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Sponsorship

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Apply for sponsorship to help deliver your event or project in Brisbane. Check your eligibility and apply online.

What is sponsorship?

A Council sponsorship may provide financial or in-kind support to help deliver events and projects that ensure Brisbane remains a great place to live, work and do business.

Eligibility 

We consider applications that:

  • help achieve the Brisbane Vision
  • provide economic benefit to the city
  • have widespread community appeal 
  • promote Brisbane as a vibrant, progressive city
  • support activities that are free or low-cost to attend 
  • commit to keeping Brisbane clean, green and sustainable
  • support organisations or groups that address issues affecting the community.

Exclusions 

We decline sponsorships that:

  • conflict with legislation
  • discriminate in any way 
  • support or oppose political organisations
  • present health, safety or environmental hazards 
  • don't align with our corporate objectives
  • support or are held by trade unions
  • promote gambling, smoking, consumption of alcohol or other addictive substances
  • support religious organisations (this doesn’t include charities run by religious groups)
  • are primarily held outside of the Brisbane City Council Local Government Area, or where majority of the audience is external to the city.
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Important things to know

We receive many applications for sponsorship. We carefully review and assess each one, however we are not always able to accept invitations to become a sponsor.

Your application may be declined, or we may offer a lesser amount than requested. Our assessment decisions are considered final.

Sponsorships are not available for:  

  • fundraising (including for third parties, e.g. team sponsorship to participate in a charity fundraising event)
  • individuals, e.g. athletes participating in sporting championships, artists taking part in cultural competitions or students undertaking academic endeavours
  • sporting teams participating in sporting championships (consideration will be given to organisations holding state, national or international events in Brisbane.)
  • funding auxiliary costs, such as accommodation or travel expenses, as the primary purpose
  • activities better suited to other funding options, such as grants
  • an activity that has already occurred or does not allow sufficient lead time.

Minimum application lead times

Sponsorships for festivals and cultural events requesting less than $1,000: Applications must be submitted at least one month before your event or project start date.

All other sponsorships: Applications must be submitted at least 3 months before your event or project start date.

Check your eligibility and apply 

Use our sponsorship pre-application tool to check your eligibility. 

If you’re eligible, you’ll be prompted to apply through our online form. The form includes further application information. 

You can save the form and exit at any time. 

  2. Is your project/event held in Brisbane?
  3. Is the audience primarily from one Council ward?
  4. How would you describe your audience?
  5. Select the option that best categorises your project/event
  6. Panel: Categorisation Festival Message
  7. Panel: Categorisation Community Service Message
  8. Panel: Categorisation Active Lifestyle Message
  9. Panel: Categorisation Environment Event Message
  10. Is your project/event a festival or cultural event?
  11. How much are you requesting?
  12. Is the project more than one (1) month away?
  13. Is the project more than three (3) months away?
  14. Does your initiative have relevance to Council programs and objectives, and will sponsoring your initiative assist Council with achieving any of the themes that make up our Brisbane Vision? (You will need to provide details in your application.)
  15. Panel: LordMayorCharitableTrust
  16. Panel: LordMayorCommunityFund
  17. Panel: CouncilSponsorshipLessThan1000
  18. Panel: CouncilSponsorshipLessThan10000
  19. Panel: Non Brisbane Location
  20. Panel: CouncilSponsorshipBusinessAndIndustry
  21. Panel: EligibleApplication
  22. Panel: Acceptance Error
  23. Panel: NotEligibleEvent
  24. Panel: NoSponsorshipForFundraising

Sponsorship pre-application tool

Use this sponsorship pre-application tool to check eligibility and to apply. 

For information on Council wards, see Councillors and wards.

Festival or cultural event

A festival or cultural event is a public celebration and/or a gathering in the community.

It typically celebrates:

  • an art form (visual, performing, music, etc.)
  • an identity (cultural background, sexuality or social group)
  • a precinct (focus is on an area or location).

The occasion encourages audience participation, experience and creativity. It also builds community spirit, belonging, pride and a sense of place. 

Community project, exhibition or service

Community projects, exhibitions and services are initiatives designed to create stronger and more connected communities.

They include projects and events that address community interest, needs and challenges, while celebrating all that makes Brisbane a liveable, inclusive, friendly, safe and accessible city.

