AIMS Membership Application Process

The AIMS Membership application process is open to any International Federations governing a sport at the world level that are interested in joining the Olympic Movement.

SportAccord in cooperation with AIMS manages the AIMS Membership process and criteria, being the collective body of the Umbrella Organisations (ASOIF, WOF, ARISF and AIMS).

The AIMS Membership criteria are divided in 3 groups:

• General
• Legitimacy
• Sport Governance

See details in the sections below

1. 2 years of existence

2. Not-for-profit or equivalent status

3. Universality:

1. 30 Approved National Federations (NFs) from a minimum of 3 continents (for Winter Sports
2. 60 Approved National Federations (NFs) from a minimum of 3 continents (for Summer Sports)

SportAccord will assess whether a National Federation (NF) from any country (defined as a state with a National Olympic Committee recognised by the IOC) meets the necessary organisational, activity, and governance standards to be considered approved.

The NF’s of the Applicant will be evaluated on the following:

1. 1. 1. Strategic plan
      2. Annual activity reports
      3. Organisation of development programmes (including for youth)
      4. Digital media/on-line presence
      5. Financial statements
      6. General assemblies
      7. Electoral rules
      8. National Championship and competitions calendar
      9. Grassroots programmes
      10. List of stakeholders
      11. Official registration
      12. Statutes
      13. Not-for-profit status
      14. Recognition Certificate from National Olympic Committee or National State Authority (i.e Sport Ministry)
      15. Relationship with other Organisations

4. Organisational standard compliance. The applicant will be evaluated on the following:

1. Organisational chart
2. Strategic plan
3. Organisation of development programmes (including for youth)
4. Sport presentation (including for youth)
5. Annual activity reports
6. Digital media
7. Audited financial statement
8. General assemblies
9. Election rules

5. Activities standard compliance. The applicant will be evaluated on the following:

1. List of international competitions
2. List of stakeholders
3. Support for NFs/members
4. Support for continental bodies
5. Support for athletes
6. Program for athletes health
7. Athletes’ representation in governing bodies
8. Gender representation in governing bodies
9. Organisation of Sport for All events
10. Program for athletes with disabilities
11. Program for athletes’ entourage

6. Governance standard compliance. The applicant will be evaluated on the following:

1. Official registration (2 years existence minimum)
2. Statutes
3. Sport rules
4. Code of ethics
5. Conflict of interest policy
6. Gender equality policy
7. Code of conduct
8. Sustainability policy
9. Anti-doping risk assessment (based on the evaluation of the risk assessment the Applicant will be requested to become Signatory of the World Anti-Doping Code or submit a legally binding letter committing to acquire this status)
10. Anti-doping rules
11. Anti-doping statistics
12. Manipulation of competition rules
13. Anti-doping education
14. Social programmes
15. Good governance self-assessment

The legitimacy criteria examine whether there are multiple applicants or other organisations claiming to be the governing body for the sport. The applicant must demonstrate that it is the legitimate governing body. The following aspects will be evaluated to determine the applicant’s legitimacy:

1. Origin of the sport and any rivalry with existing members of the recognised sport movement
2. Sport rules
3. Good governance of the applicant(s) (assessed via the self-assessment tool developed by ASOIF)
4. Number of members/national federations
5. Number of recognition certificates from national federations, either from the National Olympic Committee (NOC) or the National Sport Authority (NSA), such as a sports ministry
6. Popularity of the sport (e.g., number of licensed athletes, media exposure, broadcasting, online presence, etc.)
7. Geographical distribution of the sport
8. Overall structure and development of the Applicant(s)
9. The nature of any conflicts with other sport organisations claiming to be the governing body for the sport.

