Sponsorship guidelines

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Do you have a great idea or event proposal that would benefit our city? Brisbane City Council provides financial or in-kind sponsorship for initiatives that will deliver tangible and measurable benefits to Council and the community, and help make Brisbane a great place to live, work and do business.

         

         

        Sponsorship approval restrictions during election period 2024

        There are restrictions on approval of sponsorships during the Brisbane City Council election period 2024. Decision making for sponsorships will recommence after all election matters have been finalised. Please note the following restrictions which may impact your application. 

        From 18 December 2023 to the conclusion of the election period: 

        • If your event or sponsorship commencement date is before 27 May 2024 – we cannot accept your sponsorship application, as a decision will not be able to be made with sufficient time for an agreement to be finalised.
        • If your event or sponsorship commencement date is after 27 May 2024 – we will accept your application for assessment, however, you will not be notified of an outcome until after late-April 2024. You should consider how this may impact your event planning/funding, and the sponsorship benefits you can offer Council.
        • There is an exception for Festival and Cultural Event sponsorships seeking $1000 or less and commencing before 6 May 2024. These applications can be submitted for assessment up to 5 January 2024
        • Festival and Cultural Event sponsorships seeking $1000 or less and commencing after 6 May 2024 may be submitted during the election period 2024 however you will not be notified of an outcome until after mid-April 2024.

        Eligibility

        Council sponsors a wide variety of events, initiatives and projects, in exchange for agreed sponsorship benefits. Priority is given to applications that:

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

        Exclusions

        Council will avoid sponsorships that:

        • conflict with legislation
        • are considered discriminatory against any section of the community
        • support or oppose political organisations
        • present a health or safety hazard to the community
        • create an environmental hazard
        • are not consistent with Council’s corporate objectives
        • are primarily held outside of the Brisbane City Council Local Government Area or where the majority of the audience is external to the city
        • support religious organisations (this does not include charities run by religious groups)
        • support or are held by trade unions
        • promote gambling, smoking, consumption of alcohol or other addictive substances
        • are for fundraising, including fundraising for third parties, such as team sponsorship to participate in a charity fundraising event
        • are for individuals, such as athletes seeking sponsorship to participate in sporting championships, artists to participate in cultural competitions, or students for academic endeavours
        • are for sporting teams seeking sponsorship for sporting championships. Consideration will be given to organisations that are holding state, national or international events in Brisbane
        • are to fund auxiliary costs such as accommodation or travel expenses as the primary purpose
        • are better suited to other funding options, such as grants
        • are for an activity that has already occurred or does not allow sufficient lead-time.

        Minimum lead times

        • Sponsorships for Festivals and Cultural Events requesting less than $1000 – Council must receive your application at least one month before your event.
        • All other sponsorships - Council must receive your application at least three months before your event or proposed commencement date.

        Council works according to an annual budgeting and planning cycle. Please send your application as early as possible.

        How to apply for sponsorship from Council

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

        Is your project/event held in Brisbane? (required)
        Is the audience primarily from one Council ward?
        More information on Council wards can be found on the ECQ website.
        Is your project/event a festival or cultural event?
        How would you describe your audience?
        Select the option that best categorises your project/event:
        How much are you requesting?
        Is the project more than one (1) month away?
        Is the project more than three (3) months away?
        Is the project more than three (3) months away?
        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)

        Helpful resources

        If you are unsure if your initiative is relevant to Council's programs and objectives, or if it aligns with the themes of the Brisbane Vision, you can find out more at:

        Is the project more than three (3) months away?
        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)

        Helpful resources

        If you are unsure if your initiative is relevant to Council's programs and objectives, or if it aligns with the themes of the Brisbane Vision, you can find out more on:

        Lord Mayor's Community Fund

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

        As you’ve identified that the audience for your project/event is primarily from a single Council Ward, your project may be eligible for support from your local Council ward, via the Lord Mayor’s Community Fund.

        Find out more

        Festival and Cultural Event Sponsorship (less than $1000) 

        You are eligible to apply for Council Sponsorship.

        Apply now

        Festival and Cultural Event Sponsorship ($1,001 to $10,000) 

        You are eligible to apply for Council Sponsorship.

        Apply now

        Council Sponsorship

        You are eligible to apply for Council Sponsorship.

        Apply now

        Lord Mayor's Charitable Trust

        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

        Council Sponsorship (Business/Industry)

        You are eligible to apply for Council Sponsorship (Business/Industry).

        Apply Now

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

        Brisbane City Council sponsorships are limited and we prioritise those that will provide tangible and measurable benefits to Council and the Brisbane community to help make Brisbane a great place to live, work and do businesses.

        We wish you every success with your initiative.

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

        Unfortunately, our sponsorship guidelines specify that Council is generally not able to support fundraising projects under its Sponsorship program. 

        Brisbane City Council sponsorships are limited and although we receive requests for a large number of very worthwhile initiatives, our resources do not extend to meet all of these requests.

        We wish you every success with your initiative.

        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.

        Our sponsorship guidelines specify the minimum timeframes we require to assess appplications. Shorter lead times do not allow enough time for thorough assessment and planning to ensure the sponsorship can be delivered with the greatest benefit to both the sponsored organisation and Council.

        We wish you every success with your initiative. 

        Thank you for your interest in sponsorship from Brisbane City Council. Unfortunately Council is not able to accept your application.

        Brisbane City Council sponsorships are limited and we prioritise those that will provide tangible and measurable benefits to Council and the Brisbane community to help make Brisbane a great place to live, work and do businesses. For more information, you can view our sponsorship guidelines

        We wish you every success with your initiative.

        Sponsorship for local business precinct promotion and activation

        The Local Business Precinct promotion funding encourages business leaders, clusters of businesses and trade groups to develop initiatives to promote their precincts.

        If you have an idea for a concept like this, please contact our Economic Development team to discuss your proposal prior to submitting a sponsorship application.  

        Application assessment

        Council will evaluate the sponsorship application against an objective set of criteria including alignment with the Brisbane Vision, current priorities and financial allocations.

        Sponsorships are limited. Council receives a large number of applications which meet our guidelines and is not able to sponsor them all. Your sponsorship request may be declined, or Council may offer a lesser amount than requested. The sponsorship decisions made by Council are final.

        Sponsorship proposals take time to consider. Thorough sponsorship assessment ensures sponsorships are planned for the benefit of both the sponsored organisation and the wider community.

        Next stage

        Once Council has decided to offer sponsorship, it will enter into a contract (or letter of agreement) with the applicant. This will outline the benefits agreed to, payment terms, performance required and evaluation methods.

        After the project or event is completed, Council will evaluate the effectiveness of the agreement to meet its objectives to help with future sponsorship considerations.

        Where Council is unable to provide sponsorship, applicants will be notified by email.

        For more information contact Council.

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