TERMS OF REFERENCE: RECOVERY THROUGH SPORT FRAMEWORK
1. Background
The adidas Foundation gGmbH, established in 2023 by adidas and based in Nuremberg, Germany, is an independent non-profit entity dedicated to leveraging the transformational power of sport to tackle some of the world's most pressing social and environmental challenges. One of the ways we achieve this is by collaborating with likeminded partners globally, including nonprofit organizations that receive our support such as grants and capacity building which enable us to carry out sport-based interventions with communities that are marginalized, under-resourced and/or living in challenging socio-economic conditions.
The adidas Foundation recognizes that sport and physical activity can play a crucial role in restoring a sense of normalcy, promoting mental health, rebuilding community cohesion, and providing positive coping mechanisms after emergencies¹. As such, we aim to strengthen our strategic approach for this program area to ensure sustainable, impactful, and context-sensitive recovery² interventions.
2. Purpose
The adidas Foundation is hereby calling for proposals of consultancy support. The primary objective of this consultancy is to support the adidas Foundation in developing a comprehensive and actionable strategic framework for its Recovery through Sport program, centering on the use of sport and physical activity as tools for recovery, psychosocial support, and resilience-building in communities affected by emergencies particularly focusing on children and youth.
The strategic framework for the Recovery through Sport program, is planned to include two key components:
- Recovery through Sport (primary focus) – Designing a comprehensive and actionable strategy for supporting medium- and long-term recovery through sport and physical activity in communities affected by emergencies, particularly for children and youth.
- Emergency Response Framework (secondary focus) – Developing a practical framework to guide decision-making on if, when, and how the foundation may engage during the immediate response phase of emergencies, considering our mission of uniting communities through sport.
¹ An emergency is a critical event or situation – natural, man-made, or complex – that threatens lives, disrupts communities, and requires urgent response.
² The recovery phase of emergency management begins once immediate threats subside and focuses on restoring infrastructure, services, and livelihoods, while supporting psychosocial well-being and long-term resilience.
3. Scope of work
The consultant will work closely with relevant adidas Foundation staff and stakeholders to review current practices, map existing opportunities and challenges, and co-design a strategic roadmap to guide future programming. The consultancy is supposed to work on two focus areas:
Component 1: Recovery through Sport (primary focus)
- Review current activities in the humanitarian and the sport for good sector related to post-emergency recovery.
- Analyze best practices and lessons learned from humanitarian response of other relevant sectors.
- Identify key strategic opportunities for integrating sport and physical activity in post-emergency recovery interventions.
- Design a strategic framework of the Recovery through Sport strategy, including: ○ Strategic objectives (incl. problem definition) ○ Target groups and geographies ○ Program models and approaches ○ Partnership strategies ○ Risk mitigation and monitoring & evaluation
Component 2: Emergency Response Framework (secondary focus)
- Assess the adidas Foundation's current positioning and desired role in emergency response efforts.
- Review humanitarian sector standards, protocols, and risks related to early-stage emergency interventions.
- Develop a decision-making tool or criteria to guide the foundation's involvement in the immediate response phase (e.g., type of emergency, scale, relevance to foundation mission, potential partners, risk profile).
- Develop an Emergency Response Framework that includes: ○ Entry/exit criteria ○ Scenarios in which support is appropriate ○ Suggested modalities of engagement (e.g., funding, partnerships, advocacy) ○ Alignment with humanitarian principles
For both components, the consultancy is expected to provide the following:
- Support the creation of a Recovery through Sport grant mechanism to enable partners to quickly mobilize resources in line with the strategic goals of the program in the event of an emergency.
- Facilitate a validation workshop with foundation stakeholders.
- Finalize and deliver all documents incorporating feedback.
- Ensure full alignment with the mission and strategy of the adidas Foundation.
4. Deliverables and Timeline
The consultant or consultancy will be expected to submit the following deliverables:
- Inception report – This deliverable will outline the approach, methodology, and work plan to deliver on all deliverables. This report should be ready by the end of the first week of the consultancy. This report should build from the proposal submitted during the application phase.
- Draft Recovery through Sport Strategic Framework - A preliminary version of the program's overarching strategy, outlining the strategic objectives, target groups, geographic focus, core program components, delivery approaches, partnership opportunities, and monitoring and evaluation considerations. This draft should integrate insights from the desk review and stakeholder consultations and serve as the basis for discussion and refinement during the validation workshop. This recommendation should be ready by end of November.
