Launched in October 2020, the newly designed programme is seeing 25 young leaders imagine, design and realise their own sustainable sport-based social business. Over the four years, each participant will receive expert guidance on a myriad of topics from human-centred design to impact measurement and user testing, as well as seed-funding and peer-to-peer learning opportunities.

The final 25 candidates were selected from amongst 350 applicants, all with a clear passion for sport. The list of selected 25 Young Leaders is balanced in terms of universality and diversity, with 13 female and 12 male candidates, from 25 countries across 5 continents.

The process for selecting the IOC Young Leaders for 2023-2026 consists of two stages: the 4-Week Learning Sprint and the IOC Young Leaders Programme Application Process.

Requirements

The IOC Young Leader profile:

  • 20-28 years old
  • Proficiency in English
  • Passion for sport as a tool for social and economic change
  • Interest in community action
  • Knowledge of the UN Sustainable Development Goals
  • Strong communicator and team player willing to learn and grow
  • Comfortable in managing social media, and new technologies and platforms

This programme is for you if you want to:

  • Turn ideation and research into real action and development of solutions
  • Become a more effective and stronger leader in sport and social business (or a sport and social business entrepreneur)
  • Drive local transformative change in and through sport
  • Represent and embody the Olympic values in action
  • Commit to a four-year entrepreneurial journey
  • Be both a mentee and a mentor through a comprehensive mentorship programme
  • Collaborate with fellow young leaders, experts, researchers, sports leaders and social business entrepreneurs

Requirements and skills:
• Knowledge of English is a must, as all learning materials and communication will be in English.
• A two-hour commitment per week is required to take part in weekly virtual sessions and to fulfil weekly tasks.
• Access to a reliable internet connection and basic technology skills are necessary to navigate four virtual sessions, fill in digital feedback forms and complete weekly tasks.
• Social media skills are required to complete weekly social media tasks.

Content:
• Participants should be interested in learning about the Olympic Movement, Olympism 365 and sport-based social business and development.
• Participants should be interested in applying for the IOC Young Leaders Programme after the Learning Sprint has been completed.

Benefits

  • CHF 10,000 seed-funding delivered over the four years
  • Monthly expert-led workshops and guidance
  • Access to thought-leaders and inspirational figures
  • Exclusive invitation to attend the bi-annual IOC Youth Summit
  • Invitations to attend and speak at global gatherings
  • Networking and knowledge-sharing opportunities
  • Leadership coaching
  • A dedicated team on hand to provide support

STAGE 1

Completion of the 4-Week Learning Sprint is the first prerequisite for a candidate to be eligible to apply for the IOC Young Leaders Programme.

Registration for the 4-Week Learning sprint opens on 15 September and closes on 20 October 2022.

The four sessions of the 4-Week Learning Sprint will take place in November: every Tuesday starting on 8 November.

Learning material of the 4-Week Learning Sprint, including session recordings can be found on the Learning Hub

STAGE 2

After successfully completing the 4-Week Learning Sprint (Certificate of Participation earned), a candidate becomes eligible to apply for the IOC Young Leaders Programme.

The application process opens on 5 December and closes on 31 December 2022.

For More Information:

Visit the Official Webpage

Application Deadline: 31 December 2022