1.1.    London is host to several of the largest sporting events in the world – including international football, rugby and athletics; and American sports such as National Football League (NFL) and Major League Baseball (MLB). London’s focus has been on competitive bidding for, securing and delivering this exciting portfolio of global major sporting events.

1.2.    It is imperative that the GLA captures clear evidence of major sport events’ impact on, and benefits to, London. This will enable the GLA to grow its portfolio and have greater overall impact. It will also further safeguard and prioritise GLA investment, in terms of both financial and personnel resources. 

1.3.    Via decision forms ADD2643 and ADD2654 a total of £50,000 of funding was approved for the GLA Major Sports Events (MSE) team to appoint an impact assessment partner over a three-year period. In 2023, the Major Sports Events (MSE) team appointed Think Beyond, a consultancy firm, as its impact assessment partner. The annual reports (Major Sports Events: Impact for London) included major sports events hosted in London in the years of 2023, 2024 and 2025. The impact assessment report for 2025 will be delivered before April 2026, when the current contract with Think Beyond expires.

1.4.    The report framework and overall scope were developed in close consultation with key GLA departments, to ensure strategic alignment with mayoral priorities. The report focused on four key pillars: 

•    economic impact – ensure financial benefit to London, and a return on the investment made by the city:

o    direct economic impact 
o    organiser spend in host economy 
o    long-term capacity-building

•    global reach – showcase London to the world, and create promotional benefits for the city:

o    broadcast viewership
o    digital engagement
o    media value

•    environmental sustainability – highlight and encourage sustainable activities, and work towards a net zero-carbon city by 2030:

o    carbon reduction
o    sustainable transport
o    responsible consumption
o    infrastructure 
o    advocacy 
o    local environmental protection
o    innovation

•    social integration – support Londoners to build meaningful relationships with each other, and be active in their communities; and reduce inequalities:

o    direct event impact – relationships, equality, participation 
o    indirect event impact assessment

1.5.    The three annual Impact Assessment reports, part of the current scope, included selected major sports events hosted between 2023 and 2025. The GLA and Think Beyond worked closely with the rights holders and the venues to capture robust data, to ensure that each report accurately reflected the events’ impact on London; the value they delivered; their alignment to mayoral priorities; and the benefits to local communities in London.

1.6.    The events featured in the “Major Sports Events: Impact for London” reports are shown in the table below:

*report to be delivered in March 2026

1.7.    In the second year of contract, additional funding of £25,000 was approved via decision from ADD2645 to expand their scope of work to include carbon-footprint assessment and carbon hotspot analysis.

1.8.    In April 2025, the MSE team also hosted an industry event at City Hall to launch the Major Sports Events: Impact for London 2024 report. Whilst this event was an opportunity to profile the report, it also gathered sport industry experts across London to share common challenges and identify trends across the sporting landscape.

 
1.9.    Several insights were collected during the workshops at this event. Among these was the view that the GLA should play a more prominent role in leading London’s major sports events industry – particularly in respect to collaboration, sharing knowledge and addressing common issues. The GLA has acted on this feedback, and expanded the scope of the services to be delivered by the impact assessment partner under the new contract (to be procured in accordance with the timeline in section 7 of this decision form). 

1.10.    The MSE team intends to commission, in accordance with the Contracts and Funding Code 2025, an impact assessment partner on a three-year contract. This partner will assess the impact of major sports events held in 2026, 2027 and 2028; and build on the innovation and success of the first assessment. The financial overview is set out below:

1.11.    The MSE team will work with TfL Procurement on a competitive tender process to procure a suitable assessment partner. The route to market will be carefully assessed with a view to awarding a contract by the end of 2025.

1.12.    This is an increased investment from 2023-25, to reflect the significant expansion of the project scope as follows:

•    Impact for London report: more events, and therefore more hours required to capture and process data
•    additional carbon footprint assessment
•    additional industry leadership and workshop facilitation
•    events detailed at 2.5, below.
 

2.1.    The scope of the impact assessment work from the external research partner will take on three parts, as detailed below.

Impact assessment report

2.2.    The annual impact assessment reports from 2023 and 2024 have been invaluable in showcasing the benefits of major sports events. They have provided clear benchmarking across our four strategic pillars, and enhanced our relationships with key sport stakeholders.

