Sponsorship Fund FY 24/25

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Sponsorship Fund Guidelines

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Objectives

The Sponsorship Fund is an annual contestable fund. Through the Sponsorship Fund, Palmerston North City Council will invest in initiatives (projects, activity or events) that contribute to Council’s vision for the City, in particular, Goal One: An innovative and growing city. Council recognises the opportunities that arise when we positively profile our City.

Council’s investment will be targeted with a specific focus on events that:

  • Contribution to outcomes to achieve goal 1 of Council's strategic direction. 
  • The initiative is innovative, delivering something new or addressing an issue that affects the people of Palmy in line with Councils strategic goals;  
  • Significant regional or national importance; 
  • Positively profiles the city of Palmy
  • Provides a quantifiable economic benefit (e.g. activities, projects or events that attract 200+ visitors to the city who stay at least one night)

For help, contact Marketing at design@pncc.govt.nz or call 06 356 8199.

Allocation

Grants will be awarded through a contestable process throughout the year, until all the funds have been allocated.  The maximum application amount of funding to the Sponsorship Fund is $10,000 per annum. 

An applicant may apply for one year initially but can re-apply for the same project the following year.  There are no guarantees that the project will receive funding for the second year. 

Criteria for Applications

All applications and applicants to the Sponsorship Fund must align with the measurement framework and the assessors will look at: 

  • The viability of the proposed initiative, including whether you have the capability, capacity and experience to deliver it. 
  • Whether your initiative aligns with the Sponsorship funding priorities, which includes consideration of: 
  • contribution to outcomes to achieve goal 1 of Councils strategic direction. 
  • is innovative, delivering something new or addressing an issue that affects the people of Palmerston North in line with Councils strategic goals;  
  • is of significant regional or national importance; 
  • positively profiles the city of Palmerston North; and 
  • provides a quantifiable economic benefit (e.g. activities, project or events that attract 200+ visitors to the city who stay at least one night).

Eligible Expenses for Grant Funding

Applicants will be asked to provide an overall budget for the initiative.  In most cases Council will be one of several sources of funding for the event rather than the sole funder, and this should be reflected in the budget. 

 The budget for the event is likely to include a range of costs. Examples include: 

  • Salaries, wages, professional fees (e.g. artists’ fees) and volunteer expenses. 
  • Administration and office expenses. 
  • Accommodation expenses including rent, leases, maintenance, insurances and utilities. 
  • Costs integral to service delivery (e.g. vehicle expenses for a mobile social service). 
  • Marketing, advertising, website and printing costs; and 
  • Programme expenses such as materials, equipment hire, venue hire and tutor’s fees.  

Applicants will need to indicate how they plan to spend their council grant including details of the event and how it will be used to fund specific components of the budget, or to help offset the overall cost.  Appropriate outcomes for the level of funding Council provides will be negotiated with recipients, and any special conditions for how the grant can be spent will be reflected in the funding agreement.  

Ineligible Expenses for Grant Funding 

The following activities will not be funded: 

  • Debt servicing or repayment. 
  • Legal expenses. 
  • Activities that promote religious ministry or political purposes and causes. 
  • Medical expenses. 
  • Public services that are the responsibility of central government (e.g core education, primary health care). 
  • Physical works – e.g. improvement to community buildings – that require consents or permits, prior to the necessary consents or permits being obtained (grants may be awarded in principle, but funds will not be released until all conditions are satisfied); and 
  • Purchase of alcohol.  

In a competitive funding environment, the following may be a lower priority for funding: 

  • Travel and accommodation outside Palmerston North, unless Council is convinced there will be a tangible benefit for Palmerston North communities. 
  • Retrospective costs (where the activity has already taken place), unless this is necessary as a condition of the grant or Council is satisfied there are other mitigating circumstances; and 
  • Fundraising events or activities, especially where the beneficiary is a third party (e.g. charity events, sponsored walks), unless we determine the event has a wider community benefit beyond its primary purpose as a fundraiser.  

Conflicts of Interest

Organisations affiliated in some way to elected members or employees of Council can still be considered for grant funding.  However, organisations in this category should note any possible conflict of interest (or perception of a conflict of interest) in their application to ensure any necessary steps can be taken to mitigate this.  

Elected members or council employees involved in funding decisions are also required to note any possible conflict of interest (or perception of a conflict of interest), and will not be involved in any assessment or decision-making related to these applications. 

Terms and Conditions

1.0         Definitions

1.1        Definitions: In this agreement, unless the context otherwise requires:

1.2        Applicant means the person, persons, or entity applying for funding from Council.

1.3        Council means Palmerston North City Council.

1.4        Funding Agreement means the contract entered into with the Applicant detailing the agreement between Council and the Applicant.

2.0         Funding

2.1        Council maintains and runs the Sponsorship Fund in its sole discretion.

2.2        The Council Sponsorship Fund is capped. Council is not obligated to grant the entirety of the Sponsorship Fund in any year nor carry over unallocated amounts to future years.

2.3        The Sponsorship Fund is for funding projects or initiatives

2.4        These Terms and Conditions will also form part and be included as part of the Terms and Conditions of the Investment Agreement entered into with the successful applicant.

