PLAY COLL3CTIVE LAUNCHES RFP
Community sport organizations in the 16 World Cup host cities across the USA, Canada and México are invited to share their proposals to join the Play Collective initiative. The deadline for applications is 22 March.
We are inviting organizations that engage young people in meaningful, long‑term participation in sport and physical activity to join Play Collective, a new initiative within the Playing for Purpose program of the adidas Foundation.
The Play Collective (Play Coll3ctive in headline form) initiative, developed as part of the adidas Foundation’s Playing for Purpose program, is a project born to maximize the impact of the World Cup in the United States, Canada and Mexico by supporting organizations that work towards equitable access to youth sport across North America.
Through a strategic partnership between the adidas Foundation, Beyond Sport, and Common Goal, the initiative will work with grassroots sport organizations located across each of the tournament’s host cities. These organizations will be supported to strengthen their delivery of inclusive, youth focused sport programming for young people from underserved communities. Over three years, the partner organizations will receive multiyear grants and take part in a cross-continent Community of Practice designed to enhance their long-term impact and provide capacity strengthening support. Together, we aim to create spaces and programs where young people can improve their physical, mental, and emotional wellbeing by supporting selected community sport organizations across Canada, the United States, and Mexico.
Funding guidelines
All organizations should review our funding guidelines before submitting their application
IStock Image. Credit: FatCamera
Key information
Key dates
RfP launch: 27 February at 08.00 AM PST
RfP deadline: 22 March at 23.59 PM PST
Submissions received outside of this timeframe will not be accepted for consideration.
Focus communities*
Play Collective supports organizations that create inclusive sport and physical activity opportunities for underserved young people who face barriers to access and participation, including:
- Youth with disabilities (including long-term physical, mental, intellectual, or sensory impairments)
- Girls and young women
- LGBTQIA+ youth
- Young people experiencing racial and/or ethnic discrimination
*We recognize that the identities, experiences, and specific needs of young people within each of these categories vary widely across countries, cultures, and local contexts. Belonging is shaped by self‑identification, local terminology, legal and policy environments, and social norms. Many young people may belong to multiple communities at once, experiencing overlapping forms of marginalization or discrimination. For this reason, the groups should be understood as guiding frameworks rather than rigid categories, designed to support inclusive, context‑sensitive programming and equitable access to sport and physical activity.
Notes on eligibility criteria
Organizations must be:
- Legally registered, politically and religiously independent non‑profit with at least two years of youth programming.
- Operating within 50 miles (or 80.5 km) of a World Cup 2026 stadium.
- Able to commit to a three‑year partnership including MEAL (monitoring, evaluation, accountability and learning) processes and active participation in the Community of Practice.
- Including soccer within the funded programming.
- Able to demonstrate strong safeguarding and sound governance at the organizational and program levels
Please note: The list above provides an overview of key requirements only and is not exhaustive. The complete list of non-negotiable organizational requirements and program-specific eligibility criteria is outlined in our Funding Guidelines
How to apply
The application submission process is handled by our partner Beyond Sport. Please visit their site to review all the details about submitting your application. (LINK TO BYS)
IStock / Credit: PeopleImages
submit your application
Our strategic partner Beyond Sport handles the application submission process. Click below to visit their site.
Key FIGURES
Some relevant numbers for interested organizations
$3,780,000
Total amount of grants to be distributed across all the project organizations
$180,000
Maximum Grant amount per organization over a 3 year period
21
Minimum number of organizations selected
Strategic Partners
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