How to build sponsorship packages for a sports club

A sponsorship package is a fixed bundle: these spots, for this season, at this price. Packages stop your committee inventing a new deal for every business. They also make life easier for the business. Most owners want to see a few clear options and pick one, not sit through a long negotiation.

The shape: three tiers, an entry package and in-kind

One package forces a yes or a no. Ten packages confuse people. Three cash tiers give a small, a medium and a bigger business each a place to land. Then add two options on the side:

• An entry package for the business that wants to help but has a small budget.
• An in-kind package for the business that would rather give goods or services than cash.

That covers nearly everyone who walks up to the bar and says "how can we help?"

Build the tiers from your list

Packages are made from the spots you can sell: kit, signage, social posts, naming rights and events. If you have not listed those yet, start with our guide on what a club can sell to sponsors. Then follow four rules:

1. Each step up adds something people can see. Not just more posts. A logo on training kit, then playing kit, then naming rights.
2. Say "everything in the tier below". It keeps each package short and makes the top one feel complete.
3. Keep the top tier rare. One major partner, or two at most. Being the main name is what they are paying for.
4. Only promise what you can deliver and show. If you cannot prove it happened, leave it out.

Example tiers from our builder

These are the starting examples our free club page builder suggests for a small rugby club (under 150 members). They are examples only. Every name, benefit and price can be changed.

• In-kind supporter, no set price. Goods or services instead of cash, valued together. Name on the sponsor page and a thank you post on your socials.
• Local supporter, $150 a season. This is the entry package. Logo on the sponsor page with a link to their site, a thank you post and a certificate for their shop or office.
• Team partner, $600 a season. Their logo on a team's training kit, two social posts a season and everything in Local supporter.
• Major partner, $1,500 a season. Their logo on your playing kit, naming rights on a grade or the clubrooms, named at prizegiving and in match posts, and everything in Team partner.

The builder starts you with those four. For a full three tiers above the entry package, add one between Team partner and Major partner, such as naming a grade or your junior section, and price it between the two.

The examples change with your code and club size. A few more from the builder, for the entry, Team partner and Major partner packages, per season:

• Rugby, medium club (150 to 500 members): $200, $1,200 and $3,500
• Netball, small club: $150, $500 and $1,250
• Football, small club: $150, $550 and $1,250

How to set your own prices

Treat the examples as a starting point, then check them against your own club:

• Cover your costs first. Adding a logo to kit or printing a banner can cost money. Check with your supplier, and make sure the package covers that and still leaves something for the club.
• Look at who sees it and how often. A spot seen every home game is worth more than one seen once a season.
• Ask a friendly owner. Someone in the club who runs a business can tell you what feels fair locally.
• Scope down, do not discount. If a business says it is too much, offer the package below. Dropping the price on the same package tells everyone your prices are soft.

Our rate card guide walks through pricing in more depth.

Do not skip the in-kind package

In-kind support is real sponsorship. A business that feeds the team after games, prints your programmes or lends you a van is saving the club money. Agree a value together, write it down and give them benefits that match. Put them on your sponsor page and thank them like any cash sponsor.

Junior and youth packages

If a package includes junior kit or a junior page, keep alcohol, vape and gambling businesses out of it. Check your code's and your school's rules as well. In our builder, ticking the junior or youth option blocks those categories on your page.

Hide a price if you need to

Some committees would rather talk money in person, especially for the top tier. On a club page you can tick "Enquire for rates" on any package. The price is hidden on your page but still shows on your printed rate card.

Next steps

Write your packages down, run them past two or three people on the committee and put them where sponsors can see them. If you are not sure your club is ready to sell yet, the free Sponsor Ready Check takes about three minutes and tells you what to fix first.