Sponsorship

Applying for sponsorship

Gippsland Water’s sponsorship program is proud to support local community groups, projects and events within our service area.

We welcome the opportunity to partner with and support our community for projects, events and activities with a focus on:

• Water
• Water conservation
• Water and wastewater education
• The environment
• Public health
• Community wellbeing

1. Types of sponsorship

We offer four main categories of sponsorship:

Financial support

For a specific project, event or activity less than $5,000.

Note: any contribution from Gippsland Water must be matched by the applicant.

In-kind support including:

• Merchandise such as water bottles, stress balls and reusable bags.*
• Provision of technical expertise from within the organisation to assist with a specific short term project or event.
• Provision of water and compost at reduced or no cost.*

Portable Water Fountains - use of our portable water foundations for your event.*

Partnerships with agencies on projects with common objectives.

*Note: limits or conditions may apply.

2. Sponsorship Criteria

For a sponsorship application to be considered, it must meet one or more of the following criteria:

• Does the activity or event occur within our service area?
• Is there a focus on water or water conservation?
• Does the organisation or event provide avenues to promote our key messages and programs?
• Does the activity or event benefit the community in our service area?

Gippsland Water will not support sponsorships that align with:

• Unincorporated groups or bodies which do not have an Australian Business Number.
• “For profit” organisations.
• Delivery or replacement of core government services.
• Donations for fundraising teams or individuals for charity.
• Retrospective funding or budget deficits.
• Political campaigns or groups seeking support for personal interests.
• Events that discriminate adversely against any persons, organisations or groups.
• Activities that have a co-sponsor supplying bottled water to either the event or the wider community.
• Events which conflict with Government Policy or objectives.
• Organisations supportive of or with visible links to tobacco, gaming, alcohol or drug-related issues.
• Proposals that do not align with the overall intent of the sponsorship objectives in our Communications and Engagement Strategy.
• Requests that do not comply with the Information Privacy Act 2000.

3. Eligibility

Sponsorship/financial support will only be provided to not-for-profit organisations within Gippsland Water's service area who have an ABN and/or DRG status and that can provide a copy of their constitution/memorandum of association and organisational structure.

4. Applications

To ensure your application is fairly assessed, all applications will be considered against the Sponsorship Criteria and information provided in your application.

Financial support

Applications will be considered once a year and must be submitted online using the Financial Support Application Form.

Applications open 1 October 2018 and close 31 October 2018.

In-kind support

Applications for merchandise/product/expertise will be considered as they are received throughout the year and must be submitted online using the In-Kind Support Application Form.

Portable Water Fountains

Applications will be considered as they are received throughout the year and must be submitted online using the Portable Water Fountains Application Form.

Partnerships with agencies on projects with common objectives. Sponsorship opportunities proposed to, or initiated by Gippsland Water on projects with common objectives will be negotiated under a separate agreement. Consideration for unsolicited proposals will include:

• Relevancy to the business.
• Competency of the proposer to deliver proposal.
• If due to scale of the proposal, whether EOI/tenders should be considered (unless proposal involves commercial in confidence/intellectual property issues).
• Proposal is consistent with the requirements of the Code of Conduct for Victorian Public Sector Employees Employees.

5. Information for all applicants

Budget information

• All dollar figures provided should be GST inclusive.
• Where possible, quotes should be provided and preference is given to local suppliers, however it is acknowledged that this may not always be possible.

In-kind contributions

• These are a non-cash contribution made by the applicant towards the completion or the conduct of the project. Commonly this will include the labour of members of the applicant group or the use of members’ equipment.
• A business may also supply material or services at a discount.
• The difference between the retail value of a product and the discounted price for the project can also be counted as an in-kind contribution.
• In-kind cannot include the time taken to prepare this grant application.

Supporting attachments

Where required, supporting documentation helps us to assess your application and can be used to demonstrate that your project has broad community support or identified as a key priority by stakeholders. They might include:

• Your latest annual financial report: Full financials helps us asses if your organisation has the ability to meet its financial commitments to the project.
• Letters of support: Should be provided if they are relevant to the application i.e. a group that will directly benefit from the project or are providing funds and/or in-kind support.
• Photos and or newspapers cuttings if available.
• Business or development plans, feasibility studies, masterplans, community plans, etc.
• Constitution, articles of association or memorandum.

6. Sponsorship acknowledgement

Successful recipients will be required to acknowledge the sponsorship. This can take a number of forms including:

• Media acknowledgment in print, television or radio exposure.
• Placement of Gippsland Water logo on posters and marketing materials.
• Signage at event/on site reflecting Gippsland Water’s support.
• Acknowledgment via sponsorship recipients social media channels.
• Acknowledgment on day of event by MC.
• Post event acknowledgment in press and or public notices.

Where financial support is provided, successful applicants will need to complete a simple process by completing an Acquittal Form.

7. Conditions of financial support

• All applicants must provide Gippsland Water with an ABN or evidence of tax exempt status. Failure to comply with this requirement will require us to withhold 48.5% of the sponsorship and remit it to the ATO.
• All grant recipients must provide a tax invoice or signed “statement by supplier” to obtain sponsorship funds.
• Applicants are accountable for the sponsorship funding by acknowledging and formally agreeing to the conditions of funding.
• Successful applicants must complete an acquittal within 12 months of the funding being approved.
• Unless prior arrangements have been made, any funds not expended by the end of the 12 month period may be withdrawn and/or reallocated. Failure to supply a final report may result in applicants being ineligible for sponsorship in subsequent years until the report is provided.
• Gippsland Water’s sponsorship contribution is to be appropriately acknowledged (see 6. Sponsorship Acknowledgement).
• Gippsland Water reserves the right to terminate or seek repayment of any funding if it believes that the applicant has spent it on items not associated with its original application and allocated purpose or has otherwise misappropriated the funds, or any other reason it deems sufficient cause.

Unsuccessful applicants will receive a letter thanking them for their application, advising them they were unsuccessful, and offering a brief explanation of the reasons for this decision. Successful applicants will also receive a letter confirming the sponsorship agreement.