are key destinations for asylum seekers. Across all three countries, this group faces intersecting barriers related to gender, migration status, and socioeconomic inequality, which limit their access to safe and inclusive sport opportunities. At the same time, while strong sport and civil society infrastructures exist, they often fail to reach the most marginalized girls.
submit your application
Organizations committed to strengthening youth participation and creating more inclusive sport opportunities for girls and young women from underserved communities (including those with migrant or refugee backgrounds (first- and second-generation), asylum seekers, and individuals from ethnically marginalized communities) are encouraged to apply to join the Play for the Lead project.
Please note that young women that will be part of the project will be identified and selected by the participating organizations from within their own communities.
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