International School Sport Federation

What International School Sport Federation does

The International School Sport Federation (ISF) is a non-profit international sports federation headquartered at Maison du Sport International in Lausanne, Switzerland. Founded in 1972 and recognized by the International Olympic Committee since 1995, ISF serves as the governing body for school sport worldwide, organizing international multi-sport competitions (the Gymnasiade and World School Championships) and educational programs for youth, PE teachers, and coaches. Its member base spans national school sport federations globally, with documented reach of 30,000+ youth, 5,000+ PE teachers in its network, 3,500+ coaches, and 100+ Schools in Motion accreditation affiliations.

ISF's core product is event-based: the Gymnasiade (a major multi-sport school games) and the World School Championships across roughly 10 disciplines including athletics, volleyball, wrestling, judo, karate, taekwondo, chess, and virtual sports. Supporting products include the ISF Academy (hybrid expert-led masterclasses for PE teachers and coaches), the Youth Capacity Building Programme, Safeguarding and Anti-Doping courses, a Young Reporters journalism fellowship, and the Schools in Motion accreditation label. Distribution runs through national federations and the ISF-ERAS online registration platform. Core technology is not publicly disclosed; no app, API, SDK, or AI features are documented.

The federation's revenue model is event-driven and member-funded. Primary revenue streams are (1) participation and accommodation fees for ISF events (priced per participant category: Heads of Delegation, Coaches, Athletes, Additional Adults) and (2) recurring membership/affiliation fees paid by national school sport federations. Pricing for major events is not publicly itemized. Geographic reach is explicitly global, with documented activity across Europe (Switzerland), Asia (China, India), South America (Brazil), the Middle East (Qatar), and Africa (Morocco).

Name

International School Sport Federation

Legal name

International School Sport Federation

Website

https://isfsports.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1972

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

ISF is a Lausanne-based non-profit IOC-recognized federation that organizes international school sports competitions (Gymnasiade, World School Championships) and educational programs for youth, PE teachers, and coaches across its global member federation network.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

School Sport Federation Services

NAICS

Sports and Recreation Instruction (611620), Sports and Recreation Instruction (61162), All Other Schools and Instruction (61169)

SIC

Services-Membership Organizations (8600), Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro industry

PRIMARYMPAKAFAG

University/School Sport Governing Bodies (Collegiate/Scholastic Associations)

Media, Entertainment & Sports/Sports (Leagues, Teams, Events, Venues)/Sports Rights Holders & Governing Bodies (Federations, Associations, Sanctioning Bodies)

SECONDARYMPAKACAF

Youth & Scholastic Sports Organizations (K–12, AAU, Club Leagues)

Media, Entertainment & Sports/Sports (Leagues, Teams, Events, Venues)/Collegiate & Amateur Sports Organizations (NCAA, Federations, Clubs)

SECONDARYMPAKACAI

Olympic & Multi-Sport Movement Organizations (NOCs, Olympic Committees)

Media, Entertainment & Sports/Sports (Leagues, Teams, Events, Venues)/Collegiate & Amateur Sports Organizations (NCAA, Federations, Clubs)

SECONDARYMPAKACAD

Amateur Sport Governing Bodies & Federations (National/Regional)

Media, Entertainment & Sports/Sports (Leagues, Teams, Events, Venues)/Collegiate & Amateur Sports Organizations (NCAA, Federations, Clubs)

Keywords

• School sport federation
• International youth sports
• Multi-sport championships
• PE teacher training
• School sports accreditation

Headquarters

HQ city

Lausanne

HQ country

Switzerland

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Operations, Personnel, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure, Others

Revenue model

1. Event Participation Fees: Revenue generated from participation fees for ISF organized events including the Gymnasiade, World School Championships, and other international school sport competitions. Fees vary by participant category (athletes, coaches, heads of delegation).
2. Membership and Affiliation: National school sport federations pay membership/affiliation fees to participate in ISF events and programs.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

The International School Sport Federation organizes international multi-sport school competitions such as the Gymnasiade and World School Championships across roughly 10 disciplines, and delivers accompanying educational programs for PE teachers, coaches, and youth. It also runs capacity-building, safeguarding, and accreditation programs for member national school sport federations, schools, and participants worldwide.