3.0         Application process

3.1        The application submitted by an Applicant must be online through the Smarty Grants portal. Applications submitted outside of Smarty Grants may be rejected.

3.2        Each applicant must disclose all matters likely to be material to Council's consideration of its application or which might have a bearing on the outcomes to be delivered from the funding.

3.3        Council at its sole discretion, reserves the right to:

3.3.1         Change the criteria, parameters, date, timeline, or any other aspect of the Funding Application or  decision-making application process and waive any application requirements;

3.3.2         Reject any application that does not align with Councils strategic goals

3.3.3         Require applicants to supply additional information;

3.3.4         Suspend or cancel the funding process in whole or in part;

3.3.5         Impose conditions on the approval or payment of Council's funding (i.e. a requirement to successfully obtain a level of private funding or generate a certain number of entries for an event);

3.3.6         Engage a third party to audit the applicant’s financial statements;

3.3.7         Seek independent advice and/or crossreference any information provided by the Applicant.

3.3.8         Council may carry out due diligence in respect of an application. This may include due diligence on Applicants, organisations, or personnel involved. It may extend to financial due diligence and relevant track records either as part of the application assessment process or as part of any subsequent contract negotiation. By making an application, the Applicant consents to Council making due enquiries with third parties in this regard and agrees to provide access to referees where requested by Council.

3.4        Council will inform an Applicant of the success (or otherwise) of an application.

3.5        Council is not obliged to grant all or a certain percentage of the full amount sought in the application. Acceptance of an Application also does not mean the Applicant is entitled to the full amount applied for or can expect to receive a specificed amount or percentage. Council will inform the Applicant of the level of funding it is prepared to contribute which will be outlined in the Funding Agreement.

3.6        No decision is binding on Council until the Funding Agreement between Council and the Applicant is agreed and the parties have signed and executed the agreement.

3.7        As part of the application, the Applicant should provide an integrated marketing plan focussing on event and destination promotion including cross-promotion of other Council events where possible which the Applicant can work in conjunction with Council to develop and optimise if successful.

3.8        The Applicant warrants that all information provided in relation to its application is true and correct in all material respects, at all times, and is not misleading whether by omission or otherwise. If circumstances or information changes after making an application,the Applicant must immediately notify Council.

4.0         Privacy

4.1        Council is committed to the Applicants privacy and will comply with applicable privacy laws, including the Privacy Act 1993, to the extent possible when sharing the Applicant’s information with third parties in connection with all aspects of the application process. The Applicant acknowledges that their data may be shared for the purpose of evaluating their application.

4.2        Council may share details contained in any application with Elected Members and consult with them on any application for funding.

4.3        Council may publish or publicly release information in relation to the Sponsorship Fund and specifically in relation to the funding amounts requested.

4.4        Council is governed by the Local Government Official Information and Meetings Act 1987. Council is committed to being transparent about its activities and its major events fundings and as such may publish funding and ratepayer contribution to events. Further, Council may publicly disclose its financial and other involvement in and/or contribution to any/all events

4.5        By submitting an application, the Applicant acknowledges that the information in their application may be disclosed publically, or to a third party, and agrees to the disclosure of such information.

5.0         Termination

5.1        Council may terminate its consideration of, or reject, an application at any time prior to an Funding Agreement being signed and executed.

5.2        Council is not required to give a reason where it terminates or rejects an application.

6.0         Conflicts and disclosure

6.1        The applicant should detail any actual or potential conflict of interest (including anything which might have the appearance of a conflict of interest) which could compromise the decision on the application or bring the process into disrepute. For example, the applicant should identify any situation where a person involved with the event has a connection with someone who is an elected representative, serving on the board of, is a contract provider to, or working within Council or any CCO. Failure to disclose a conflict will result in immediate termination of an application or Funding Agreement.

6.2        All Applicants must disclose to Council any other funding sources, including any sources where the Applicant has lodged an application for funding and whether or not that funding has been confirmed. Further the Applicant must disclose any corporate or commercial sponsorship arrangements irrespective of whether the sponsorship arrangement includes direct funding or in-kind support.

6.3        Applicants must not directly or indirectly seek to influence Council's funding decisions in any improper or unethical manner (or in any way which might have the appearance of being so), nor attempt to solicit or garner non-public information from Council which might give an unfair advantage in the application process.

7.0         General

7.1        Confidentiality: Except as required by law, and subject to these terms and conditions, both parties shall preserve as confidential any information of a confidential nature that they acquire in relation to the other.

7.2        Dispute resolution: Should a dispute arise in relation to the interpretation of these terms and conditions the Applicant must notify Council in writing, detailing the problem. Council will determine whether there is any dispute to resolve and will inform the Applicant of its decision in writing, and if there is a dispute to resolve, then the process that will be followed.

7.3        Severability: If any part of these terms and conditions is held by any court to be illegal, void or unenforceable, such determination shall not impair the enforceability of the remaining parts of these terms and conditions.

7.4        Jurisdiction: These terms and conditions are governed by the laws of New Zealand and the parties submit to the exclusive jurisdiction of the New Zealand courts.

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