Applications for IOC Young Leaders Programme 2025-2028 Young Leaders Program For Emerging Young Leaders

Young talents who are willing to make a difference and leverage the power of sport to address social challenges in their communities now have the opportunity to apply for the International Olympic Committee (IOC)’s Young Leaders Programme 2025-2028. The 25 selected participants will be announced in February 2025.

Since the creation of the programme in 2016, IOC Young Leaders have delivered over 160 sport-led projects promoting education and livelihoods, equality and inclusion, health, peacebuilding and sustainability, directly benefitting more than 37,000 people.

The programme contributes to Olympism365, the IOC’s approach to using sport as an important enabler of the UN Sustainable Development Goals, and specifically to Olympism365’s innovation portfolio, which aims to identify, sustain and scale innovative sports-based approaches that deliver concrete impact in targeted communities.

Benefits of IOC Young Leaders Program For Emerging Young Leaders

The selected participants will be supported by the IOC and a network of mentors in the development of their grassroots projects.

Each of them will receive a total amount of CHF 10,000 seed-funding delivered over the four years, as well as access to monthly expert-led workshops, global gatherings, coaching, networking opportunities and dedicated support.

Requirements for IOC Young Leaders Program For Emerging Young Leaders

You need to be between 20 and 28 years old at the time of the application.

Age limit principle: you turned or will turn 20 or 28 in 2024.

You will need to have successfully completed the 4-Week Learning Sprint (Certificate of Participation earned)

Through the application process, you will need to submit a plan for a programme / project / social business using sport as a tool for sustainable development, which you will work on if selected as an IOC Young Leader. The proposed plan will need to be based on an existing issue in your community through the lens of the UN SDGs, and strongly linked to sport-based solutions and the Olympic values.

The minimum required education level is high school diploma or equivalent.

You need to have at least one year of work experience (internships and part-time jobs count).

Selection Process

The process for selecting the IOC Young Leaders for 2025-2028 consists of two phases: the 4-Week Learning Sprint and the IOC Young Leaders Programme application process.

Phase 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 opened on 25 September and will close on 21 October 2024.

The four sessions of the 4-Week Learning Sprint will take place from 22 October to 12 November: every Tuesday starting on 22 October. 

Learning material of the 4-Week Learning Sprint, including session recordings can be found on the Learning Hub, available on 15 October 2024.

Phase 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 18 November and closes on 16 December 2024.

Application Deadline

October 21, 2024

How to Apply

Interested and qualified? Go to International Olympic Committee (IOC) on docs.google.com to apply

To register and to successfully participate in the 4-Week Learning Sprint, all learners should consider the following requirements: 

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. 

Participants should be interested in learning about the Olympic Movement, Olympism365 and sport for sustainable development.

Participants should be interested in applying for the IOC Young Leaders programme after the Learning Sprint has been completed.