WHAT IS SPONSORSHIP?

Sponsorship can be an important source of income for Clubs, Societies & Projects. We've split the sections below to give you guidance on how to get sponsors and the process of submitting your contract to the union. Training pages look at how to go about getting sponsorship and other forms of external funding, and the Union’s rules for how that funding must be administered. 

A sponsorship should be thought of as a business partnership and requires a different approach to seeking donations or fundraising. It requires perseverance and open communication with potential sponsors. It should not be thought of as a one-off act to secure funding but a long-term partnership that will benefit the club for now and the future.

Sponsorship can come in many forms and isn’t solely financial. The two models of sponsorship are cash vs contra – cash being the obvious one, with contra or ‘in-kind’ sponsorship being an exchange of goods or services. For example, the Badminton club may seek free or discounted court hire from a local sports centre, or Choir may seek free or discounted venue hire for a concert or rehearsals. Many clubs receive contra sponsorship in the form of hospitality, e.g. free food or drink for an event or activity. The difference is essentially boosting your income (cash) vs reducing your expenditure (contra/in-kind).

PRINCPLES OF SOCIALLY RESPONSIBLE ENGAGEMENT

We pride ourselves on ensuring that we only engage with companies and partners that further the education of all students and do not go against our institutional values. The Principals of Socially Responsible Engagement policy governs which groups ICU aims not to work with. You can read the full policy here.

You’ll need to confirm that your agreement is in line with Union policy. If you have any doubts please submit a ticket to the Activities Team