Share:
Last week we were honored to announce the newest grantees of the Olympism365 Innovation Hub – a collaboration between the International Olympic Committee (IOC), Beyond Sport and Women Win. Representing 19 countries, the combined 21 recipients were recognized for their innovations which are using sport to drive sustainable development across the Grassroots365 and Enterprise365 strands.
The 12 Grassroots365 innovators will receive a total of $170,000 (USD) in IOC funding to develop, test and expand community-based projects. These projects are tackling hyper-local challenges with an emphasis on equitable access to resources. Grassroots365 was led by Women Win. Learn more about the recipients here.
The eight social Enterprise365 innovators are using income generation models, sustainable finance solutions and regenerative investments to address social challenges through sport and achieve sustainable development. Led by Beyond Sport, they will receive a total of $300,000 (USD) in IOC funding to seed and scale projects that address gender equity, sustainable livelihoods, education, disability and LGBTQ+ inclusion and more.
MEET THE ENTERPRISE365 RECIPIENTS:
Alive and Kicking – Kenya
Alive and Kicking Kenya began with a goal to address the shortage of affordable, durable sports balls in Kenya to increase access to play in underserved communities. Through this work, it offers hand-stitching training that employs women and people with disabilities, providing them with valuable, transferable skills. As part of its teacher training and implementation, it also educated youth in health education programs through sport. With the Innovation Hub’s support, Alive and Kicking will expand its work with visually impaired (VI) communities, donating VI-friendly balls and offering goalball and blind football training to teachers, and engaging VI children across Kenya.
“Being selected to be part of the Olympism 365 Innovation Hub is a significant achievement for us. It will allow us to further develop our sound ball for visually impaired youth while training educators to help children learn inclusive goal ball and blind football,” said Sheba Nyaronga, CEO of Alive and Kicking Kenya.
AMANDLA – South Africa
AMANDLA is a hub for social brands tackling global challenges through solutions that promote equity and prosperity. From award-winning youth development platforms to scalable models for inclusive economic growth, AMANDLA is breaking cycles of poverty. Its Safe-Hub model provides youth with education, tools, and opportunities to lead change in their communities. The Innovation Hub funding will help it scale these Safe-Hubs sustainably and grow their impact.
“Joining the Olympism365 Innovation Hub affirms our mission to create youth-focused, systemic change. It’s an opportunity to collaborate with global innovators, scale Safe-Hubs and address pressing challenges like inequality and poverty,” said Anne Höfinghoff, Acting Marketing Director of AMANDLA.
Arena Recycling Industry – Tanzania
Arena Recycling Industry transforms plastic waste into sustainable materials like eco-bricks, tiles and decking. Employing a circular economy model, it also provides affordable and durable building solutions for underserved communities. With the Innovation Hub’s support, Arena Recycling will grow its community-driven projects promoting environmental education and sustainability, particularly through beach football events. This program combines sports with clean-up campaigns to engage youth and the community, foster environmental stewardship and strengthen community bonds.
“Being selected for the Olympism365 Innovation Hub is an honor and a transformative opportunity. Innovation, for us, is about merging environmental sustainability with community empowerment. This recognition reinforces our mission to build a future where innovation, inclusion and sustainability go hand in hand,” said Hellena Sailas, General Director of Arena Recycling Industry.
Ba Nga Afayo Initiative – Uganda
Ba Nga Afayo Initiative promotes the holistic development of marginalized youth and women who are impacted by poverty and HIV in rural Uganda. Its programs encompass education, economic development, public health and advocacy, girls’ empowerment and sports for development. The Initiative’s innovation, the Truth Design Academy, is a social enterprise addressing unemployment, poverty and limited access to education through affordable, accredited courses in graphic design, video editing, web design, coding, 3D animation and photography for youth.