Product overview

International School Sport Federation (ISF) operates a unified portfolio of school sports events and educational programs. The core offerings include ISF World School Championships (WSC) and the Gymnasiade — major multi-sport competitions for school students worldwide — supplemented by the ISF Academy which provides hybrid expert-led masterclasses for PE teachers and coaches. Supporting programs include the Youth Capacity Building Programme (reaching 30,000+ youth), Safeguarding & Anti-Doping courses, the Young Reporters Programme for media training, and the Schools in Motion accreditation label. Cultural activities such as gala dinners and institutional forums are woven into event programming. The federation organizes approximately 10 sports disciplines including athletics, volleyball, wrestling, judo, karate, taekwondo, chess, and virtual sports.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• ISF World School Championships (WSC) International multi-sport championships for school students covering multiple disciplines including athletics, volleyball, badminton, wrestling, golf, and football; for national school sport delegations and their student athletes.
• ISF Gymnasiade Major international multi-sport school event featuring multiple sports disciplines; considered one of the largest school sport competitions globally. Targeted at national delegations of student athletes, coaches, and heads of delegation.
• ISF Academy / ISF Education Programme Educational platform delivering masterclasses, training, and capacity-building programs for PE teachers and coaches, delivered on-site, online, or hybrid through expert-led sessions.
• Youth Capacity Building Programme Comprehensive youth development programme reaching 30,000+ youth and school children through school sport and capacity-building activities.
• Safeguarding & Anti-Doping Courses Educational courses for ISF event participants covering safeguarding standards and anti-doping awareness and compliance.
• Young Reporters Programme Fellowship programme that builds skills in youth media and sports journalism for participating students.
• Schools in Motion Accreditation Accreditation label for schools promoting health and international mobility through sport, with over 100 affiliations awarded.

Quantifiable outcome

• 30,000+ youth and school children in youth capacity building programme
• +3 more outcomes

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• World Pool-Billiard Association (WPA)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerNew partnership to expand pool-billiard in school sport. This partnership aims to integrate pool-billiard into ISF's school sport programming.

Scale indicators8 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• FISU (International University Sports Federation): FISU is the closest analogue to ISF — an IOC-recognized international federation that organizes multi-sport events for students, but at the university level (e.g., Universiade). It mirrors ISF's event-driven, federation-membership model for a closely adjacent age group.
• European School Sport Federation (ESSF): ESSF organizes school-sport competitions across Europe with the same membership-based federation model as ISF. It is a direct regional peer in the same K-12 multi-sport event category.
• Amateur Athletic Union (AAU): AAU organizes youth and scholastic athletic competitions and leagues across the United States. It is a comparable youth-school sports organization with a similar federation and event-driven operating model.
• National Federation of State High School Associations (NFHS): NFHS is the US governing body for high school athletics and a leading K-12 school sport federation. It mirrors ISF's role as an aggregator of school sport rules, events, and educator/coach development in a major single market.
• International Federation of Physical Education (FIEP): FIEP is a non-governmental organization promoting physical education and school sport globally. It overlaps with ISF's ISF Academy, masterclasses for PE teachers, and broader advocacy for school sport policy.

Others

• Commonwealth Games Federation: The Commonwealth Games Federation organizes multi-sport events and youth development programs across Commonwealth nations. It is a thematically related IOC-recognized federation with shared event and youth-development missions but not a direct K-12 competitor.
• World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA): WADA sets anti-doping standards adopted by ISF for its events and Safeguarding & Anti-Doping courses. It is an ecosystem partner rather than a competitor, but materially relevant to ISF's compliance and education product.

Broad incumbents

• Special Olympics International: Special Olympics is an IOC-recognized global sports federation organizing year-round training and competition for youth and adults with intellectual disabilities. It overlaps with ISF in IOC-recognized youth sport federation status and multi-sport event operations.

Regional players

• Asian School Sport Federation (ASSF): ASSF is the Asian regional counterpart referenced in ISF's governance activity. It organizes school-sport events across Asia and directly overlaps with ISF's geographic reach in that region.
• Pan American School Sport Confederation: The Pan American School Sport Confederation organizes school sport championships across the Americas. It serves as a regional peer that overlaps with ISF's Gymnasiade footprint in South America.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/isfsports
• YouTubeyoutube.com/@isfsports
• Facebookfacebook.com/isfsports
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/isfsports
• Instagraminstagram.com/isfsports

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about International School Sport Federation