AIFF Invites Bids For Commercial Rights, Key Criteria Includes 'Minimum Annual Turnover Of...'

Last Updated:September 08, 2025, 18:40 IST

AIFF invites consulting firms to manage commercial rights bidding, requiring Rs 100 crore turnover. The ISL tender process aims for transparency, with a deadline of October 15.

AIFF president Shri Kalyan Chaubey (PTI)

The All India Football Federation (AIFF) has invited consulting firms to bid for managing the process of awarding its commercial rights. Key requirements include a minimum annual turnover of Rs 100 crore in the last five years and prior experience in executing at least five similar deals.

The AIFF has issued a Request For Quotation (RFQ), with the submission deadline set for September 14. The purpose of this RFQ is to provide bidders with information to assist in formulating their proposals.

What Criteria To Bid For AIFF’s Request For Quotation?

According to the RFQ, bidders must have been in operation for at least five years and have experience managing processes for the award of commercial rights. Additionally, the bidder should have an average annual turnover of at least Rs 100 crore over the last five financial years and have executed at least five similar assignments for at least three different clients in the past five years. These clients can be governments, sports federations, or leagues in India.

The AIFF has also stipulated that it will not accept bids from entities blacklisted or debarred by central or state governments, or by any international or national sports federations.

The selected bidder will study best practices for awarding commercial rights in football globally and, in consultation with AIFF, determine the optimal basket of rights and the strategy to award these rights to third parties in a manner most beneficial to AIFF from both operational and financial perspectives.

Consulting firms will be tasked with identifying and engaging key stakeholders, preparing documentation with detailed terms and conditions, and conducting background research and analysis for the relevant documents as required.

During a Supreme Court hearing last month, the AIFF and its current commercial partner, Football Sports Development Limited (FSDL), which also organises the Indian Super League (ISL), agreed on conducting an open, competitive, and transparent tender process to select a commercial partner for the ISL in line with global best practices. This process is to be concluded by October 15, 2025, providing certainty to clubs, broadcasters, sponsors, and other stakeholders. Subject to AFC consent, the ISL season can commence in December.

The crisis in Indian football began when FSDL put the 2025-26 ISL season “on hold" on July 11 due to uncertainty over the renewal of the Master Rights Agreement (MRA) with the national federation. This prompted at least three clubs to either pause first-team operations or suspend player and staff salaries.

(With inputs from PTI)

Ritayan Basu

Ritayan Basu, Senior Sub-Editor, Sports at News18.com. Has been covering domestic and and international football for nearly a decade. Has played and covered badminton. Ocassionally writes cricket content, havin...Read More

Ritayan Basu, Senior Sub-Editor, Sports at News18.com. Has been covering domestic and and international football for nearly a decade. Has played and covered badminton. Ocassionally writes cricket content, havin...

Read More

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