Strategic Dialogue

Strategic Dialogue is an intermediate stage between Continuous Dialogue and Targeted Dialogue. It enables the IOC to engage more closely with a selected number of Interested Parties whose projects are sufficiently advanced technically and strategically aligned with the IOC’s vision for the relevant Games edition.

Shortlisted cities or regions and their NOCs will benefit from enhanced technical support. They will provide an initial response to the Future Host Questionnaire and submit core guarantees. The Future Host Commission will carry out a more detailed assessment and conduct site visits.

International promotion is not permitted during this stage. The emphasis remains on building domestic public and political support.

IOC support

Strategic Dialogue represents a transition from exploratory engagement to more structured collaboration. IOC services will mainly be delivered through virtual technical workshops, complemented by other support as needed.

Workshop topics include venue masterplan optimisation, Games experience, sustainability, impact and legacy, finance and commercial matters, and legal matters and Games governance.

Commission visits

The order, timing and programme of visits will be determined by the IOC in collaboration with Interested Parties. The programme will reflect the local context and may include venue visits, technical meetings, meetings with public authorities, and media and public engagement through a post-visit press conference.

For good governance and to reduce financial pressure, the IOC will cover costs related to the Commission delegation. IOC expert visits may also be arranged in advance and coordinated with the Interested Party.

Evaluation

The evaluation framework is linked to the Future Host Questionnaire. It covers vision and long-term impact, venue masterplan and athlete experience, Games experience, the Paralympic Games, sustainability and legacy, finance and budget, and the political, legal and administrative framework.

Interested Parties must submit initial core guarantees covering Games delivery commitments, services and financial contributions from public institutions. International Federations will be involved in assessing the proposals.

At the end of Strategic Dialogue, the Future Host Commission will share a report on each Interested Party with the Executive Board. Participation does not constitute a commitment that an Interested Party will progress to Targeted Dialogue.

STRATEGIC DIALOGUE EVALUATION CRITERIA
Vision and impact	Economic, environmental and social impact
Venue masterplan	Maximum use of existing venues Athlete travel times to venues Percentage of athletes in main Village
Games experience	Athlete and fan experience
Paralympic Games	Paralympic vision, concept and masterplan Approach to accessibility
Sustainability	Environment, human rights and gender equality strategies
Finance/budget	Balanced budget projections Realistic revenue projections Realistic expense estimates
Political, legal and administrative framework	Global governance mechanism/split of responsibilities between all signatories of Olympic Host Contract (OHC) and guarantors Mechanism of enactment of guarantees Legal nature of Organising Committee (including impact on procurement processes) Labour legislation (including entry visas/work permits)
Core financial guarantees	Direct financial government contribution Games Delivery Guarantee (shortfall guarantee) Funding of new competition and non-competition venues Provision of public services

What is required from Interested Parties?

An initial response to the Future Host Questionnaire.

A set of core financial guarantees provided by public institutions