Sponsorship Agreement Template and How to Draft One (2026)

What a sponsorship agreement actually does A sponsorship agreement is a commercial contract where one party (the sponsor) gives money, goods or services to another party (the property, often an event, team, creator or venue) in return for defined marketing rights and brand exposure. It is not a donation and it is not advertising space bought off a rate card. It is a two-way deal: the sponsor pays, and the property delivers specific, measurable benefits. The three things a good sponsorship agreement nails down are: exactly what the sponsor gets (the rights and deliverables), exactly what the sponsor pays and when, and what happens if the event is cancelled, moved or falls flat. Most disputes come from one of those three being vague. ## Sponsorship agreement template (copy and adapt) ```

SPONSORSHIP AGREEMENT This Sponsorship Agreement ("Agreement") is made on [Date] BETWEEN [Sponsor legal name], [entity type], having its registered office at [address] ("Sponsor"); AND [Property/Organiser legal name], [entity type], having its registered office at [address] ("Organiser"). 1. THE PROPERTY The Organiser is organising [event/property name] to be held at [venue] on [dates] (the "Event"). 2. SPONSORSHIP TIER AND FEE The Sponsor is granted the "[Title/Associate/...]" tier. The Sponsorship Fee is [amount] plus applicable taxes (GST), payable: - []% within [] days of signing; - []% by [date / milestone]. All payments to [bank details]. Value-in-kind, if any: [describe]. 3. SPONSOR RIGHTS AND DELIVERABLES The Organiser shall provide the following, in the manner and by the dates set out in Schedule 1: (a) Branding: logo on [stage/backdrop/website/collateral], size/ placement per Schedule 1; (b) Naming: the Event may be referenced as "[Event] presented by [Sponsor]" [yes/no]; (c) Digital: [number] social posts, [number] emails, website listing; (d) On-site: [booth size], [number] passes, speaking slot of [minutes] [yes/no]; (e) Hospitality: [number] VIP seats / tickets. 4. EXCLUSIVITY The Organiser shall / shall not grant category exclusivity to the Sponsor in the "[category]" category. If granted, the Organiser shall not sign any competing sponsor in that category during the Term. 5. SPONSOR OBLIGATIONS The Sponsor shall supply usable brand assets by [date], approve creative within [] business days, and use the Event marks only as licensed in clause 7. 6. TERM AND TERRITORY This Agreement runs from [start] to [end], covering [one edition / multiple editions], in [territory]. 7. INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY Each party owns its own marks. Each grants the other a limited, non-exclusive, royalty-free, non-transferable licence to use those marks only to perform this Agreement. All goodwill accrues to the owner. Approvals required before public use. 8. REPRESENTATIONS Each party represents it has the authority to sign and the rights it licenses. The Organiser represents it controls the Event rights. 9. PAYMENT, TAXES AND TDS Fees are exclusive of GST. Tax deducted at source (TDS) shall be applied as required by law and a certificate issued. 10. CANCELLATION, FORCE MAJEURE AND REFUNDS If the Event is cancelled or materially reduced for reasons within the Organiser's control, the Sponsor is refunded on a pro-rata basis for undelivered benefits. For force majeure (clause 11), the parties will first seek to reschedule; failing that, refund [formula]. 11. FORCE MAJEURE Neither party is liable for failure caused by events beyond reasonable control (natural disaster, government action, epidemic). 12. TERMINATION Either party may terminate on [__] days' written notice for an uncured material breach. Effect of termination: [refund / pro-rata]. 13. INDEMNITY AND LIABILITY Each party indemnifies the other against third-party claims arising from its own content, marks or negligence. Aggregate liability is capped at the Sponsorship Fee. No indirect or consequential loss. 14. CONFIDENTIALITY Commercial terms are confidential. 15. GOVERNING LAW AND DISPUTES Governed by the laws of [India / jurisdiction]. Disputes resolved by arbitration at [seat] under [rules], or the courts at [city]. 16. GENERAL Entire agreement; no assignment without consent; notices in writing; amendments in writing and signed. SIGNED for and on behalf of the parties: ______________________ ______________________ Sponsor Organiser Name / Designation Name / Designation Date Date SCHEDULE 1 - DELIVERABLES AND DEADLINES SCHEDULE 2 - BRAND ASSETS AND SPECIFICATIONS

- **Associate or tier sponsor:** logo and defined benefits, usually non-exclusive.
- **Value-in-kind (VIK):** the sponsor supplies goods or services (venue, tech, food) instead of or alongside cash. Always assign a rupee value so the exchange is clear for tax and for refunds.
- **Media or barter:** exposure traded for exposure. Spell out the measurable units on both sides. ## Stamp duty and tax, in short In India a sponsorship agreement is generally stamped as an agreement under the applicable state Stamp Act; the rate varies by state, so check your state schedule. GST applies to sponsorship services, and the reverse-charge mechanism can apply to certain sponsorships to body corporates, so confirm the current position with your accountant. TDS provisions commonly apply to the payment. In other jurisdictions (UK, SG, AU, US), tax treatment and any stamp or duty rules differ, so this varies by jurisdiction. ## Mistakes to avoid Do not leave deliverables unmeasurable, do not skip the cancellation and force majeure path, do not forget approval rights over how your brand is used, and do not let exclusivity run wider than the category you actually bought. Keep the asset deadlines in a schedule you both sign, not in email. This page is general information for India and other common-law jurisdictions, not legal advice. Contract law and stamp duty vary by jurisdiction, and a specific deal may need a qualified lawyer. ## Where a contract workspace helps Everything above is manual work: you started from a template, read every clause for the one that bites, tried to remember a renewal or a filing date, and kept track of who approved what. When you sign a few contracts a year, a careful person with a checklist can do this. When you sign hundreds, across teams, the gaps are where the risk hides. That same loop can live in one AI contract workspace tuned to how your company actually contracts. You draft from your own patterns, see each clause marked favourable, neutral or unfavourable to you, edit clauses in plain English, and keep a live timeline of versions, obligations and dates in one place rather than across inboxes and folders. [Adira](https://adiralaw.com) is built that way, India-first and global-capable. The point is not the tool; it is that the drafting, the review and the tracking you just did by hand do not have to stay scattered.