“Being part of the Olympism365 Innovation Hub is an incredible opportunity to leverage innovation to transform lives in Uganda’s rural communities. Through O365, we are eager to explore sustainable enterprise models, creative partnerships and innovative tools that amplify the impact of sports for development,” said Joseph Dbiba, Team Leader at Ba Nga Afayo Initiative Uganda.
Grass Skirt Project (GSP) – Papua New Guinea (PNG)
GSP empowers underserved youth, especially young women and girls, by promoting gender equality and justice, health and leadership through sport. Its innovative Gymbox social enterprise model – which transforms shipping containers into community fitness facilities – addresses the lack of sports infrastructure in PNG and supports health education, leadership training and gender-based violence (GBV) prevention.
The enterprise aims to empower one million leaders by 2050 through sports in the belief that cultivating entrepreneurial mindsets and leadership skills can create a stronger and more equitable PNG. Through the investment, GSP will continue to expand its Gymbox and 10 Million Strong Leadership initiatives that combine physical fitness with education.
“Being selected for the Olympism365 Innovation Hub is a testament to GSP’s innovative approach to addressing critical social issues in PNG through sports. We’re eager to explore new ways to scale and sustain our programs, learn from global best practices in sports-based social interventions and discover innovative approaches to measuring impact,” said Keesha Booth, General Manager at GSP.
Oasis “Reach For Your Dreams” – South Africa
Founded in 2000, Oasis “Reach for your Dreams” is a sport for social change nonprofit operating in underserved communities across Cape Town, rural towns in Western Cape and the Cape Agulhas Municipality in South Africa, with plans to expand to Accra, Ghana. With a focus on youth unemployment, homelessness and social disintegration, Oasis is developing a social enterprise model to support its sport for development programs, community-owned gardens and vocational training initiatives. Its income-generating activities include a mobile small-sided football arena and advertising revenue to ensure long-term sustainability. It also empowers and equips community members with entrepreneurial skills to support a sustainable community-owned model.
“We’re honored to be a part of the Olympism365 Innovation Hub and learn from others. We aim to grow a community-owned franchise model of mobile arenas and advance the UN Sustainable Development Goals and approaches in environmental sustainability to create lasting change in our community,” said Clifford Martinus, Founder of Oasis.
Power Meri – Papua New Guinea (PNG) & Australia
Power Meri, inspired by a documentary film of the same name, works to promote gender equality through women’s sport in PNG. Currently a start-up, Power Meri has launched a small-scale merchandise line in Australia and plans to expand sales to PNG. With the Innovation Hub funding, it plans to develop new products with women-led SMEs (small and medium-sized enterprises) and reinvest profits into training and educational opportunities for rugby league players in partnership with Black Pearl Rugby League Club.
“We’re excited to connect with other grantees, learning from their experience in this evolving sector. We believe a huge opportunity exists in both PNG and Australia to harness women’s sport to directly benefit women in sport, both on and off the field, and we look forward to sharing this model,” said Joanna Lester Founder of Power Meri.
Tanjun Associate LLP – India
Tanjun Associate LLP is a knowledge-driven social enterprise working in rural Uttarakhand and Uttar Pradesh in northern India. After successfully piloting a sustainable bamboo table tennis program in schools funded by the International Table Tennis Foundation (ITTF), it aims to transform the sports industry into a circular economy model. With the Innovation Hub’s support, Tanjun plans to train and upskill marginalized women to create sustainable sports equipment and deliver community sport programs focused on climate education in underserved schools and communities.
“We’re excited to be part of the Olympism365 Innovation Hub, bringing our climate solutions to the sports industry through innovation and empowering women to develop sustainable opportunities while engaging in sport,” said Rekha Dey, Managing Partner of Tanjun Associate LLP.
In addition to investment, the Olympism365 Innovation Hub is building a Knowledge & Exchange platform to allow social entrepreneurs across sport for sustainable development to connect. Members will have the opportunity to support and learn from each other, while also gaining access to sector insights on social enterprise models from the Hub.
Stay tuned for the Tech365 and Collective365 innovator announcement in early 2025!
Share:
