Event Support and Sponsorship

The Barossa Council’s Event Sponsorship program provides financial and/or in-kind support to events that deliver social, cultural, economic, and environmental benefits to the Barossa Council region. Sponsorships aim to build community capacity, celebrate local identity, and enhance visitor experiences, in alignment with the Community Plan.

• Sponsorship is a mutually beneficial arrangement where the Council provides support in exchange for agreed recognition (e.g., logo placement, public acknowledgements).

• Grants are typically philanthropic or policy-based contributions without expectation of promotion.

This program falls under sponsorship because of the emphasis on reciprocal visibility and contribution to strategic community outcomes.

Applicants must:

• Be legally registered entities with an ABN.
• Hold current Public Liability Insurance ($20M+ coverage) at the time of the event.
• Clearly demonstrate alignment with Council objectives and outcomes.
• Demonstrate capacity and experience to deliver the event successfully.
• Have no outstanding compliance issues or debts with Council.
• An unincorporated organisation must be auspiced by an incorporated organisation.

Council has a total annual sponsorship budget of $30,000, with one round per annum opening in May each year. Events can apply for cash and/or in-kind support within four tiers:

Council may provide the following in-kind contributions (subject to availability):

• Venue or facility hire.

• Waste management (event bins).

• Event Marketing support including Australian Tourism Data Warehouse ATDW listing and Barossa Visitor Centre Services.

• Road closure and/or traffic management assistance, in line with timelines and relevant information required by Council and SAPOL.

• Access to event planning tools or templates.

• Assistance from The Barossa Council Visitor Economy & Events Team.

Complete The Barossa Council Event Sponsorship Application Form and submit via email with all required attachments:

• Public Liability Insurance Certificate

• Event Budget

• Event Management Plan including Risk Assessment (optional for Tier 3)

• Marketing Plan (optional for Tier 3)

You must submit by the advertised deadline for each round. Late or incomplete applications may not be considered.

Eligible applications are reviewed and assessed by an internal panel against the following criteria:

• Strategic Alignment & Objectives: 40%
• Community Benefit & Inclusivity: 30%
• Capability & Experience: 20%
• Financial Viability & Value 10%

Applications must meet minimum eligibility requirements to proceed to scoring.

• Significant, Tier 1, and 2 recipients must submit an acquittal form and provide impact data (e.g., attendance numbers, demographic information, evidence of council acknowledgement, photos, feedback, and financial acquittal).

• Tier 3 recipients can complete a short-form email report or brief template.

All recipients must show how they acknowledged Council’s support (e.g., logo use, verbal thanks, social media posts).

Yes. You’ll be asked this on the application form. Preference may be given to events that demonstrate viability but need Council support to expand reach, increase accessibility, or enhance quality.

You will be notified within 8 weeks of the application deadline. Successful applicants will be asked to sign a Sponsorship Agreement prior to funds being released.

You can contact the Events Team at barossaevents@barossa.sa.gov.au or call (08) 8563 8444 for support or clarification.

You are encouraged to review:

• Barossa Council Events Policy (2024)

• The Barossa Community Plan 2024 – 2044

• Barossa Local Economic Development Plan 2022 - 2027
  

This helps ensure your event is aligned with Council’s goals and eligible for sponsorship.

Yes. This is a requirement for ALL events held within a Barossa Council facility or open space regardless of funding status. Your first sponsorship payment will not be processed until your Event Permit has been finalised.
If you are using a Council-managed facility, including halls or open spaces, please contact the Events Team on barossaevents@barossa.sa.gov.au directly to book. Hire fees apply unless this has been requested as ‘in-kind’ via your sponsorship application.
For further information please refer to The Barossa Council Event Guidelines for more detailed information. The complexity of your event is what determines the timeframes for submission of the Event Application.

Visit Fees and Charges for applicable fees.

If you are using a facility which is not managed by Council, please make sure you have booked or confirmed with the relevant body as soon as possible.

For Significant, Tier 1 and Tier 2, Sponsorship funding will be paid in two allotments of 50% as per the conditions detailed in your agreement. You can provide a tax invoice for the first payment to the Events team any time after your agreement is signed.

Your first invoice will be processed once your Event application (if applicable) has been approved. As per Council’s terms of payment, this may take up to 30 days.

The second invoice should be submitted after your event along with your Post Event Evaluation and Acquittal form. This invoice will be processed once your Post Event Evaluation and Acquittal form is satisfactorily completed and any outstanding payment to Council have been settled (e.g. waste fees, site fees, facility hire fees etc.).

Please note that all sponsorship funding amounts outlined in your agreement are exclusive of GST. Organisations registered for GST should submit a valid tax invoice in accordance with Australian Taxation Office requirements.

Your invoices must be addressed to The Barossa Council for Event Sponsorship [YEAR-YEAR] and must include the following:

• Business or organisation name (as per your agreement)
• ABN
• GST amount (where applicable)
• Email address
• Bank account details – Account name, BSB, and Account number

If your organisation is not in the Council system a new creditor form will need to be filled out.

For tier 3 events, funding will be paid in one installment as per the conditions detailed in your agreement. You can provide a tax invoice to the events team once your agreement is signed.

Once your event has been held, the events team will email the Post Event Evaluation and Acquittal form for completion.

As per your Event Funding Agreement, you have 30 days from the conclusion of your event to submit this form. Once the form has been satisfactorily completed, the second invoice received and any outstanding payment to Council have been settled (e.g. waste fees, site fees, facility hire fees etc.), the final payment of funds will be processed.

As per your Event Funding Agreement, your funding may be forfeited if your event is cancelled. If you have received payments prior to cancelling, you may be required to return these funds to Council. Depending on the circumstances of the cancellation, you may still be eligible to keep the funding and to apply for Event Funding in the future.

If your event is postponed and will be re-scheduled to a later date within the current financial year, then your funding may still be used for the event, however this variation must be requested in writing and approved by Council.

If your event is postponed and will be re-scheduled to a later date outside of the current financial year, then your funding will be forfeited. You will be eligible to apply for funding in future rounds; however, no guarantees can be given that your application will be successful or receive a similar level of funding. Event Funding allocations can not be carried forward to future financial years.

Yes. However, any changes to the event as originally described in the application must be made in writing to the events team and will be subject to approval.

If your proposed change of date falls outside the current financial year, then your funding will be forfeited and you will be invited to re-apply for funding in future rounds. Event Funding allocations can not be carried forward to future financial years.

No. Event Funding allocations will not be carried forward to future financial years.

No late submissions will be accepted.

Out-of-round requests may be considered only in special circumstances via the “Significant Event Category” if budget allows and the proposal is considered exceptional. Please reach out to the Events team barossaevents@barossa.sa.gov.au to discuss.

Any event organiser seeking financial support from Council for their event is encouraged to apply during the funding round to increase the likelihood of success.

As per Section 8 of your Funding Agreement, you are required to acknowledge The Barossa Council as a sponsor of your event.

The acknowledgment should appear on your website (if you have one), advertising and social media (where appropriate) and any promotional materials for your event such as posters, flyers, signage and programs.

To assist in acknowledging sponsorship and promoting the Barossa region to visitors, logos and further information can be accessed via the events team.