Deadline: 30-Sep-2025
The Coalition for Sustainable Development through Sport has opened its first Expression of Interest (EOI) to identify high-potential, investment-ready projects for the Global Sport Impact Fund (GSIF), a blended finance vehicle under development. Selected projects must have a credible revenue-generation model, even if supported by patient or concessional financing, and be able to realistically repay financing in line with their operational model. Projects relying only on grant-based income will not qualify for GSIF’s core investment instruments.
The EOI aims to prepare a quality project pipeline before the Fund’s first closing, identify investment-ready opportunities or those needing technical structuring, build investor confidence, and speed up future fund deployment. The GSIF will invest in projects that can deliver measurable social impact, inclusion, and sustainable development through sport, combining financial, social, and environmental sustainability. This includes revenue generation, improved health outcomes, inclusion, reduced public costs, lower ecological footprints, climate resilience, and adaptation.
Priority investment areas include inclusive community sports infrastructure, human capital development such as academies and skills training, multi-functional sport and wellness hubs, and community-based sport-for-development programs. Funding requests should fall between EUR 500,000 and EUR 1.5 million for varied initiatives including pilots and scale-ups, or between EUR 1.5 million and EUR 5 million for larger infrastructure projects or those with wider territorial scope.
The GSIF uses blended finance to attract public, philanthropic, and private capital for impactful sport-for-development initiatives. Eligible lead applicants may include public authorities and entities such as municipal or national government bodies, state-owned enterprises, NGOs, foundations, community-based organizations, sport federations, Olympic committees, and social enterprises. Private operators are eligible only if their projects clearly serve public interest with strong developmental and social impact. They must have clear social missions in their statutes, asset lock mechanisms, restricted profit distribution, provisions for asset allocation in case of closure, impact reporting obligations, and inclusive governance with beneficiary or independent stakeholder representation.
For more information, visit Coalition for Sustainable Development through Sport.
