Twelve events, contracts, funds and tools to help you unlock new income in sport.
The definitive guide to finding opportunities, building partnerships and generating new income in the sports industry.
Hello and Welcome
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.
This week we’ve got another twelve(!) 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 & tools curated specifically for sales, business development and fundraising in sport and the surrounding industries.
But first, a word to our partners
Powered by Microsoft, our friends at the Global Sports Innovation Center (GSIC) are a non-profit organisation focused on the digitalisation of the sport industry. GSIC plays a key role in connecting startups and companies with federations and other sport entities exploring innovation.
The team have partnered with their close associates at Sport Singapore to bring the GSIC Summit to the Asian sports industry for the first time, with the APAC summit taking place next week on the 9th, 10th and 11th of November.
This is a great opportunity to meet and connect with a variety of sporting entities including Cricket Australia, IMG, Infront Sports, Porsche, LaLiga Tech, Microsoft, the Football Association of Singapore, FIBA and many more - not to mention several startups and tech companies.
TOP TIP: Sport Singapore will be utilising the summit to release a series of problem statements, seeking tech-based and other innovative solutions to identified sport and physical activity challenges in the region. If you can’t make the summit, you’ll still have an opportunity to pitch a solution and secure funding and/or prizes for your idea or solution - no matter where you are in the world.
So, let’s get into it:
💡Sport Northern Ireland are looking for a partner to help them design, create and manage a Digital Learning Hub for those employed in sport in Northern Ireland. Proposals must be submitted by the 16th November and the contract will run from 2023 until 2027.
⚽Tomorrow, the Scottish Football Association are hosting a free football business networking event at Hampden Park, Glasgow, in partnership with the Football Trade Directory. Check it out if you’re local, it’s focused primarily on grassroots and non-league football.
💰The SOL Foundation - registered in Liechtenstein - regularly awards grants to organisations around the world who are using sport in an intentional way to deliver social change. Average grants range from $25,000-$75,000, and the Foundation is known for its interest in innovative approaches.
🗼Later this month, UNESCO House Paris plays host to a critical discussion on the power of sport to change the world, featuring 17 Sport, the French Hockey Federation, Paris 2024, the French Badminton Federation and the National Association for the Social Performance of Sport. Registration is free for those under 25 with the code JEUNES: for French speakers primarily.
🗎SportScotland are seeking a supplier to provide a wellbeing, safeguarding and protection service for Scottish national governing bodies of sport, with a focus on Investigations and Disciplinaries. The contract will last a minimum of two years, and deadline for submissions is the 21st November.
🏅The LA Sports Innovation Conference takes place on November 9th at the YouTube Theatre, Inglewood California. Tickets are a little steep at $395, but the list of attendees and sessions really highlight that LA is one of the world’s greatest sport and business destinations. If you’re on the West Coast or relatively nearby, it might be worth a visit; there’s plenty of networking on the agenda.
👟Building a startup in sport? Check out the investment arm of ASICS, who are investing in products and services that can use its technology and brand to enable healthy lives and ensure everyone can enjoy sport at any time and any place. There are no restrictions on business stage or focus area, so get in contact soon.
🚲UK Sport and UCI are commissioning research on the socio-economic impact of the 2023 Cycling World Championships, taking place in Scotland in August next year. Research agencies and institutions have until November 18th to submit a proposal.
And finally, a few tools and resources you might find useful:
Find leads, enrich your data and start reaching out to prospects with the uniquely named PhantomBuster.
Forget Canva, and try Simplified; an AI powered all-in-one tool that will help you design, write, edit videos, and publish content.
Embed machine learning in your fundraising strategy with Fundraise Up, a giving platform used by NGOs including UNICEF, the Salvation Army and the Rainforest Trust.
Use Swapcard to support your in-person and virtual events and help attendees connect.
