Biodiv'Sport Grant Programme 2026 (Play for Nature)

The Biodiv'Sport Grant Programme 2026, run by Play for Nature—an endowment fund based in France—supports biodiversity conservation efforts across the globe. Play for Nature, established in 2013, works through three distinct streams: Biodiv'World for in-situ conservation, Biodiv'Educ for environmental education, and Biodiv'Sport, which is the subject of this call.

This grant is open to civil society organisations (CSOs) that use sport as a practical tool for raising awareness and encouraging community participation in protecting biodiversity. The programme acknowledges that sporting activities can help people connect with the natural world and motivate them to act on behalf of endangered species and their habitats. Projects that pair sports with conservation messaging are expected to inform the public and build support for pressing environmental concerns.

Play for Nature looks for proposals with a defined approach to reaching varied audiences, from local groups to the broader public, through sport. The aim is to achieve measurable conservation results for species and ecosystems that appear on the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. Financial assistance is offered to organisations working directly on environmental protection, allowing them to put forward creative and workable methods for preserving natural heritage.

• Open the application portal: When the call opens on 15 July 2026, go to the "Submit a Proposal" page on the Play for Nature website at https://playfornature.org/en/submit-a-proposal/.
• Draft your proposal: Write a full project proposal covering your organisation's mission, the biodiversity conservation issue you target (noting IUCN Red List relevance), how sport will be used for awareness and engagement, your methodology, expected results, timeline, and a line-item budget.
• Collect required documents: You will generally need legal registration papers confirming your organisation's status and date of establishment (at least 3 years old), a short organisational profile, and possibly a team overview.
• Submit your application: Fill in the application form and upload all necessary files through the online portal by the 16 August 2026 deadline.
• Initial screening: Your submission will first be checked to confirm it meets all eligibility criteria and programme guidelines.
• Review and selection: Shortlisted entries are then assessed by the Play for Nature selection committee, which looks at project impact, feasibility, and fit with the Biodiv'Sport mission.
• Results: Winners are slated to be announced in late October 2026, with projects scheduled to start in 2027.

Applications are assessed in two stages. First, each proposal is checked against the eligibility requirements, which cover the applicant’s legal status, core mission, alignment with IUCN Red List species or ecosystems, and the inclusion of sport. Proposals that pass this screening are then reviewed by a selection committee made up of Play for Nature experts and, at times, external conservation specialists.

The committee weighs several factors when judging shortlisted projects: the expected contribution to biodiversity conservation, how original and workable sport is as a tool for raising awareness, the practicality of the implementation plan, the applicant organisation’s capacity, and whether the budget is clear and realistic. Successful applicants are chosen on the strength of these criteria, with the results announced in late October for projects starting the following year.