2.3.    The impact assessment partner (who will be appointed in accordance with the procurement process detailed in section 7 of this decision form) will deliver an annual impact assessment report for each of the three years (2026-28) following the framework and strategic pillars laid out at 1.4, above. This consistent framework will build on the foundations of the previous reports, so that longer-term benefits can start to be evidenced, and industry-wide trends can be identified.

 
2.4.    The MSE team wishes to expand the scope of the impact assessment report, to include a wider range of sports events, across various venues. This includes long-established events and one-off championships. 

2.5.    The MSE team will engage with the rights holders of the following events to be included in the report. However, this is not the definitive list, as rights holders must agree to be part of the report and new events may be secured over the coming years. 

2.6.    The impact assessment report will be a public-facing document that can be used by the Mayor of London, the GLA and its partners to: showcase London as a world-class city of sport; and attract rights holders looking for new hosts. This will further support London’s prospects of securing events mega and major events in the future. 

Environmental sustainability support

2.7.    In line with the Mayor of London’s ambition to make London a net zero-carbon city by 2030, the MSE team would like to continue providing bespoke support to select major sports events, to measure their carbon footprint. 

2.8.    This work will be invaluable to event partners, and will provide an individualised report that sets a quantifiable benchmark for their sustainability practices, identify hotspots and look at ways in which they can reduce their impact when delivering their event in London in the future.

Industry leadership

2.9.    At the Major Sports Events: Impact for London 2024 report launch event, attendees fed back that the GLA should play a more prominent role in leading London’s major sports events industry – particularly in respect to collaboration, sharing knowledge and addressing common challenges.

2.10.    It is proposed that the impact assessment partner appointed under the tender process (detailed in section 7 of this decision form), in collaboration with the GLA MSE team, is responsible for hosting an engaging report launch event. This event should not only provide a networking opportunity to build industry connections, but also hold workshops addressing specific challenges and collect insights from industry experts. 

2.11.    The launch event would be the start of a year-wide programme of industry leadership. The aims would be to host two further workshops; and for the impact assessment partner to conduct interviews as part of a deep dive into the major sports events landscape in London.

2.12.    The findings from the launch event and workshops would be collated and presented to the GLA as an industry report. This would be shared with the rights holders, venues and other key agencies that have contributed to it. It will provide clear recommendations to the GLA’s MSE team, as to the areas of focus for their strategic work.
 

3.1.    Under section 149 of the Equality Act 2010, as a public authority, the Mayor of London must have ‘due regard’ to the need to eliminate unlawful discrimination, harassment and victimisation; and to advance equality of opportunity, and foster good relations, between people who have a ‘protected characteristic’ as defined in the Equality Act 2010 and those who do not. 

3.2.    The impact assessment reports will promote social impact of major sports events which connect, activate and reduce inequalities for Londoners. Through the social impact measures, the report will:

•    highlight any programmes and activities that support underrepresented groups within London, in line with events hosted there
•    assess the inclusivity of major sports events and associated programmes (such as the volunteering programme) to understand whether they are open to all, regardless of race, disability, age, sex, sexual orientation, religion or belief, pregnancy and maternity, or gender reassignment.
•    capture the extent to which major sports events supported by the GLA promote equality, and how inclusive they are to all Londoners. 

3.3.    The MSE team will continue to consult a wide range of stakeholders to ensure that as many Londoners as possible (including those with protected characteristics) have been considered in the planning of the events, and have the opportunity to be involved in some way. 

3.4.    The MSE team will work closely with the appointed impact assessment partner to ensure that any workshop or event hosted as part of the industry leadership work is inclusive and accessible to attendees with a disability.

3.5.    At this stage, no equality issues have been identified with regard to this project. However, this will be kept under review. 
 

4.1.    The table below shows the risks identified with the Major Sports Events: Impact for London project.

4.2.    GLA support for the impact assessment project supports the Mayoral mandate to “Boost London’s growth sectors” in the following ways: 

 
•    The pillars of the GLA’s major sports events framework, ‘London: Sporting Capital’ mirror the pillars of the impact assessment (economic impact; global reach; environmental sustainability; social impact). This ensures strategic alignment across the whole events cycle, from bidding to delivery and assessment. 

