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Town of Bridgewater
Corporate Sponsorship and Naming Rights Policy
Policy No. 85
Approved: September 14, 2015
Resolution No.: 15-193
Revised: March 27, 2019
Resolution 17.083
Revised: May 27, 2019
Resolution: 19-093
Policy
The Town of Bridgewater endorses sponsorship as an opportunity to offset the costs of
municipal programs, events, and services and as a way to recognize corporate
partnerships that support municipal operations.
1. Purpose and Scope
1.1
Whereas it is the desire of the Town of Bridgewater to foster private-sector
sponsorship to assist in the provision of municipal events, programs, and
services consistent with the Town's values, this policy is intended to
create a flexible framework for accepting corporate sponsorship and
naming rights proposals, while ensuring fairness, transparency, and
accountability of the sponsorship process. Corporate sponsorships can
enhance municipal programs, events, and services without additional cost
to the taxpayer.
1.2
This policy applies to all arrangements entered into between the Town of
Bridgewater and persons or bodies corporate that involve consideration
for corporate sponsorship and/or naming rights.
1.3
This policy applies to all sponsorship arrangements entered into between
the
Town
and
corporations
that
involve:
a)
any department of the Town of Bridgewater;
b)
any committee of the Town;
c)
the
Bridgewater
Public
Service
Commission;
d)
the Bridgewater Museum Commission.
1.4
This policy does not apply to:
a)
gifts or donations;
b)
funds obtained from the Provincial or Federal government;
c)
third parties operating a Town asset under a management
agreement;
d)
facility lease agreement or memorandum of understanding (MOU);
e)
Town grants or contributions to third parties which may, as a
condition of approval, include a requirement that the Town's
support be acknowledged;
f)
Town sponsorship of third parties' activities; and
g)
areas specifically designated as advertising space for sale at Town
facilities
2.
Definitions
2.1
For the purposes of this sponsorship policy:
a)
"Gift or Donation" refers to an unsolicited contribution to the Town
for which there is no reciprocal commercial benefit expected or
required;
b)
"Naming Rights" refers to a type of sponsorship in which a
corporation purchases the exclusive right to name a municipal
asset. Usually, naming rights are considered in a commercial
context, where the naming right is sold for significant cash or other
revenue support. The arrangement is documented in an agreement
signed by the interested parties and has a specified end date to the
contractual obligations;
c)
"Regulated substance" refers generally to a drug or chemical
whose manufacture, possession, or use is regulated by a
government, such as alcohol or marijuana;
d)
"Sponsorship" considerations may include money, value-in-kind or
a combination of money and value-in-kind made by an individual or
body corporate to the Town of Bridgewater in exchange for
advertising, marketing or promotional considerations, as negotiated
per the terms of a Sponsorship Agreement;
e)
Town of Bridgewater assets include Town-owned property,
complexes, structures, buildings or portions thereof.
3.
General Principles
3.1
Sponsorship shall be established in a manner that ensures access and
fairness, and results in the optimal balance of benefits to the Town of
Bridgewater and the community. The Town may issue a Request for
Proposals for designated opportunities (such as Naming Rights for a
municipal facility) OR it may receive unsolicited sponsorship proposals at
any time for consideration.
3.2
Sponsorship may not compromise the Town of Bridgewater's ability to
carry out its functions fully and impartially.
3.3
Sponsorships must not conflict with the terms and conditions of existing
naming rights agreements or sponsorship agreements.
3.4
Sponsorship rights will be compatible with the nature of the sponsored
program, event or asset and compatible with the target audience, as
judged by Town Council or the CAO or senior manager, depending on the
scope and financial commitment of the proposal.
3.5
Prospective sponsors shall bear all costs associated with the preparation
and submission of any sponsorship proposal, and the Town of
Bridgewater will, in no case, be responsible or liable for those costs.
3.6
Granting of sponsorship rights will not result in additional costs for the
Town of Bridgewater, excluding costs incurred during the solicitation and
authorization process, or costs incurred to fulfill conditions of sponsorship.
3.7
The granting of sponsorship rights shall not include an express or implied
obligation, on the part of the Town of Bridgewater, its agencies,
associations, committees or commissions, to purchase the sponsor's
products and services or to endorse either the sponsor itself, or the
sponsor's products or services.
3.8
Sponsors are prohibited from making statements that suggest the
sponsor's products and services are endorsed by the municipality.
3.9
Neither the submission of a sponsorship proposal nor the acceptance of
the sponsorship proposal submission shall be construed as a contract.
3.10 Sponsorships may not be accepted from corporate bodies or individuals
who, in the discretion of Town Council, the CAO or a senior manager are
inappropriate partners for the Town.
3.11 In the event that the Town of Bridgewater engages in a sponsorship
agreement with a company that sells/markets regulated substances, per
the authority granted in Section 4.3, the sponsorship agreement must
include strong responsible usage messaging and, if applicable, that
messaging should be consistent with the values and concerns identified in
the Municipal Alcohol Project Report on Bridgewater.
4.
Authority to Approve Sponsorship
4.1(a) Sponsorship proposals under $1,500 per annum may be authorized and
signed by members of the Town's Senior Management team.
4.1(b) Sponsorships of $1,500 or more per annum up to and including $5,000
must be authorized and signed by the CAO.
4.1(c) Sponsorship proposals of more than $5,000 per annum shall be
authorized only by resolution of Bridgewater Town Council and shall
signed on behalf of the Town of Bridgewater by the Mayor and/or CAO.
4.2
Notwithstanding Section 4.1, any sponsorship proposal received and
considered that includes a Naming Rights component for a municipal
facility and/or a municipal event shall only be authorized by resolution of
Bridgewater Town Council and signed on behalf of the Town of
Bridgewater by the Mayor and/or CAO.
4.3
Notwithstanding Sections 4.1 and 4.2, any sponsorship proposal from a
company/business that sells/markets in regulated substances shall only
be authorized by resolution of Bridgewater Town Council and signed on
behalf of the Town of Bridgewater by the Mayor and/or CAO.
5.
Use of Funds
5.1
Proceeds received by the Town of Bridgewater through the sale of
sponsorship rights are to be used for:
a)
the enhancement or maintenance of the sponsored event, program
or service, or combination thereof;
b)
investments whose proceeds contribute to the delivery of Town of
Bridgewater services.
c)
such other purposes as agreed upon in the terms of the
sponsorship agreement.