Active lifestyle

Active lifestyle projects and events include activities with an active and healthy focus, such as fun runs and cycling events.

Environmental event or project

Environmental events and projects are initiatives with a sustainability and/or environmental focus.

Festival or cultural event

 

A festival or cultural event is a public celebration and/or a gathering in the community.

It typically celebrates:

  • an art form (visual, performing, music, etc.)
  • an identity (cultural background, sexuality or social group)
  • a precinct (focus is on an area or location).

The occasion encourages audience participation, experience and creativity. It also builds community spirit, belonging, pride and a sense of place.

Helpful information

 

To find out if your initiative is relevant to Council programs and objectives, or aligns with Brisbane Vision 2031:

Your initiative may be more suited to the Lord Mayor’s Charitable Trust grants program.

Thank you for your interest in sponsorship from Brisbane City Council.

 

As you’ve identified that your charity has Deductible Gift Recipient status and is seeking funds to deliver a front-line service in Brisbane,  your initiative may be more suited to the Lord Mayor’s Charitable Trust grants program.

Find out more

Your project may be eligible for the Lord Mayor's Community Fund.

Thank you for your interest in Council sponsorship.

 

Your project may be eligible for support from your local ward, via the Lord Mayor’s Community Fund, as the audience is primarily from a single Council ward.

Find out more

You are eligible to apply for Council sponsorship.

You can apply for Festival and Cultural Event Sponsorship (less than $1,000). 

Apply now

You are eligible to apply for Council sponsorship.

You can apply for Festival and Cultural Event Sponsorship ($1,001 to $10,000).

Apply now

Unfortunately Council is not able to accept your application.

Our sponsorship guidelines specify that we do not provide sponsorship for projects/events that occur outside of the Brisbane city boundary, or where the primary audience is external to the city.

 

We wish you every success with your initiative.

You are eligible to apply for Council sponsorship.

You can apply for Council Sponsorship (Business and Industry).

Apply now

You are eligible to apply for Council sponsorship.

Apply now

Unfortunately Council is not able to accept your application.

Thank you for your interest in sponsorship from Brisbane City Council. Unfortunately Council is not able to accept your application as it does not meet our minimum assessment timeframes.

 

Council sets minimum timeframes between your planned activity date and when we receive your application, so that potential sponsorship benefits can be carefully assessed.

 

We wish you every success with your initiative.

Unfortunately, your event isn’t eligible for Council sponsorship.

We prioritise initiatives that are relevant to Council programs and objectives, and help achieve the themes in Brisbane Vision 2031.

Thank you for your interest. We wish you every success with your initiative.

Unfortunately Council is not able to accept your application.

Thank you for your interest in sponsorship from Brisbane City Council. Sponsorship support is not generally allocated for fundraising initiatives.  

We receive many sponsorship applications, and we are unable to meet all these requests.  

We wish you every success with your initiative.

Application assessment 

We will consider your sponsorship application when submitted in relation to our eligibility guidelines, shared outcomes and available resources at the time of application.

Because every application is unique, assessment time can vary. Ensure you submit applications well ahead of your planned event or project so that we can consider your application carefully and respond in a timely way.

If you’re successful

We'll contact you to confirm the outcome and outline the next steps for entering into a sponsorship agreement with us.  

Under your sponsorship agreement, you'll work with your nominated contact to deliver all agreed benefits, including:

After your event or project has been delivered, you'll need to provide us with a sponsorship evaluation.

If you’re unsuccessful  

Unfortunately, we can’t sponsor every application we receive. If, after careful consideration we're unable to sponsor your event or project, we’ll let you know via email.

Sponsorship for local business precinct promotion

Our Local Business Precinct promotion funding supports the activation of suburban retail precincts.

This type of sponsorship encourages business leaders, local businesses and trade groups to develop initiatives that draw communities and consumers into their precincts.

If you have an idea you'd like to explore, email us to discuss your proposal before submitting a sponsorship application.  

Frequently asked questions

If your event or project isn’t eligible for sponsorship, it may be better suited to another type of support. Sponsorship is just one of the ways we support community groups and local businesses.

You can explore more grants and funding opportunities from Council and other agencies Australia-wide using our Funding Finder tool.

We can't accept or assess applications presented through email or any other channel as we use an online application management system to receive, assess and manage sponsorship requests.