The International Olympic Committee (IOC) today launched the bid process for the Games of the XXXII Olympiad in 2020. National Olympic Committees (NOCs) have been invited to submit the name of one city within their jurisdiction as an applicant to host the Games in a little under nine years’ time.
The NOCs have until 1 September 2011 to submit the name of an Applicant City, and these cities will then be required to submit their application files and guarantee letters to the IOC by 15 February 2012. The election of the Host City for the 2020 Olympic Games will take place on 7 September 2013 during the 125th IOC Session in Buenos Aires, Argentina.
The key phases and dates of the procedure are as follows:
Pre-registration - For the first time, a number of prerequisite criteria for NOCs/ cities wishing to bid for the Olympic Games have been put in place.
| By 29 July 2011 | 1) Submission of proposed dates if outside normal Olympic Games period (15 July - 31 August) 2) Submission of letter regarding WADA compliance 3) Submission of letter regarding CAS jurisdiction |
| By 29 August 2011 |
IOC to reply to NOCs regarding WADA compliance, CAS jurisdiction and the proposed dates |
Phase I - Known as the Candidature Acceptance Procedure, this involves a thorough review by the IOC of each city’s potential to organise the 2020 Olympic Games. Cities will be asked to reply to a questionnaire. Their answers will be studied by the IOC in order to help the IOC Executive Board select the cities that will become Candidate Cities and therefore move on to Phase II.
| 1 September 2011 | NOCs to inform the IOC of the name of an Applicant City |
| November 2011 | IOC information seminar for 2020 Applicant Cities |
| 15 February 2012 | Submission of Application File and guarantee letters to the IOC |
| February - April 2012 | Examination of replies by the IOC |
| May 2012 | IOC Executive Board meeting to accept Candidate Cities for the 2020 Olympic Games |
Phase II - Known as the Candidature Procedure. Candidate Cities will be requested to submit their Candidature File, which is an in-depth description of their Olympic project, and prepare for the visit by the IOC Evaluation Commission. The Evaluation Commission will make a detailed technical assessment of each candidature and publish a report at least one month before the election of the host city for IOC members to review.
| 27 July - 12 August 2012 | Candidate Cities participate in the London 2012 Olympic Games Observers’ Programme |
| November 2012 | London 2012 debrief in Rio de Janeiro |
| 7 January 2013 | Submission of the Candidature File to the IOC |
| June 2013 | Report by the 2020 IOC Evaluation Commission |
| June 2013 (tbc) | Candidate City Briefing to IOC Members |
| 7 September 2013 | Election of the host city of the 2020 Olympic Games at the 125th IOC Session in Buenos Aires |