A crowdfunding project has been launched to support the next edition of the Winter Universiade (Trentino 2013). It aims to raise funds internationally for a 12 side projects to the sporting event later this year in Italy. It is a world first, with no sporting event of similar size, (4,000 participants, of 57 nations), having ever launched a crowdfunding campaign to support its funding needs.

Project Manager André Silva, graduate of NOVA School of Business and Economics and a Master in International Management at the Faculty of Economics, University of Trento, explains it in more detail: "We want to introduce a new approach to international events. By letting people in on the event’s organization, we are seeking to fund 12 projects which we are prepared to realize but for which we have no funds. And of course, on top of that, we are giving awesome perks and special recognition for such support." The project also has an important communicative value because it brings the Winter Universiade logo and the name of Trentino to the attention of millions of people worldwide.

Crowdfunding relies on the Internet to financially support projects, ideas and initiatives. In the case of the Universiade, a non-profit cause, the aim was to present a new model for crowdsourcing large-scale events and prove it by doing its first application and putting it to the test.

For more information, please see www.trentino2013.com.