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Together for popular sports: spized and FAIRPLAID launch crowdfunding initiative for sports clubs

Cologne, 21 February 2025 - The sporting goods manufacturer spized and the crowdfunding provider FAIRPLAID are joining forces to provide sports clubs with financial start-up support for their team equipment. With special start-up financing, clubs are to be supported in launching and successfully realising their own crowdfunding projects on the FAIRPLAID platform.

In a double interview, Ansgar Pfeifenbring, Head of Sales at spized, and Michael Gerken, Head of Impact at FAIRPLAID, explain how their cooperation is sustainably strengthening grassroots sport in Germany.

spized | Club management

March 28, 2025 |

Whats’ on this page

1. How did the cooperation come about?

2. What exactly is behind the campaign and how do sports clubs actually benefit from it?

3. How does the start-up funding work and which organisations can apply?

4. Apart from the cooperation project with FAIRPLAID, what does spized offer associations to improve their financial situation?

5. What is the bigger vision behind the project and are there plans to expand support or other joint projects?

6. How participation works

7. To the companies

How did the cooperation come about?

Pfeifenbring: Right at the beginning of my time at spized, we decided that we would look for strategic partners as multipliers in popular sport. The recipe is simple: two companies that serve the same target group, have no competing products and see how they can support each other. FAIRPLAID was at the top of my list right from the start, as both companies also have a very large overlap in purpose. We both want to promote grassroots sport: FAIRPLAID with its innovative financing option, we with a product that is otherwise only reserved for elite sport. Translated with DeepL.com (free version)

Gerken: Our companies already know each other from the past, particularly through our joint involvement in sports clubs. Specifically, the idea of working together came about during a meeting in the neighbourhood in Hamburg, where we discussed the promotion of sports clubs in depth. It became increasingly clear to us that we could develop a joint approach to provide targeted support to clubs.

What exactly is behind the campaign and how do sports clubs actually benefit from it?

Pfeifenbring: Crowdfunding is an innovative way to finance projects that would otherwise lack the funds. The required amount of money is divided among the ‘whole crowd’ - a large number of potential supporters - so that the individual's contribution can be lower. Especially at a time when clubs are struggling to find large sponsors, crowdfunding offers clubs the chance to realise their projects - whether it's for investments in infrastructure, travel costs to special competitions or the purchase of new sports equipment such as jerseys. We at spized find this mechanism so simple and effective that we would like to support it.

Gerken: The campaign gives sports clubs the opportunity to jointly finance their jerseys via crowdfunding. The fact that sponsors can be sought out and involved in a targeted manner is particularly exciting. FAIRPLAID supports the clubs throughout the entire process with experienced project coaches. This not only benefits them financially, but also structurally - they gain new members, volunteers and sponsors, which sustainably improves the organisation of the association.

How does the start-up funding work and which organisations can apply?

Pfeifenbring: We would like to offer a positive incentive to all clubs or club teams that are interested in customised sports equipment and want to raise the funds via a crowdfunding project. That's why we support the clubs with 11 per cent start-up funding from a funding amount of €2,000. For example, if a club wants to finance jerseys, shorts and tracksuits worth €5,000, the first €550 goes to us so that the club only has to raise €4,450 through the campaign.

Gerken: Thanks to spized's support, the clubs are given an additional incentive to get active and involve their community - so even more teams benefit from the funding. All sports teams that want to realise a clearly defined jersey project with a minimum target sum of €2,000 can apply. Applications can be submitted directly via www.Fairplaid.org/spized and are aimed at teams from a wide range of sports.

Apart from the cooperation project with FAIRPLAID, what does spized offer associations to improve their financial situation?

Pfeifenbring: With our product, we primarily enable clubs to save money, as we have tailored spized precisely to the needs of the clubs. We have looked at which factors drive up the costs of financing club equipment the most - and eliminated these as far as possible. It is particularly worth emphasising that we already include embellishments such as logos, names and numbers in the price. This means that lovely details, such as the club hashtag on the neck, can be realised without placing an additional burden on the club's finances. Thanks to the sublimation printing process, these finishes are also much more durable - which prevents expensive repeat orders. In addition, the customised design, which is created using our 3D configurator, can be reordered at any time. This saves large clubs not only costs but also administrative effort over several years. In principle, it is also possible to actively earn money by selling merchandise products, but this tends to be the exception in the amateur sector.

What is the bigger vision behind the project and are there plans to expand support or other joint projects?

Pfeifenbring: spized will continue to promote grassroots sport in Germany through its involvement in FAIRPLAID. All of our colleagues know from their own experience what a positive impact sport has on our society. We are convinced that with our customised, passionate jerseys, which also offer financial benefits, we can make an important contribution that will bring even more enthusiasm to sport. Sports clubs are at the centre of positive values for us, which is why we are planning further measures to relieve the burden on voluntary work and optimally position the clubs for the future. One example: for the past year, we have been offering free webinars in which club representatives can receive further training on specific topics - an offer that we definitely want to expand further in 2025.

Gerken: We are delighted that we have been able to create an additional funding opportunity for associations with this initiative. Our aim is to give as many clubs as possible access to funding and at the same time strengthen their internal organisation. Depending on the needs of the clubs, further joint projects could follow in the future to provide even more comprehensive support for grassroots sport.

How participation works

Clubs wishing to benefit from the start-up funding can apply for it via a FAIRPLAID campaign - as long as the funding pot is still full. The funding is aimed at teams from different sports who would like to realise a clearly defined project with a minimum target sum of €2,000. Further information on the cooperation and the process can be found at: https://fairplaid.org/spized

To the companies

spized is a leading provider of customised sportswear and enables clubs, teams and groups in more than 20 sports to design their own sportswear and order it directly online. The mission of the Cologne-based company is to bring colour, creativity and personality into the grey everyday life of sporting goods and thus make possible for all amateur athletes what is already standard in professional sport: to pursue their passion in individual clothing of the highest quality - and not in mass-produced off-the-peg clothing. These creative design options and other innovative advantages for clubs, teams and groups in the design and ordering process make spized the perfect partner for popular sports.

FAIRPLAID is Germany's leading crowdfunding provider in the sports sector and helps clubs and athletes to raise funds for their projects. The aim is to ensure that every meaningful sports project can be realised. FAIRPLAID supports project starters with personalised support and advice and helps to strengthen social cohesion. Together, the two companies now want to offer sports clubs a new way to secure funding for their team equipment.