Sponsorship

Apply for sponsorship

If you have a great initiative for an event or program that would benefit Maitland, you can apply for sponsorship through the Vibrant City Sponsorship Program.

The Vibrant City Sponsorship Program is an annual program which opens in July each financial year. If funds are not exhausted after the first round a second round will be offered.

Round One

Applications Open: First week of July
Applications Close: 4 weeks from the open date
Decision made: 6 weeks from the application close date
Project timing: 12 months from December that year

Round Two

Applications Open: First week of January
Applications Close: 4 weeks from the open date
Decision made: 6 weeks from the application close date
Project timing: From May to November that year (if funds not exhausted from round 1)

Apply now

Or contact our Marketing team for more information.

Vibrant City Sponsorship Program process

Before you start your application, there are a few things you should consider.

You are applying for sponsorship which is different to grant funding. Sponsorship does not generally fund an entire project. If you require full funding for your project, grant funding opportunities should be investigated.
Your application should add value to an event or program that is already happening, regardless of the outcome of the sponsorship application.
Council should receive value other than just recognition for the sponsorship and help us achieve our vision in the Maitland +10 Plan.

Check your availability

Events and programs should:

Provide economic benefit to the City
Promote Maitland as a vibrant and progressive city
Help our commitment to keeping Maitland clean, green and sustainable
Have widespread community appeal
Be free or low cost to attend.

Complete an application form

Submit an application form after reviewing the Vibrant City Sponsorship Guidelines, Maitland City Council Sponsorship Policy and Maitland +10.

Application review

Once the application is submitted, we will review and assess the applications considering:

The level of community interest or significance
How closely the application addresses the themes in the Maitland +10 Plan
It’s relevance to the City and community
The impact and return on investment for Council's brand and reputation.

Please be aware that sponsorships are limited. We receive a large number of applications which meet our guidelines, however we are not able to sponsor them all so your sponsorship request may be declined, or we may offer a lesser amount than requested.

Application decision

Once the assessment has been completed, we will let you know the outcome of the application with a phone call, followed by official correspondence in writing.

All correspondence and announcements for sponsorship should remain in confidence until we come to an agreement together regarding the approach to announce.

Sponsorship agreement

Once we have decided to offer sponsorship, we will enter into a contract (or letter of agreement) with you. This will outline the benefits agreed to, payment terms, performance required and the evaluation methods.

Once the agreement has been confirmed, you can start putting the program or event into action. If you are to receive a financial contribution, you should invoice Council as per the agreed date in the agreement and expect the payment to be made within three (3) weeks.

Complete an acquittal

Once the event or program has been executed, an acquittal must be completed within four (4) weeks afterwards.

We will provide you with an acquittal template, which should be returned to Council along with photography and videos or other agreed upon assets.

After the program or event is completed, we will evaluate the effectiveness of the agreement to meet its objectives which will help with future sponsorship considerations.

Sponsor Maitland events

Working in partnership with Maitland Events is an effective way to align your business with a quality product that benefits Maitland and the broader community.

Our events are known for providing quality entertainment, with strong recognition in the community, and have a loyal following that allows them to grow year after year.

Each event comes with a professional marketing campaign, which ensures both the event and event partners receive prominent, prolonged exposure. A dedicated Events Officer - Commercial Relations will work with you to ensure maximum return on your investment.

Sponsor a Flagship Event

Maitland's seven flagship events include Maitland's Australia Day celebrations, Maitland Taste, Hunter Valley Steamfest, Maitland Aroma, Riverlights Multicultural Festival, Bitter & Twisted Boutique Beer Festival and New Year's Eve festivities.

These events are a key attraction for the city and are popular with both residents and visitors, attracting over 130,000 people and annually injecting $20 million into the local economy.

Contact our Marketing team for information on sponsorship packages.