Paris (AFP)

What brands will dress French athletes, but also volunteers and officials at the Olympic Games and Paralympic Paris-2024? The Olympic Organizing Committee (Cojo) has launched the call for applications for equipment manufacturers.

According to the eligibility file, available on the internet for a few days, the markets are aimed at the outfits worn by the French Olympic and Paralympic teams competing at the Games of 2024, but also the representation of sportsmen, for a longer period ( January 1, 2021-31 December 2024), which also includes the Winter Olympics of Peking-2022.

Companies in the textile sector, sports or non-sports, have until September 20 to express their interest and have access to the specifications. Candidates will then have two months to bid. The winners should be known by the end of 2019 or early 2020, according to the Cojo.

At Rio-2016, Lacoste, then under contract with the French Olympic Committee (CNOSF), had designed different outfits for the opening and closing ceremonies, for the protocol (medal ceremonies) and for the village, while the federations negotiated with different equipment manufacturers for competitions. The crocodile brand, which then succeeded Adidas, will also be the equipment supplier of the Tokyo Olympics 2020 for the outfits.

The call for applications also concerns the Cojo teams, from 1 March 2020: employees - they will be more than 4,000 at the time of the Games -, volunteers, numbering 50,000, referees, officials, and relay torch Olympic and Paralympic Torch.

Several companies could share these markets with strong image potential. In addition to the supply of outfits, the Cojo expects a "marketing financial contribution", as for any sponsor and a license fee. In return, the selected equipment manufacturers will be able to activate marketing rights and offer products to the general public, the eligibility file indicates.

© 2019 AFP