- Emergency Response Recommendation – An evidence-based, actionable recommendation on whether and how the foundation should engage in immediate response during emergencies, and recommended scenarios or criteria where engagement may be appropriate (if any). This recommendation should be ready by mid-November.
- Final version Recovery through Sport Framework – A comprehensive, refined strategy document that incorporates feedback from the validation workshop and final consultations. It should clearly articulate the program's objectives, define target communities and priority geographies, detail program components, delivery models, and partnership strategies, outline risk management and safeguarding measures, and establish a framework for monitoring, evaluation, and learning. The final framework should be ready by December 15th. ○ Intervention matrix for Recovery through Sport - The matrix should include criteria and mechanism to initiate a Recovery through Sport project. This should be part of the final version of the Recovery through Sport framework.
- Final version Emergency Response Framework (only if applicable) – This framework should include decision-making criteria and triggers for engagement, suggested modalities of support (e.g., funding, partnerships, advocacy), risk management consideration and alignment with humanitarian standards. The final framework should be ready by December 15th. ○ Decision-making assessment tool & checklist for Emergency Response – The tool will guide decision-making on if, when, and how the foundation may engage during the initial relief phase of emergencies. This should be part of the final version of the Emergency Response framework.
- Presentation deck summarizing key findings and recommendations – This concept note will consolidate the findings from the mapping of industry standards and describe the proposed approach and process for activation of the 2 responses. The deck should be ready by December 15th.
5. Qualifications
The consultant or consultancy would be expected to demonstrate the following qualifications:
a. Extensive Humanitarian Response Experience: Minimum 7–10 years of experience in the humanitarian sector, particularly in emergency response and recovery.
b. Non-Profit Collaboration: Demonstrated experience working with foundations and other non-profit organizations to develop and/or implement humanitarian programs.
c. Experience with and/or deep understanding of the role that sport can play in communities recovering from an emergency.
d. Analytical and Reporting Skills: Proficient in synthesizing complex information into clear reports, presentations, tools, and action plans.
e. Communication Skills: Excellent English communication skills.
f. Tool and Assessment Design: Proven ability to design frameworks and strategic approaches.
g. Independent and Collaborative Work: Capable of working independently to meet deadlines, as well as collaboratively conducting interviews, discussions, and consultations with other experts to gather essential data.
h. Professional Standards: Adhering to professional and ethical standards in all areas of work, respecting data protection policies of the foundation and its partners and being capable of both receiving and providing constructive feedback throughout the design and delivery process.
6. Proposal Submission
Independent consultants and/or consultancies that meet the expected qualifications are invited to submit a proposal via this link by September 15th, 2025.
Proposals should detail how the consultant/consultancy will work with the adidas Foundation on all deliverables from the beginning with the inception report to the final versions of the framework. The proposal should not exceed 5 pages (max. 15 pages including annexes) and it should include:
✓ an overview of the individual and/or company's qualifications and experience in similar types of assignments and in working on similar types of deliverables. It should include a section on the team composition and roles of key personnel who will be involved in the project. This can be uploaded in the application portal in the Documents section under 'CV'.
✓ a detailed approach, timeline, roadmap for carrying out the entire scope of work. For each step and deliverable, the proposal should detail the expected number of working days required. This can be uploaded in the application portal in the Documents section under 'Other'.
✓ a proposed budget that outlines consultancy fees and any other costs associated with carrying out this work, including travel costs to Nuremberg for different meetings with the team (if required as part of the proposed plan). Please note that we budgeted up to 50k for this project. Proposals should clearly demonstrate value for money through the skills, expertise, and quality of deliverables offered. This can be uploaded in the application portal in the Documents section under 'Other'.
7. Evaluation and selection
Proposals will be evaluated based on the individual consultants' or consultancies' experience and qualifications in addition to the proposed approach, its methodology and cost-effectiveness.
The shortlisting and interview process will be conducted by members of the adidas Foundation team responsible for programs development within the organization. The adidas Foundation's Head of Programs will approve the selected consultant/consultancy with the guidance of the Leadership Team.
The selected company/individuals will be notified in the first week of October 2025, with work expected to commence right after.
