Woman in media being filmed at the stadium

Strategic Partnerships

Discover how Team Up's strategic partnerships boost capacity, strengthen institutions, support global sport for development, and engage in public diplomacy.

programs initiatives

Strategic Partnerships

The Team Up design includes two partnership streams, sport for development partnerships and strategic partnerships to support the achievement of Team Up end-of-program outcomes. Strategic partnerships, can be defined as partnerships facilitating:

•    The enhancement of capacity and progress towards themes and focus areas related to Team Up end-of-program outcomes
•    Strengthening of institutional capacity
•    Delivery of contributions towards regional and global sport for development communities of practice
•    Engagement in broad public diplomacy opportunities

Please see below the current Team Up strategic partnerships that help support sport for development initiatives, contribute to regional and global communities of practice, and drive progress towards Team Up’s end-of-program outcomes.

Pacific women in media undergo training in Brisbane

Australian Broadcasting Corporation International Development (ABCID)

A strategic partnership with the Australian Broadcasting Corporation International Development (ABCID) has been implemented to increase opportunities and enhance the profile of women in sport across the Asia-Pacific region.

The Women in News and Sport (WINS) program, delivered by ABCID, aims to address under-representation of women in sports media in the Asia-Pacific region by:
1.    Increasing the profile of women in sport
2.    Increasing opportunities for women in sports media and journalism
3.    Providing opportunities for Team Up/DFAT to engage in policy dialogue around gender equality and social inclusion through sports diplomacy

With a focus on capacity building and mentorship the program works to increase opportunities for women, enhance regional media networks, and support the generation and promotion of Asia-Pacific media content to Australian and global audiences.

International Platform on Sport and Development

The International Platform on Sport and Development (sportanddev) is the leading global hub for individuals and organisations using sport to achieve social, economic and environmental objectives. sportanddev is recognised globally as the leading platform to share knowledge, build good practice, facilitate coordination and foster partnerships between and within the sport for development sector.

As part of the strategic partnership, Team Up sits on the Steering Board on behalf of the Australian Government and in 2020, Team Up was appointed as the Chair of the Steering Board. As a member of the Steering Board, Team Up (and the Australian Government) enjoy the following benefits:
•    International visibility through a variety of on and offline platforms and channels
•    Creditability within the sport for development sector
•    Access to key players and international working groups
•    Support and guidance from the platform operating team and their networks
•    Knowledge and insights on key issues and latest developments across the sector from around the world
•    Direct access to ensure Asia-Pacific is included as a key focus in strategic direction, content and international best practice
•    The opportunity to contribute to the strategic direction of the platform and the work being carried out at policy level advocating for the wider use of sport in addressing the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)
•    Access to live streaming and online facilitation events for partner organisation
•    Direct access to contribute to innovations across the broader sector

This strategic partnership between sportanddev and Team Up also included an investment as a founding partner, alongside the Commonwealth Secretariat and sportanddev, in the design and development of the first sport for development massive open online course (MOOC). This course is for anyone interested in how sport can be used in development, including government officials, intergovernmental officers, sport organisations, public policy experts, private sector professionals, and civil society.

International Safeguards for Children in Sport

To protect and safeguard children globally taking part in sport, the International Safeguards for Children in Sport have been developed to provide individuals and organisations with a standard framework and guidelines to help ensure that sport is doing everything it can to ensure it is safe, inclusive and accessible to all. As a leader in this area, in 2008 the Australian Government became the first bilateral donor and Commonwealth agency to develop and implement a child protection policy, making it a mandatory requirement of funding that organisations have in place a child protection policy to ensure children are kept safe.

In 2017, through the Pacific Sports Partnerships program, the Australian Government was invited to sit on the International Safeguarding for Children in Sport Advisory Board. A representative from the Australian Government actively participated on the Advisory Board from 2017-2018, at which time they requested Team Up to represent them on the Advisory Board from 2019 onwards.
The International Safeguards for Children in Sport Advisory Board aims to:
•    Help create a safe sporting environment for children wherever they participate and at whatever level.
•    Provide guidance to sports providers so they can ensure organisations they work with know how to protect children.
•    Promote good practice for sporting organisations to follow and challenge practice that is harmful to children.
•    Provide clarity on safeguarding children so all those involved in sport know how to keep children safe.

In addition to being a member of the Advisory Board, a representative from Team Up also sits on the Working Group which aims to:
• Raise awareness of safeguarding and the safeguards among individuals, organisations governments and the broader sporting community.
• Support organisations to access effective advice, support and resources.

International Olympic Committee's Olympism365 Strategy

In 2024, the Australian Government, in partnership with the International Olympic Committee (IOC) as part of its Olympism365 strategy, announced a co-investment partnership to enhance funding opportunities for community-based sport and play initiatives across the Pacific and identified through the Play for Equity Fund. This partnership broadens the scope of sport for development partnerships under Team Up. This strategic partnership recognises the value of Team Up within the global sport community and the impact the program is having in the Pacific.

The partnership between IOC through its Olympism365 strategy and Team Up is aligned to the efforts of the Oceania Impact Network, a collective of committed stakeholders who share a common vision of promoting gender equality, inclusion, and safety in and through sport in the Pacific region, and currently comprises of, the Oceania National Olympic Committees Equity Commission, the UN Women Fiji Multi-Country Office, Team Up and the
IOC through Olympism 365 and Olympic Solidarity.