Can you help her to break  barriers? 

She Breaks Barriers is adidas’ commitment to removing the barriers standing between girls and sport. It is a series of initiatives to inspire and enable the next generation of female athletes, creators and leaders. She Breaks Barriers focuses on three pillars: Improving Access, Removing Stereotypes and Creating Visibility.

We believe that through sport we have the power to change lives and we’re calling on communities of changemakers to help highlight and tackle these issues.

To enable this change, adidas and Impact Hub have teamed up to create a programme for ventures that operate in Germany and strive to remove the challenges that girls and young women encounter on the sports pitch and in the wider world. When changemakers unite, She Breaks Barriers.

Applications closed

This three-month program is designed to support early-stage social start-ups, non-profits organization, ‘Vereine’ or initiatives that are addressing the barriers of access, gender stereotypes and visibility faced by girls and women in sport. It aims to inspire and enable girls and women preferably under the age of 25 (the age they are at particularly high risk of being systematically shut out of sport) but it is not mandatory. The ventures we are looking for can address any relevant barriers and include anything from initiatives that portray strong female sports heroes to mobile apps helping girls and women feel safe on their way to training.

If you have a solution and you’re looking to take the next step in your entrepreneurial journey, you’ve found the right playing field!   

Changemakers selected for the program will have the chance to:

Get mentoring and coaching from experienced adidas experts

Attend three tailored business clinics

Co-create with adidas & access the global network of both adidas and Impact Hub

Win € 15,000

Applications closed

Stages

Criteria:

A jury consisting of industry leaders from adidas and Impact Hub will select the winning ventures based on the following criteria:

Impact – The proposed solution has a positive impact on girls and women (preferably under the age of 25, but it is not mandatory) and has metrics to measure this.

Feasibility – The proposed solution is technically and economically feasible.

Uniqueness – The proposed solution is fresh, creative and pioneering a new approach.

Early-stage start-ups, non-profit organizations, ‘Vereine’ and initiatives that operate in Germany and:

  Offer a unique approach to removing barriers for girls and women in sport and in the wider world.

  Engage in, promote or open access to sports for girls and women.

  Make use of innovative and creative ideas.

  Have a proof of concept.

  Have a sustainable financial, funding or business model.

Applications closed

adidas has its roots in Germany but it is a truly global company. Around the world, the company employs over 57,000 people. Employees from about 100 nations are working at the global HQ in Herzogenaurach, Germany – the ‘World of Sports’. Every year, adidas produces over 900 million sports and sports lifestyle products with independent manufacturing partners worldwide.  

Impact Hub is a global network focused on building communities for impact at scale. With 100+ communities of 16,000+ change-driven entrepreneurs in more than 50 countries across five continents, Impact Hub is one of the world’s largest communities and accelerators for positive change. We build ecosystems to drive collaboration and entrepreneurial innovation around the Global Sustainable Development Goals through locally rooted Impact Hubs, as well as with partners and allied networks.
In Germany Impact Hub Berlin is the local implementation partner and facilitator of the program.