English Language Olympics

What English Language Olympics does

English Language Olympics (ELO) is an annual educational competition operated by MASA for International Exams (MIE) and held since 2016 in Amman, Jordan. The competition is structured around two age-tiered products — ELO Junior for students aged 6-12 (priced at approximately $500 per team) and ELO Senior for students aged 13-17 (priced at approximately $900 per team) — with an additional International Track for non-Arabic-speaking public schools. Each competition round includes written, oral, and performance-based English-language challenges designed for school teams.

ELO generates revenue through four streams: per-team participation fees, a five-tier sponsorship structure (Platinum, Gold A/B, Silver, Bronze, Friends of ELO) currently supporting 52 sponsors, on-site merchandise sales, and paid exhibition booths for institutional partners. Participation has scaled from 35 teams across 3 countries in 2016 to a projected 350 teams across 70 countries in 2026, supported by a franchise program that enables local partners to operate ELO-branded events. The 2026 edition will be hosted at Jeddah University and King Abdulaziz University in Saudi Arabia, marking ELO's first move outside Jordan. The organization is led by Chairman Dr. Majed Hamed and operates with approximately 12 employees.

Name

English Language Olympics

Legal name

English Language Olympia

Website

https://elo.international

Company type

Private

Founded year

2016

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

English Language Olympics is an annual school-team English-language competition founded in 2016, serving students aged 6-17 across 70 countries. It operates via team registration fees, tiered sponsorships, and a franchise model, and is relocating to Saudi Arabia in 2026.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Educational Competitions & Events

NAICS

Educational Services (611), All Other Schools and Instruction (61169)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro industry

PRIMARYEDAMAGAF

Quiz Bowl & Academic Team Competitions

Education/Supplemental & Enrichment Programs (Arts, STEM, Language)/Academic Clubs & Competitions (Debate, Model UN, Olympiads)

SECONDARYEDAMAJAJ

ESL/ELL Literacy & Academic English Support

Education/Supplemental & Enrichment Programs (Arts, STEM, Language)/Reading, Writing & Literacy Enrichment

Keywords

• Educational competitions
• English language olympiad
• School team competitions
• Youth education events
• Educational assessment services

Headquarters

HQ city

Amman

HQ country

Jordan

HQ region

Middle East

Offices3 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Team Participation Fees: Registration fees charged to participating teams: ELO Senior (ages 11-17) at $900 per team with 5-7 members plus 2 adult coaches; ELO Junior (ages 6-10) at $500 per team with 3-5 members plus 1 adult coach
2. Sponsorship Packages: Tiered sponsorship revenue from corporate sponsors: Main Sponsor (20000JD), Gold Sponsor (10000JD), Silver Sponsor (5000JD), Bronze Sponsor (3000JD), Strategic Sponsor (Service provision)
3. Merchandise Sales: Sale of ELO branded merchandise including T-shirts and accessories through the ELO shop
4. Exhibition Booth Rental: Revenue from businesses renting exhibition booths at ELO events

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

English Language Olympics (ELO) is an annual educational team competition for school students aged 6–17, organized by MASA for International Exams (MIE). Schools register teams of 5–7 students (Senior, ages 11–17, $900/team) or 3–5 students (Junior, ages 6–10, $500/team) who compete across five topics: Theatrical Performance, Project, Local Community Service, English Language Test, and Teamwork. Teams from Jordan, Saudi Arabia, Egypt, and Iraq must qualify through National Olympiads to advance to the International ELO held annually in Jordan or Saudi Arabia.

Product overview

English Language Olympia (ELO) is a unified educational competition platform organized by MASA for International Exams (MIE) for school students aged 6-17. The core product consists of two competition divisions: ELO Senior (11-17 years, $900/team) and ELO Junior (6-10 years, $500/team). Teams compete across five topics: Theatrical Performance, Project, Community Service, English Language Test, and Teamwork. The platform includes an online registration system (elosystem.net), coach training workshops, professional certificates, merchandise (clothing and accessories), downloadable booklets, and corporate sponsorship packages. ELO 2026 marks the expansion to an International track held in Saudi Arabia, with AI as the annual theme. The competition is held annually in Jordan at Applied Science University, with the 2026 International event at Jeddah University.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• ELO Senior Competition (Ages 11-17) Annual English-language team competition for school students aged 11-17, consisting of teams of 5-7 students plus two adult coaches. Teams compete across five topics (Theatrical Performance, Project, Local Community Service, English Language Test, Teamwork) for $900 per team registration fee. Includes participation in all competition categories, workshop access for coaches, materials, medallions, certificates, and meals during the Olympia.
• ELO Junior Competition (Ages 6-10) Annual English-language team competition for school students aged 6-10, consisting of teams of 3-5 students plus one adult coach. Teams compete in theatrical show and other age-appropriate English-language activities for $500 per team registration fee. Includes participation materials, medallions, certificates, and meals during the Olympia.
• ELO Corporate Sponsorship Packages Multi-tier corporate sponsorship offering for companies seeking brand visibility and CSR positioning at ELO events. Tiers include Main Sponsor (20,000 JOD), Gold Sponsor (10,000 JOD), Silver Sponsor (5,000 JOD), Bronze Sponsor (3,000 JOD), and Strategic Sponsor (service provision in lieu of monetary payment). Sold on multi-year contracts.
• ELO Branded Merchandise Official ELO branded merchandise sold through the online shop, including T-shirts available in sizes S-XXL and various colors (Black, Blue, Navy, White, Yellow) priced at 5 JOD, plus accessories.
• ELO Franchise Program

