This report summarises the key learnings and insights, gathered by three master’s students from Loughborough University, London, through their research conducted in collaboration with the Olympism365 Innovation Hub - Natsuko Yoshiki, Arjan Singh, and Sanidhya Mittal.
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Executive Summary
The O365 Innovation Hub’s Knowledge Exchange team has worked with three master's students from the Loughborough London Sports Business Institute to conduct research to help the Hub understand what and how innovation takes place within the Hub and identify opportunities to support innovation further.
The students’ research identified key needs for the Hub to address:
There is a need for new funding mechanisms
New funding models need to be explored and tested to identify risks and benefits
Grantees need M&E support to help them fulfil funders’ M&E requirements
Innovation can take the form of using existing, low-cost tools
Innovators need support to make use of low-cost tools for more ease and efficiency
Building internal digital literacy to reduce perceived cost and ethical concerns
These findings highlight that there is further support the Hub can offer to grantees, building on skills for M&E, building digital literacy, and investigating innovative funding mechanisms further.
About the Olympism365 Innovation Hub
The Olympism365 Innovation Hub, launched by the IOC with Beyond Sport and Women Win, has played a catalytic role in enabling innovation at multiple levels, through supporting community-rooted initiatives, social enterprise models, cross-sector coalitions, and emerging technologies (Olympism365 Innovation Hub consortium leads: Women Win and Beyond Sport). By supporting diverse actors with flexible funding, convening opportunities, and shared infrastructure, the Olympism365 Innovation Hub has created a platform where innovation can be tested, refined, and scaled.
Cover Photo Credit: Eleven Campaign, Tech365 Innovator