ABOUT GRASSROOTS365 INCUBATE:
Grassroots365 seeks to empower a diverse ecosystem of community-based groups to trial new and innovative approaches to solving local and global challenges that best serve people and communities. Following an overwhelming response to the first open call for proposals, with over 230 applications received and 13 innovators in 13 countries selected for funding, this iteration of Grassroots365 introduces an Incubation Model designed to support grassroots innovators to further develop their ideas/initiatives alongside peer innovators. This model will prioritise innovations that are deeply rooted in their local contexts, aiming to further understand what innovation can look like at the grassroots level.
15 grassroots innovators will be selected through a peer-review process to participate in a 6-month Innovation Incubation process, receiving tailored support to refine and further develop their ideas. Each selected innovator will access a one-time contribution of USD 2,000 to support their participation in the Incubation.
The Incubation is a 6-month journey designed for grassroots groups and individuals committed to developing their innovative solutions to advancing the sustainable development goals in and through sport within their communities. Selected participants will engage in a structured yet flexible process to refine their ideas into a concrete proposal, while also learning from other innovators and peers in the O365 Innovation Hub. At the end of the process, innovators will have an opportunity to apply for a USD 15,000 grant to pilot their innovations, with 5 being selected for funding. More information about this seed funding opportunity will be shared with the 15 innovators selected for the Incubation.
OBJECTIVES:
The Grassroots365 Funding Strand aims to:
Support hyper local innovations in and through sport that drive community-led sustainable development.
Diversify the voices that shape the innovation agenda by investing in community-based innovators to contribute.
Resource grassroots groups to test, sustain, and scale their social innovations that reimagine sport for sustainable development.
WHO CAN APPLY?
This is a closed call for applications, meaning only invited groups or individuals aligned with the eligibility criteria can apply for this opportunity. You will receive an invitation for this call if:
You have been nominated by a current Grassroots365 innovator (each of the 13 innovators in this funding strand can nominate two groups or individuals to apply – please note that those receiving a nomination cannot already be part of the existing pool of applicants).
OR
You have previously applied through any of the Innovation Hub funding strands (Grassroots365, Collective365, Enterprise365, Tech365) and aren’t currently receiving funding from the O365 Innovation Hub.
The target audience for the Grassroots365 Funding Strand is intentionally broad, so as to remain accessible for smaller, community-based groups who have innovative ideas for how to advance sustainable development through sport. This includes:
Representatives of:
Hyper-local, community-based groups
Registered or unregistered groups
Individuals
Examples: Collectives, associations, social enterprises, non-profits, charities, sports clubs, teams, athletes, coaches.
ELIGIBILITY CRITERIA:
Applicants must demonstrate an idea for an innovation that utilises sport to contribute to community-based sustainable development.
Innovations should be at the ideation or early development stage.
Ideation refers to the initial development of an idea, where the concept is being shaped but has not yet been tested in practice. Innovators in this stage may have identified a potential solution to a problem but have not yet implemented or validated it.
Early development includes innovations that have moved beyond the initial idea and are in the process of being tested or refined. This may involve small-scale piloting, gathering early feedback, and adjusting.
Innovations should be targeted towards and led by community-based groups or individuals.
Applicants must be available to actively participate in the 6-month Innovation Incubation, including the Incubation Learning Modules, Independent Assignments, and Peer Learning and Knowledge Exchange Sessions.
Applicants must be willing to share their learnings and contribute towards the development of the O365 Innovation Hub through the Innovation Incubation Model and the Knowledge Exchange.
Applicants must be willing to be externally communicated about as a recipient of IOC funding, including but not limited to social media campaigns, press releases, and the IOC Annual Report.
Groups:
Applying groups must have a maximum annual organisational income* of $150,000 USD. Priority will be given to grassroots and locally led organisations.
Both registered and unregistered groups are eligible to apply.
Individuals:
Applying individuals must be over the age of 18.
*Note: Annual organisational income refers to the total amount of money your group receives in a year from all sources. This includes:
Grants or funding from donors, foundations, or government programmes.
Donations from individuals, businesses, or other organisations.
Membership fees if your groups collect them.
