SPONSORSHIP STEP BY STEP

This short resource will provide you with a step-by-step guide on how to submit your Sponsorship Agreement Request, detailing the process your request goes through from concept to a signed contract. 

Key information: Only designated staff and Officer Trustees of Imperial College Union are authorised to enter into contracts or agreements on behalf of the Union. Individual students, including members and representatives of Clubs and Societies do not have the authority to sign or commit to any contracts or agreements in the name of Imperial College Union.  

Therefore, any contract or agreement signed by an individual student on behalf of the Union will not be recognised as valid or binding. The Union reserves the right to take appropriate action to nullify any such authorised agreements. 

The first step in engaging in this process is for you to identify and select a Sponsor. To find the right Sponsor, you must: 

Create a Venn Diagram for each Sponsor to determine whether their values and needs align with yours. Additionally, identify what the benefits of Sponsorship should be, both for the supplier and to your group – the benefits to your club or society could include things like the solution to a funding or product requirement, or increased publicity by being associated with the Sponsor. Doing this now will support you in drafting a strong Sponsorship proposal later. 

Initially, think about who has sponsored your club or society in the past; speak to older and former members and review your online transaction pages from previous years. Also consider your equipment suppliers, and contacts that you and your committee may have within suppliers and companies. 

Once you have a shortlist of companies you think you should approach, refine your search and then establish contact with the potential Sponsors. If you already have a contact within the company, go via them or ask for an endorsement.  Remember to delegate one committee member to be responsible for communications with potential Sponsors.   

Typically, the routes to Sponsorship are:  

Some agreements may be a one-off arrangement for a single event, publication or activity, but Sponsorship can be sought for longer term projects and year-round support.   

Ensure you keep track of your progress by keeping a record of all communications sent to each individual company. Some companies may show an interest, but you should expect not to hear back from most companies you contact.   

Successful proposals sent to Sponsors will include: 

Ensure you make it clear to the Sponsor what benefits they will gain from Sponsoring your club or society. Some examples of benefits to the Sponsor include: 

To submit your Sponsorship Request Agreement, you will need to fill out and submit your request on the Committee Admin Request Form. You must use this form to submit your request. You’ll find the relevant section of the form by selecting ‘Sponsorship Agreement Request’ in the ‘What can we support you with?’ section. 

Once your form has been submitted, a member of the Activities Team will review your request within 10 working days. Your club or society will receive an email that either: 

Or  

If your submission is approved, the Activities Team will create a contract agreement in line with our Terms & Conditions and send this to your Sponsor requesting their signature.  Your contract will not be valid and binding until they return your signed contract to the Activities Team. At this point, a member of the Activities Team or appropriate Elected Officer will countersign the agreement. Both you and your Sponsor will receive an email with a copy of the agreement, signed by both parties, attached. 

Once the Sponsor and Imperial College Union have signed the contract, you can raise a sales invoice for the funds. 

You will need to create a sales invoice from the Union to get the money from the company. Ideally you should get a purchase order number from the Sponsor to quote on the invoice to ensure quick payment.  

Ensure that you code the income correctly for VAT – Sponsors from outside the UK will be under 0% vat at VAT Code SN, while Sponsors in the UK will be at 20% VAT, at VAT Code S1. 

Only a fully signed contract will constitute sufficient evidence for a Sponsorship sales invoice. This means the contract must be signed by both Imperial College Union and the Sponsors. 

Allow 30 days for the Sponsor to pay the invoice. If the invoice is still outstanding after this time contact the Sponsor and chase them for payment, if they haven’t paid after 60 days contact the Union Finance Team to seek advice upon what to do next.  

Pease note that chasing paying of any outstanding unpaid invoices attributable to Clubs or Societies older the 90 days since the issue date becomes the responsibility of the Union centrally. 

Once the Sponsor has sent across your funds, you’ll be able to see the income in your Club or Society accounts on eActivities. From here, you can begin to spend the money on the agreed activity. Be sure to keep in regular contact with your Sponsors – report back, let them know how everything is going and what their money has achieved for your club or society. Remember, your Sponsor may ask for evidence that you are agreeing to the agreement. This could look like: