Grants, contracts and opportunities from FIFA, the Los Angeles Dodgers, Jingle Jam and twelve others.
The definitive guide to finding opportunities, building partnerships and generating new income in the sports industry.
Hello!
On The Ball is a fortnightly newsletter sharing opportunities, tools, tricks, and templates to help you unlock new income for your business or non-profit in sport. Keep an eye out for some big announcements in February as we make some changes to cope with the levels of interest we are receiving!
This week we have another fifteen (!!) opportunities for you to consider, from upcoming networking events and exhibitions to grants, funds, incubators and so much more. From here on in we’ll be jam-packed full of the latest funders, guides, events, and tools curated specifically for sales, business development, and fundraising in sport and the surrounding industries.
But first, a word to our partners
In just two weeks, sport industry executives from all over the world will be visiting Planica, Slovenia for the annual Sporto conference; one of the most well regarded networking events on the sport marketing and sponsorship calendar.
Special guest Michael Payne will speak on ‘The Future of the Business of Sport and the Olympic Movement’, whilst other speakers include representatives from Venezia FC, TikTok, the International Ski and Snowboard Association and several others. It’s not too late to get tickets, and this looks like one not to miss.
TOP TIP: Tickets are reasonably-priced compared to similar events at 349 euros, which even includes access to the FIS Nordic World Ski Championships. Plenty of facilitated networking on the agenda too.
So, let’s get into it:
🏝The European Platform for Sport Innovation have announced the plan for their unique Island of Sport Innovation conference, taking place in the Azores in June. The event brings together organisations from all over Europe, and includes an opportunity to pitch business ideas to private investors and attend facilitated face-to-face matchmaking events. Day 2 features a focus on funding opportunities and a live call for proposals, so it’s definitely worth checking out. Tickets start at 500 euros, with the event taking place on June 5th to June 7th.
🎅Jingle Jam - the world’s largest gaming fundraiser - have launched a global call for charity partners for this year’s fundraising event, with a focus on organisations who support health and wellbeing, diversity and inclusion, equality of opportunity and protection of the planet. Each year they select 8-12 causes who each receive a share of more than £3m in project or unrestricted funding. Sport related organisations including Special Olympics GB have previously been supported. To be considered for Jingle Jam 2023, you’ll need to fill out the Expression of Interest form before the 28th February.
🥇The Rowing Foundation are offering grants of up to £4,000 for UK-based organisations who are involved in the promotion of rowing amongst children and young people under the age of 18, or those with disabilities of all ages. Funds are limited, so the Foundation prefers to fund projects up to a maximum of 50% and focuses on smaller organisations. Trustees meet at the end of March to consider the first funding round of 2023. Get applications in by February 21st to be considered, and remember to check the guidelines.
️⚽️Applications are now open for the FIFA Foundation Community Programme for grants of up to $30,000 per year, but there is only one week left to apply. Organisations with a track record of using football to address social issues are encouraged to apply for this annual call, which in 2022 distributed $3m to more than 100 projects around the world. To be eligible, applicants must be “financially sustainable” and show a proven commitment to safeguarding and child protection. The criteria is broad and vague and the fund had a low-key, under the radar announcement. A bit strange but still worth a shot!
🏃♀️The Sport England Small Grants scheme is back, and this time it’s 50% greater with awards of up to £15,000 available for projects that help communities get active together. The priority of the scheme is to support projects working with physically inactive people living in areas of disadvantage as defined by the Indices of Multiple Deprivation areas 1 to 3. Applications can be submitted at any time, with regular decisions until the fund closes at the end of June 2023.
⚾️Local grants are available from the Los Angeles Dodgers Foundation for proven programs that improve education, health care, homelessness and social justice for all Angelenos (their description, not ours…). Grants are particularly focused on youth focused activities, and priority is given to programs that will reach large proportions of their target population. Applications are considered twice per year. Apply by March 1st to be considered for an award in June.
️⚽️Organisations working with young people in and around Liverpool, England are invited to apply for small grants of up to £10,000 from the Football For Change Fund. Co-chaired by ex-footballer Jamie Carragher and supported by stars including Jude Bellingham and Beth Mead, the fund has £150,000 to distribute in it’s first round of 2023 but has ambitions to grow it’s giving capacity in future. The fund is currently being managed and distributed by the local Community Foundation for Merseyside. Apply via their website by Monday 13th February.
💻Sick of seeing AI related sales and marketing posts on LinkedIn, Twitter and everywhere else? Trying to cut through the crap and make sense of it all? Check out this guide by Animalz on “How to Use AI Writing Tools in Content Marketing”, and learn all about the concept of the Content Cyborg. We think the authors sum up AI pretty well. It’s a tool just like any other. Useful in some instances, useless in others.
💰Steven Bartlett, Founder of Social Chain and host of “The Diary of a CEO” podcast, has launched the $100m Flight Story Fund and is welcoming applications for investment from startups all over the world. Health and Wellbeing startups are one of six priority areas for the fund, and pitch decks can be submitted at any time. Steven is particularly focused on inspiring a new generation of entrepreneurs and creators from a BAME background. The fund is also still inviting investors, if you’re into that sort of thing.
🤝The 19th European Football for Development Network conference will take place in Seville from March 20th - 22nd, welcoming more than 200 representatives from 100+ community engaged football clubs, leagues and FAs and CSR-related organisations from all over Europe. Topics include fundraising, sustainability, racism, gender inequality and social inclusion will be discussed and explained by experts in these domains. EFDN members go free, but non-member clubs, leagues and associations can get discounted tickets before February 17th.
🥇The Olympic Federation of Ireland have announced a €200,000 discretionary fund to support its member federations in 2023. Grants of up to €20,000 each are available for projects that support development of the sport, investment in performance coaching, or are deemed to fill a current service gap identified through a needs analysis. Applications are open until close of business on 20 February 2023, and awards will be announced before mid-March.
And finally, a few tools and resources you might find useful:
Try Rewind to store and find anything you’ve seen, said or heard online.
Use Maven to launch cohort-based courses for anything you want to teach.
Create content for your blogs, ads, emails, and website faster with WriteSonic.
Build online Popup Stores to sell anything, anywhere in the world.