•    Measuring the economic impact of major sports events will support the London Growth Plan by increasing the business case for economic investment into London; restoring productivity growth; and creating more good jobs for Londoners. 

•    Understanding the international exposure for London as a major destination for world-class sport will support the case to promote tourism and increase visitor activity. 

4.3.    GLA support for the impact assessment project will support the other Mayoral mandates as follows:

•    Delivering a greener, more climate-resilient London – highlighting environmental sustainability initiatives from rights holders and venues through the impact assessment report. By sharing best practice, and improving carbon footprint literacy, this work will support the Mayor’s strategic aim to make London a net zero-carbon city by 2030; and will provide the evidence to do so.

•    Supporting and inspiring young London – the social impact pillar of the report will show how major sport events are providing opportunities for young Londoners to get involved with sport – whether as a participant, a volunteer or a fan. 

•    Reducing inequalities – the social impact pillar of the report will highlight examples of rights holders’ work to remove barriers to participating in sport at grassroots level, and attending world-class events through community engagement schemes.

•    Celebrating London – the report will include a variety of events that attract a diverse range of fans. It will show London as a truly global city, with sport contributing to its unique culture. 

4.4.    There are no health or safeguarding implications identified with regard to this work. 

4.5.    There are no known conflicts of interests, or interests to declare, associated with this decision, including from officers drafting or clearing this decision. 
 

5.1.    The MSE team seeks approval to spend up to £180,000 (£60,000 in each of 2026-27, 2027-28 and 2028-29) to produce an annual impact assessment report for events delivered in 2025-29. The spend will be met by the annual budget during these years. The budget for future years will be subject to the annual budget-setting process.

5.2.    Expenditure incurred by the MSE team will contribute to the Mayor’s ‘Boosting London’s growth sectors’ delivery plan. This will follow the GLA’s procurement process.
 

6.1.    The foregoing sections of this report indicate that the decisions requested of the Executive Director of Strategy and Communications (the Director) concern the exercise of the GLA’s general powers – falling within the GLA’s statutory powers to do such things considered to further, or that are facilitative of, or conducive or incidental to, the promotion of economic development and wealth creation/social development, or the improvement of the environment, of Greater London. In formulating the proposals in respect of which a decision is sought, officers have complied with the Authority’s related statutory duties to:

•    pay due regard to the principle that there should be equality of opportunity for all people
•    consider how the proposals will promote the improvement of health of persons, health inequalities between persons and to contribute towards the achievement of sustainable development in the UK 
•    consult with appropriate bodies.

6.2.    In taking the decisions requested, the Director must have due regard to the Public Sector Equality Duty – namely the need to eliminate discrimination, harassment, victimisation and any other conduct prohibited by the Equality Act 2010; and to advance equality of opportunity, and foster good relations, between persons between persons who share a relevant protected characteristic (age; disability; gender reassignment; marriage and civil partnership; pregnancy and maternity; race; religion or belief; sex; sexual orientation) and persons who do not (section 149 of the Equality Act 2010). To this end the Director should have particular regard to section 3.1 (above) of this report.

6.3.    If the Mayor makes the decisions sought, officers must ensure that:

•    no reliance is placed upon, nor commitments made that rely upon, the availability of future years’ budgets, until such budgets are confirmed
•    the services required are procured in liaison with TfL Procurement; and in accordance with the GLA’s Contracts and Funding Code, and the applicable procurement law
•    a contract is put in place between and executed by the GLA and supplier before such services begin. 

6.4.    The proposals in respect of which decisions are sought involve making commitments that extend beyond current approved budgets and the current Mayoral term. Accordingly, officers must ensure that the terms of all agreements entered into in respect of the expenditure do not have the effect of fettering the discretion of the GLA to amend such future budgets and/or any successor administration, considering in particular the London elections taking place in May 2028. Accordingly, officers must ensure that all agreements that involve making such commitments include a GLA right to terminate at any point for convenience (at no cost to the GLA); and all such agreements are managed in such a manner, and any services, supplies, works deliverables, milestones and/or output requirements are structured, so as to mitigate risks of the GLA incurring abortive expenditure (which might be reasonably be taken to fetter, practically, the exercise of such discretion).
 

7.1.    Set out how the project will be delivered and complete the outline timetable