Play International Group Limited

What Play International Group Limited does

PLAY International is a French non-profit association (Association loi 1901, SIREN 424-901-916) founded in 1999 and operating as a member of Groupe SOS. The organization uses sport and play as educational levers to address societal challenges — including school access and retention, gender equality, disability inclusion, refugee integration, health prevention, environmental awareness, and conflict resolution — for children aged 6 to 15. Its core intellectual property is Playdagogie, a proprietary active and participatory pedagogy codified in 2012 that combines symbolic sports games with structured advocacy sessions, refined over 26 years of field practice.

The product portfolio is anchored by the Playdagogie methodology, the Playlab social-innovation structure (launched 2018 at INSEP Paris), and the free online Médiathèque Pédagogique containing specialized kits (Sport et TSA for autism, Together Through Sport for refugees, ASE kits for child welfare, Play'in Together for disability inclusion, and the newer Playdagogie Environnement). Distribution occurs through three channels: (1) a global self-serve digital library requiring only registration; (2) regional field implementation via trained educators and local partner organizations (schools, sports clubs, community NGOs); and (3) institutional implementation partnerships with Expertise France and similar agencies. The organization has reached 1.3 million beneficiaries and trained 23,434 education professionals across six core countries (France, Burundi, Rwanda, DRC, Senegal, Kosovo) with broader references to 14+ geographies.

The business model is grant- and donation-funded rather than commercially revenue-generating. All pedagogical resources are provided free of charge. Funding comes from institutional grants (AFD, EU/Erasmus+, French Ministry of Foreign Affairs, GPE, Australian Government, ANCT, Île-de-France Region), corporate foundation donations (Société Générale, Crédit Agricole, FDJ, Air France, Hachette, Fitness Park, Nike), and individual giving via events (Vertigo race, annual gala). Strategic partners include UEFA Foundation, Olympic Refuge Foundation, and French sports federations (FFF, FFR), which embed Playdagogie into national coach training curricula. The organization is led by Executive Director David Blough and Directrice générale Guillemette Petit.

Name

Play International Group Limited

Legal name

PLAY INTERNATIONAL

Website

https://play-international.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1999

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

PLAY International is a French non-profit founded in 1999 that uses sport-based pedagogy (Playdagogie) and a free online pedagogical library to deliver education, inclusion, and social development programs for children aged 6-15 across 6+ countries, funded by institutional grants and corporate donations.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Sport-for-Development Education

NAICS

Sports and Recreation Instruction (611620), Sports and Recreation Instruction (61162)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200), Services-Membership Sports & Recreation Clubs (7997)

akta.pro primary industry

Youth Development & Sports Outreach Programs (EDAIAGAG)

akta.pro secondary industry

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

Keywords

• Sport for development
• Education through sport
• Social inclusion programs
• Pedagogical methodology
• Youth education services

Headquarters

HQ city

Saint-ouen

HQ country

France

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Donations and Grants: PLAY International operates as a non-profit association (French law 1901) funded primarily through donations from individuals and corporate partners, as well as institutional grants from governments and development agencies such as AFD, EU, and French Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Play International is a French non-profit that designs and delivers educational programs using sport as a pedagogical lever for children aged 6–15. Its core offering centers on the proprietary Playdagogie methodology, packaged into free downloadable pedagogical kits, the open-access Médiathèque Pédagogique, and the Playlab social-innovation structure that incubates sport-based solutions for societal issues such as gender equality, disability inclusion, refugee integration, and health prevention.

Product overview

Play International offers a portfolio centered on Playdagogie, their core methodology using sporting games for education and social awareness. The Playlab innovation structure drives social innovation through sport internationally. Their Pedagogical Library provides free resources including specialized kits for themes including autism (Sport et TSA), refugees (Together Through Sport), social inclusion, academic success, disability awareness, and gender equality. All products use sport and play as levers for education, inclusion, and well-being for children aged 6-15.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Playdagogie: An active and participatory pedagogy based on sports games that aims to raise children's awareness of societal issues in a fun and positive way.
• Playlab

Products and services

• Playdagogie Proprietary active and participatory pedagogy using sporting games as a vehicle to transmit educational content and train educators, teachers, and animators in awareness and prevention programs covering inclusion, gender equality, disability, and health.
• Playlab First international structure dedicated to social innovation through sport, fostering the emergence and acceleration of collective solutions to societal challenges through sports-based approaches.
• Médiathèque Pédagogique (Pedagogical Library)

Quantifiable outcome

• 1.3 million beneficiaries reached through inclusive and educational activities
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers5 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Ten partnerships are on record, tiered core, minor and moderate.

• Agence Française de Développement (AFD)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerMajor institutional partner providing funding for development projects in Africa and other regions. Supports programs including the AMEP project in Burundi and Playdagogie deployment in various countries.
• Expertise FrancecoreImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerFrench international technical expertise agency implementing development projects in partnership with PLAY International, including the 'Pour Elles: Sport et Culture' project in Kinshasa.
• NikeminorGTM or Marketing PartnerCorporate sponsor providing support for PLAY International's sports and education programs.
• UEFA FoundationmoderateStrategic or Co-development PartnerFoundation supporting projects using football/sport for social development and children's welfare.
• Olympic Refuge FoundationmoderateStrategic or Co-development PartnerSupporting sport and refugee integration programs, particularly in Kosovo and Western Balkans.
• Fédération Française de Football (FFF)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership for deploying Playdagogie Environnement in French football training programs and digital education kits.
• Fédération Française de Rugby (FFR)moderateStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership for developing and distributing digital education kits for rugby coaches.
• French Ministry of Sports and Youth (Kosovo)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerGovernment ministry supporting sport-for-development initiatives in Kosovo.
• People in NeedmoderateStrategic or Co-development PartnerInternational NGO partner for Sport4Refugees project in Slovakia and other programs.
• Handicap InternationalmoderateStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership for inclusion and disability-focused programs using sport as a vehicle.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Market position

Competitive moat4 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/playinternational

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles4 records

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 Play International Group Limited