Revenue from activities or services (for example, if you sell products, run events, or offer paid services).
Any other income your organisation receives to support its work.
This does not include the value of property, equipment, or other physical goods your group owns or receives as in-kind support. If your group is informal or does not have official financial records, you can estimate your total income based on the funds you received and used for your activities in the past year.
EVALUATION CRITERIA:
The following criteria will be used to evaluate applications for funding:
A clear alignment of the work of the group/individual with the mission and vision of the Olympism365 Innovation Hub.
A clear and comprehensive presentation of the problem or gap the innovation is addressing, with clear, context-specific, and credible evidence.
A clear description of the proposed development of the innovation or innovative approach to sport for sustainable development.
A clear presentation of the impact of the innovation, demonstrating positive or beneficial change to the target group and problem, evidencing the unique value of the innovation as a solution.
A clear demonstration of the innovation capacity and potential innovation capability of the applicant. Within the context of the applicant, a demonstration of their approach as innovative, unique, or emergent and goes beyond core programming.
LANGUAGE:
We endeavour for the Olympism365 Innovation Hub to be inclusive of groups from across the world, and language accessibility is a huge part of this. Due to constraints on our internal capacity, written applications will be reviewed in English. We encourage applicants to use tech-based translation tools to translate your application before submission, and we will ask in your application if you have used such a tool so it can be considered in the review and scoring process. For data protection purposes, only narrative and descriptive answers should be translated using tech-based tools. Personal data should not be processed via tech-based translation tools.
Please use whichever translation tool you are comfortable with. We recommend DeepL (https://www.deepl.com/en/translator) as a free tool for up to 33 languages.
The working language of the Innovation Hub will be English, and Monitoring and Evaluation will be conducted in English, though similarly we will recommend translation tools to facilitate this process for innovators and innovations who represent a diversity of languages.
HOW TO CONTACT US?
If you have any questions or concerns, please reach out to m.weinland@womenwin.org for further support.
Please refer to the Grassroots365 Funding Stream Information Guide for further information on the eligibility criteria and application process.
O365 Innovation Hub Grassroots365
ABOUT GRASSROOTS365 INCUBATE:
Grassroots365 seeks to empower a diverse ecosystem of community-based groups to trial new and innovative approaches to solving local and global challenges that best serve people and communities. Following an overwhelming response to the first open call for proposals, with over 230 applications received and 13 innovators in 13 countries selected for funding, this iteration of Grassroots365 introduces an Incubation Model designed to support grassroots innovators to further develop their ideas/initiatives alongside peer innovators. This model will prioritise innovations that are deeply rooted in their local contexts, aiming to further understand what innovation can look like at the grassroots level.
15 grassroots innovators will be selected through a peer-review process to participate in a 6-month Innovation Incubation process, receiving tailored support to refine and further develop their ideas. Each selected innovator will access a one-time contribution of USD 2,000 to support their participation in the Incubation.
The Incubation is a 6-month journey designed for grassroots groups and individuals committed to developing their innovative solutions to advancing the sustainable development goals in and through sport within their communities. Selected participants will engage in a structured yet flexible process to refine their ideas into a concrete proposal, while also learning from other innovators and peers in the O365 Innovation Hub. At the end of the process, innovators will have an opportunity to apply for a USD 15,000 grant to pilot their innovations, with 5 being selected for funding. More information about this seed funding opportunity will be shared with the 15 innovators selected for the Incubation.
OBJECTIVES:
The Grassroots365 Funding Strand aims to:
Support hyper local innovations in and through sport that drive community-led sustainable development.
Diversify the voices that shape the innovation agenda by investing in community-based innovators to contribute.
Resource grassroots groups to test, sustain, and scale their social innovations that reimagine sport for sustainable development.
WHO CAN APPLY?
This is a closed call for applications, meaning only invited groups or individuals aligned with the eligibility criteria can apply for this opportunity. You will receive an invitation for this call if:
You have been nominated by a current Grassroots365 innovator (each of the 13 innovators in this funding strand can nominate two groups or individuals to apply – please note that those receiving a nomination cannot already be part of the existing pool of applicants).