Quantifiable outcome

• Participants improved English language skills through competitive team activities
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers7 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature1 record

Partnerships

Nine partnerships are on record, tiered flagship, core, major and minor.

• Jeddah UniversityflagshipStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2026Exclusive host for ELO 2026 event. Jeddah University is one of the newest universities in Saudi Arabia, aligning with Vision 2030 through specialized programs that meet the needs of the job market and contribute to the preparation of future leaders.
• MASA for International Exams (MIE)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerParent organization that organizes the English Language Olympia. A multiregional company specialized in holding competitions, international testing, and providing tailored English language education solutions.
• Jordanian Prime Minister / Ministers of EducationflagshipOthersAnnual events held under the patronage of Jordanian Prime Ministers and various Ministers of Education, Culture, Health, and Youth from 2016 to present
• Main Sponsors (60+ entities)majorGTM or Marketing PartnerMain Sponsors contributing at the highest tier, providing significant financial and promotional support for ELO events. Includes major corporations across various industries.
• Diamond Sponsors (15+ entities)majorGTM or Marketing PartnerDiamond tier sponsors providing substantial support including brand visibility at events and marketing promotion through the ELO platform.
• Gold, Silver, Bronze SponsorsminorGTM or Marketing PartnerMulti-tiered sponsorship program with varying levels of brand exposure and event participation rights across Gold, Silver, and Bronze categories.
• Strategic SponsorscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerOrganizations providing service provision in lieu of monetary sponsorship, contributing specialized expertise or resources to ELO operations.
• Media SponsorsminorGTM or Marketing PartnerMedia partners providing coverage and promotional support for ELO events across various communication channels.
• National Olympia Organizing BodiescoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorNational organizing committees in Jordan, Saudi Arabia, Egypt, and Iraq that conduct National English Language Olympia and qualify teams for International ELO participation.

Scale indicators8 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• British Council: International organization promoting English language learning and cultural exchange globally. Comparable to ELO in addressing the English-language-learning market for school-aged students in MENA and beyond, though operating at much larger scale with broader educational programming.
• IDP Education: Global education services company offering English language testing (IELTS) and international student placement. Comparable to ELO in serving the English-language-for-school-students market with international examination and credentialing infrastructure.
• Cambridge Assessment English: Provider of English language qualifications (Cambridge English exams) globally. Comparable to ELO in the English language assessment and certification space for school students, though at substantially larger scale and broader geographic reach.

Emerging players

• International Debate Education Association (IDEA): Global organization running debate and public speaking competitions for school students. Comparable to ELO in using team-based competitive formats to develop English communication skills among school-aged learners, with international participation.
• International Science Olympiad (ISO): International academic olympiad for school students in science subjects. Comparable to ELO as a globally organized academic olympiad with national qualification pathways and team-based competition, though ELO focuses on English language rather than science.
• Best Delegate (Model UN programs): Organizer of Model United Nations conferences for school students globally. Comparable to ELO as a competitive academic team event format targeting school-aged participants with cross-cultural and communication themes.

Direct peers

• World Scholar's Cup: Global academic team competition for school students featuring team-based challenges across multiple subjects. Highly comparable to ELO in format (teams competing in themed academic events), target market (school-aged students), and international expansion model (Global Round events across continents).
• National Academic Quiz Tournaments (NAQT): Organizer of academic quiz bowl competitions for schools and universities across the US. Comparable to ELO in operating academic team competitions for school students, though focused on quiz-format rather than multi-category events.
• Academic Decathlon (United States Academic Decathlon): Team-based academic competition for high school students covering multiple subject areas with annual themes. Comparable to ELO as a thematically-organized, multi-category team academic competition with regional and national qualifiers feeding into a flagship event.

Others

• MASA for International Exams (MIE): Parent organization of ELO, specializing in international testing, competitions, and tailored English language education solutions across multiple regions. Comparable as the operating umbrella under which ELO runs, sharing brand and infrastructure.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/english-language-olympics

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about English Language Olympics