OPEN CALL FOR PROPOSALS TO THE PIONEERS CREATIVITY FUNDOPEN CALL FOR PROPOSALS

Supporting creative organizations using sport, as part of a global fund for social change. Our contribution to the Creativity Pioneers Fund focuses on supporting creative approaches to advance gender equity through sport in Southeast Asia.

Sport has the power to transform lives and communities. But accelerating change means going beyond simply scaling what already exists. It requires reimagining how sport reaches people, includes people, and inspires people, through innovation and creativity.

To support organizations committed to this belief, the adidas Foundation contributes to the Creativity Pioneers Fund as a strategic and funding partner. The Creativity Pioneers Fund, led by our partner, the Moleskine Foundation, supports pioneering cultural and creative organizations and connects them to a global community of creative gamechangers.

OUR CONTRIBUTION TO THE FUND

Our contribution supports organizations using creative and innovative approaches to strengthen the social impact of sport. In the first year, we will support pioneers working with women and girls in Southeast Asia. We invite organizations that fit within this scope to present their proposals.

Organizations that don’t fit the geographical scope but fit the creative approaches of the call, are also invited to apply to Creativity Pioneers Fund grants.

send your proposal

Key information

Key dates

RfP launch: 30 March 2026

RfP deadline: 24 April at 5.00 PM CEST

Submissions received outside of this timeframe will not be accepted for consideration.

About the Creativity Pioneers Fund

The Creativity Pioneers Fund (CPF) catalyzes transformational social change by investing in, connecting, and championing cultural and creative organizations that advance bold and unconventional practices for building a more just, inclusive, and equitable world. Working with and alongside organizations, donors and other stakeholders across the creative ecosystem, the Creativity Pioneers Fund aims to mobilize a collective effort to advance Creativity for Social Change.

The CPF was launched in 2021 by the Moleskine Foundation to provide flexible funding to creative and cultural organizations, helping sustain their essential functions and programs. Today, the CPF represents a coalition of partners who believe in the transformative power of creativity and the need for a new philanthropic approach to social change. Leveraging the creative ecosystem of partners and stakeholders, the CPF aims to offer various learning and development opportunities for its participants and recipients.

The CPF intends to invest in bold, inspiring, and intersectional organizations that are close to the challenges and communities they seek to address. Through the CPF, a more progressive philanthropic approach is promoted, based on trust, unrestricted funding, the valorization of intersectionality, simple and inclusive paperwork at both the selection and reporting stages, and a strong focus on building long-lasting networks and ecosystems.

The Creativity Pioneers Fund funding model

The Creativity Pioneers Fund (CPF) follows a phased, long-term funding model, designed to combine flexible financial support with community-building and learning opportunities.

Grants

Organizations are selected through the CPF open call process
Grants provide flexible support to help organizations sustain and strengthen their work and are intended to strengthen organizations as a whole, not just individual projects

Grants are starting point for a broader, long-term collaboration. It opens access to additional financial resources, in-kind support, mentorship, learning opportunities, peer-to-peer exchange, as well as greater visibility and networking.

Beyond funding: joining a global community

In addition to financial support, organizations funded through the CPF become part of a global platform of cultural and creative organizations.

This includes access to:

Peer-to-peer learning and exchange
Convenings and gatherings (covered in separate mobility grants of up to 1,500 EUR)
Further funding and learning opportunities
Visibility within a global creative ecosystem

For organizations supported through the adidas Foundation contribution, this means being part of the CPF community while remaining firmly grounded in sport-based work.

About the adidas Foundation's contribution to the fund

Through the Creativity Pioneers Fund (CPF), the adidas Foundation contributes to a broader funding platform that supports creative and cultural organizations advancing social change. While the CPF as a whole funds organizations working across a wide range of social issues, our contribution is specifically focused on sport as a tool for impact.

Our focus in the first year

In the first year of the partnership, the adidas Foundation’s contribution will support organizations in Southeast Asia that are implementing creative, sport‑based approaches focused on women and girls. This aligns with our mission to advance gender equity in and through sport, while contributing to the broader goals of the Creativity Pioneers Fund.

Through our contribution:

We will support pioneers through grants
These grants will back creative and innovative sport-based approaches that strengthen social impact
Funding is unearmarked, allowing organizations to allocate resources where they are most needed

This funding stream represents one specific contribution within the broader CPF, which also supports organizations working in other thematic areas beyond sport, based on the priorities of the Fund and its partner coalition.

Application guidelines

Please find here the following guidelines:

FAQ

Please click here to review frequently asked questions

How to apply

The application submission process is handled by the Creativity Pioneers Fund. Please visit the official site to review all the details about submitting your application. https://creativitypioneersfund.org/opencall