As part of the Champions League Final, which will take place in Munich on May 31, 2025, UEFA is holding an innovation competition. The Champions Innovate program was developed to address significant current challenges and foster innovation. Originally conceived by the UEFA Innovation Hub, Champions Innovate is a partnership between UEFA, the City of Munich, the German Football Association (DFB), and the UEFA Champions League's commercial partners, Mastercard and Adidas.
The competition is looking for new ideas in the field of promoting physical activity and healthy lifestyles. The two sponsoring partners have formulated specific challenges for which startups can submit their solutions. In a co-creation project with Mastercard or Adidas, supported by the UEFA Innovation Hub, the solution will be further developed over three months.
Specifically, Mastercard's mission involves a digital innovation that makes sports more inclusive and accessible. The goal is to remove barriers to participation in organized (club) sports. Adidas, on the other hand, envisions a project that will successfully keep younger generations in particular away from screens and integrate more physical activity into everyday life.
Champions Innovate will kick off in autumn
The Champions Innovate program launches this fall. Sponsoring partners will support the selected startups throughout the process and hold workshops in winter and spring. Two days before the UEFA Champions League final, the pilot projects will be presented at a final event in the ballroom of the Old Town Hall. This will serve as a starting point for further collaboration with the startups.
In addition to the opportunity to establish valuable contacts and advance their innovation, the selected startups will receive financial support of 50,000 euros to offset the costs associated with implementing the pilot program.
Startups that have been on the market for at least two years and have a Minimum Viable Product (MVP) can participate. Ideally, there is a connection to MunichHowever, applications are open to start-ups from all over the world.
All information about UEFA Champions Innovate, including the application form, can be found on the dedicated website. The application period ends on October 20, 2024.