Sport governance criteria are similar to the legitimacy criteria and examine whether there are compatibility issues between the applicant(s) and a member of an umbrella organisation (ASOIF, WOF, ARISF, and AIMS members) or other organisations recognised by the IOC (e.g., International Paralympic Committee, Commonwealth Games Federation, etc.). The following aspects will be evaluated to determine whether there is a compatibility issue:

1. Origin of the sport, and any rivalry to existing members of the recognised sport movement
2. Sport rules
3. Good governance of the applicant(s) (assessed via the self-assessment tool developed by ASOIF)
4. Number of members/national federations
5. Number of recognition certificates from the national federations, either from the National Olympic Committee (NOC) or the National Sport Authority (NSA), such as a sports ministry
6. Popularity of the sport (e.g., number of licensed athletes, media exposure, broadcasting, online presence, etc.)
7. Geographical distribution of the sport
8. Overall structure and development of the Applicant(s)
9. The nature of any conflicts with members of an umbrella organisation (ASOIF, WOF, ARISF, and AIMS members) or other IOC-recognised organisations. Any outcomes of these conflicts, including CAS decisions where applicable, will also be evaluated to assess compliance with the sport governance criteria.

1. Send a letter of intent
2. Sign an Acknowledgement Form (you can download the document by clicking here)
3. Pay the Membership Application Fee (25,000 CHF).  This fee is not refundable

A discounted fee (10,000 CHF) applies to former GAISF Observers 

Upon completion of these first three steps, the applicant will receive access to an online platform to submit the application file and all related documents.

Decisions on AIMS membership are made by the SportAccord Executive Committee once a year, typically during the SportAccord World Sport & Business Summit. As a result, applicants must submit their full application file several months before the Summit, which usually takes place in April. The submission deadline varies each year. For 2025, the deadline is 28th February 2025.

An application can be started at any time, and the application fee is valid for up to 4 years. This gives each applicant a maximum of 4 years from the date of completing the first three steps of the application process (see point 4 above) to successfully complete their application.

For clarity, the applicant does not need to wait until the end of the 4-year period. If the applicant meets the criteria sooner, their application will be presented to the Executive Committee at the next opportunity, as decisions are made once a year. Therefore, applicants may complete the process successfully within the first year if their file is ready and all criteria are fulfilled.

If the applicant does not become an AIMS member within the 4-year period, or if their application is refused earlier, the application will be terminated. In such cases, the applicant would need to reapply and pay a new membership application fee if they wish to pursue membership again.

The SportAccord Membership Commission evaluates the submitted documents and verifies whether the applicant meets the required criteria. The Membership Commission is composed of one representative from each of the umbrella organisations (ASOIF, WOF, ARISF, and AIMS) and one representative from the IOC, and it is chaired by the AIMS representative.

With support from the SportAccord Administration and Membership Team, the Membership Commission prepares a report for the SportAccord Executive Committee. The Executive Committee then reviews this report and decides whether the applicant has met the necessary criteria to become an AIMS member.

To summarise, the application process consists of three phases:

1. Initial Phase: The applicant submits a letter of intent, signs the acknowledgement form, and pays the membership application fee.
2. Assessment Phase: The applicant submits the required documentation, which is then reviewed and assessed by the Membership Commission.
3. Decision Phase: The SportAccord Executive Committee reviews the assessment and determines whether the applicant qualifies for AIMS membership by meeting all the AIMS membership criteria.

Yes, applicants will be in regular contact with the SportAccord Administration and Membership Team, who will provide guidance throughout the process.

Additionally, before the application process is completed, the SportAccord Administration may send an intermediary report to the applicant. This report is intended to help identify any technical issues and provide guidance to ensure the applicant can address these matters and make any necessary adjustments before the final submission to the Membership Commission.

The SportAccord Executive Committee reviews the report provided by the Membership Commission and determines whether the applicant has met the AIMS membership criteria.

1. a) Negative Outcome: If the SportAccord Executive Committee decides that the applicant has not met one or more criteria, the application is terminated. The applicant will receive a report detailing which AIMS membership criteria were met and which were not, along with the relevant scores where applicable.
2. b) Positive Outcome: If the SportAccord Executive Committee concludes that the applicant has met all the AIMS membership criteria, the applicant is deemed qualified, and AIMS membership is approved.

For any queries or to begin your application, please contact [email protected]