OR
You have previously applied through any of the Innovation Hub funding strands (Grassroots365, Collective365, Enterprise365, Tech365) and aren’t currently receiving funding from the O365 Innovation Hub.
The target audience for the Grassroots365 Funding Strand is intentionally broad, so as to remain accessible for smaller, community-based groups who have innovative ideas for how to advance sustainable development through sport. This includes:
Representatives of:
Hyper-local, community-based groups
Registered or unregistered groups
Individuals
Examples: Collectives, associations, social enterprises, non-profits, charities, sports clubs, teams, athletes, coaches.
ELIGIBILITY CRITERIA:
Applicants must demonstrate an idea for an innovation that utilises sport to contribute to community-based sustainable development.
Innovations should be at the ideation or early development stage.
Ideation refers to the initial development of an idea, where the concept is being shaped but has not yet been tested in practice. Innovators in this stage may have identified a potential solution to a problem but have not yet implemented or validated it.
Early development includes innovations that have moved beyond the initial idea and are in the process of being tested or refined. This may involve small-scale piloting, gathering early feedback, and adjusting.
Innovations should be targeted towards and led by community-based groups or individuals.
Applicants must be available to actively participate in the 6-month Innovation Incubation, including the Incubation Learning Modules, Independent Assignments, and Peer Learning and Knowledge Exchange Sessions.
Applicants must be willing to share their learnings and contribute towards the development of the O365 Innovation Hub through the Innovation Incubation Model and the Knowledge Exchange.
Applicants must be willing to be externally communicated about as a recipient of IOC funding, including but not limited to social media campaigns, press releases, and the IOC Annual Report.
Groups:
Applying groups must have a maximum annual organisational income* of $150,000 USD. Priority will be given to grassroots and locally led organisations.
Both registered and unregistered groups are eligible to apply.
Individuals:
Applying individuals must be over the age of 18.
*Note: Annual organisational income refers to the total amount of money your group receives in a year from all sources. This includes:
Grants or funding from donors, foundations, or government programmes.
Donations from individuals, businesses, or other organisations.
Membership fees if your groups collect them.
Revenue from activities or services (for example, if you sell products, run events, or offer paid services).
Any other income your organisation receives to support its work.
This does not include the value of property, equipment, or other physical goods your group owns or receives as in-kind support. If your group is informal or does not have official financial records, you can estimate your total income based on the funds you received and used for your activities in the past year.
EVALUATION CRITERIA:
The following criteria will be used to evaluate applications for funding:
A clear alignment of the work of the group/individual with the mission and vision of the Olympism365 Innovation Hub.
A clear and comprehensive presentation of the problem or gap the innovation is addressing, with clear, context-specific, and credible evidence.
A clear description of the proposed development of the innovation or innovative approach to sport for sustainable development.
A clear presentation of the impact of the innovation, demonstrating positive or beneficial change to the target group and problem, evidencing the unique value of the innovation as a solution.
A clear demonstration of the innovation capacity and potential innovation capability of the applicant. Within the context of the applicant, a demonstration of their approach as innovative, unique, or emergent and goes beyond core programming.
LANGUAGE:
We endeavour for the Olympism365 Innovation Hub to be inclusive of groups from across the world, and language accessibility is a huge part of this. Due to constraints on our internal capacity, written applications will be reviewed in English. We encourage applicants to use tech-based translation tools to translate your application before submission, and we will ask in your application if you have used such a tool so it can be considered in the review and scoring process. For data protection purposes, only narrative and descriptive answers should be translated using tech-based tools. Personal data should not be processed via tech-based translation tools.
Please use whichever translation tool you are comfortable with. We recommend DeepL (https://www.deepl.com/en/translator) as a free tool for up to 33 languages.
The working language of the Innovation Hub will be English, and Monitoring and Evaluation will be conducted in English, though similarly we will recommend translation tools to facilitate this process for innovators and innovations who represent a diversity of languages.
HOW TO CONTACT US?
If you have any questions or concerns, please reach out to m.weinland@womenwin.org for further support.
Please refer to the Grassroots365 Funding Stream Information Guide for further information on the eligibility criteria and application process.