PLAY COLL3CTIVE LAUNCHES RFP
We are launching an open call for applications to organizations that want to join our upcoming project Play for Pride. Selected organizations will receive multi-year financial support for implementation, structured mentorship from LGBTQIA+ organizations and the opportunity for peer learning across countries.
Many young people from the LGBTQIA+ community continue to face barriers that limit their access to sport, ranging from a lack of inclusive policies to environments that do not feel safe or welcoming. These challenges often intersect with broader systemic inequalities, leaving organizations without the tools or confidence to support diverse identities.
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 Pride, a new project under our Playing for Purpose program.
Play for Pride is cocreated with IGLYO, our expert partner bringing deep knowledge of LGBTQIA+ youth inclusion and European sport systems.
Key information
Key dates
Call for Applications Launch: Tuesday March 24th, 10:30CET
Call for Applications Deadline: Sunday April 19th, 23:59 CET
Submissions received outside of this timeframe will not be accepted for consideration.
Funding Guidelines
All organizations should review our funding guidelines before submitting their application. Read the full guidelines here.
Project Model
At the heart of Play for Pride is a trio model:
- one LGBTQIA+ association (mentor) working alongside
- two grassroots sport or sport-for-good organizations (mentees) in each participating country.
Together, they will form country level partnerships that combine expertise, community context, and lived experience to drive inclusive change. Through quarterly cross-country peer-learning circles, the participants also learn from one another, sharing practical ideas and challenges across different environments.
Each trio will cocreate an Inclusion Action Plan, guiding 24 months of organizational change. Plans may include staff training, policy updates, facility adjustments, or the design of LGBTQIA+ inclusive sport activities. Multiyear grants support partners in implementing these actions and strengthening long-term capacity.
Project Countries
The geographic scope of the project was defined at the stage of selection of the mentor organizations which are all IGLYO members. The following criteria were taken into consideration for the selection of the mentors and therefore for the definition of the geographic scope:
- Representation of different geographical regions
- Representation of countries with different degrees of respect for LGBTQIA+ rights and equality, as benchmarked by the ILGA 2025 Rainbow Map.
- In particular, we strived to offer contrasting learning contexts by including at least one country with a score
- below 50% (indicating heightened challenges for LGBTQIA+ communities), and one
- above 70% (indicating more advanced protections)
- Security and safeguarding concerns: countries where LGBTQIA+ activists and human rights defenders are criminalized and excluded from the scope of the project for security concerns.
The project countries are:
- Montenegro
- Spain
- The United Kingdom
submit your application
Organizations committed to building safer, more welcoming sport opportunities for LGBTQIA+ youth are encouraged to apply as mentees to our Play for Pride project here
Please note that mentor organizations were selected through a closed Call for Applications led by IGLYO.
Fully in line with our mission of Uniting Communities through Sport, Play for Pride is another strong push towards our vision of a future where everyone, regardless of sexual orientation, gender identity, or gender expression, has the opportunity to experience the transformative power of sport.
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