Version: 3.1
EDM-PR-001: Advertising and Sponsorship
Designed to maintain public confidence in the state education system by ensuring commercial sponsorship and advertising arrangements are undertaken in an open, transparent, fair and responsible manner.
Applies to TAFE Education Queensland schools and other state educational institutions, Education Queensland Regional and District Offices, Parents and Citizens' Associations, and education-related central office units of the Department of Education and Training.
Statement of intent
State schools, TAFE Institutions and other educational facilities are important educational, social and cultural resources for communities throughout Queensland. By engaging with local businesses and community organisations, many institutions have created innovative programs that are tailored to local needs and provide enhanced benefits for students. In this context, advertising and sponsorship are important components of the operations of state schools, TAFE institutions, and other units of the department.
While appropriate advertising and sponsorship activity can generate significant benefits for all parties, inappropriate activity can do irreparable damage to the department's brand and public image.
This policy explains the key principles of advertising and sponsorship and provides examples of acceptable and unacceptable arrangements.
A sponsorship framework is provided to help guide outgoing sponsorship activities undertaken by departmental units.
An Advertising, Sponsorship and Fundraising checklist 
73k is also provided as a step-by-step guide to advertising, sponsorship and fundraising arrangements for schools and Parents and Citizens' Associations (P&C Associations).
Corporate Communication and Marketing provides advice and guidance to all departmental units wishing to engage in advertising and/or sponsorship activity. The key principles underpinning sponsorship and advertising advice are based on:
Responsibilities
School staff:
- refer all advertising and sponsorship approval to your Principal.
School Principals:
- ensure familiarity and compliance with Advertising and Sponsorship Key Principles
An Advertising, Sponsorship and Fundraising Checklist for Schools and Parents and Citizens' Associations 73k has been developed to guide decision making.
- ensure familiarity and compliance with business card advertising in school newsletter protocols
- consult and seek approval from school community (including P&C Association and School Councils) before arrangements are progressed in any detail with potential sponsors
- consult Regional Executive Director or Executive Director Schools who will seek endorsement from Executive Director, Corporate Communication and Marketing, for all proposals that:
- exceed value of $5000 (net) over life of agreement (maximum five years), or
- have potential to be controversial, or
- despite having a value of less than $5000, involve activities that may be high risk, or
- involve naming rights, or
- are first of their kind for department, or
- involve significant events, or
- have statewide implications.
- consult with Information Management Services Branch if computer equipment and/or services are a major element of sponsorship
- complete Sponsorship Offer Form
206k for sponsorships less than $5000 and store this locally for audit purposes
Note: If the sponsorship is less than $5000 and meets one of the categories mentioned above, then this must be referred to Corporate Communication and Marketing.
- ensure behaviour or any final arrangement would withstand critical public scrutiny when negotiating advertising and sponsorship
- when seeking sponsorship, should not rely solely on unsolicited offers. Publicise sponsorship or advertising opportunities so as to be fair to all potential sponsors or advertisers, to obtain a reasonable price and to promote public confidence. This requires notifying all known organisations who may be able to provide sponsorship and can be achieved by calling for expressions of interest or sending a letter to known competitors. Provide pre-determined sponsor selection criteria to organisations expressing interest in an advertised sponsorship opportunity. In situations where there are a limited number of potential sponsors, approach all directly, rather than advertise.
It may not be necessary to publicise opportunities if:
- there is only one individual or firm with necessary skills or goods (sole supplier situation)
- calling for expressions of interest is likely to threaten viability of first offer or lead to a lesser result
- there is reason to believe that no other competitor could provide better value for money.
- document how decision was made, authorise appropriately, and file locally.
Parents and Citizens' Associations and School Councils:
- refer proposals and arrangements to your school Principal for approval
- use advertising, sponsorship and fundraising checklist 73k to help assess suitability of advertising, sponsorship and fundraising proposals
- ensure behaviour or any final arrangement would withstand critical public scrutiny when negotiating advertising and sponsorship.
Department of Education and Training officers who are not directors:
Department of Education and Training Directors, TAFE Directors, Assistant Directors-General and Deputy Director-General:
- ensure familiarity and compliance with Advertising and sponsorship key principles
- refer proposals to Executive Director, Corporate Communication and Marketing for advice if required
- may authorise incoming sponsorship and advertising proposals, up to $5000
- consult Executive Director, Corporate Communication and Marketing for all proposals that:
- exceed value of $5000 (net) over life of agreement (maximum five years), or
- have potential to be controversial, or
- despite having a value of less than $5000, involve activities that may be high risk, or
- are first of their kind for department, or
- involve significant events, or
- have statewide implications.
Regional Directors:
Executive Director, Corporate Communication and Marketing:
- considers and assesses proposals forwarded by Principals, TAFE directors, Central Office Directors and Regional Directors for advice
- endorses proposals that meet requirements of this policy and procedure, Queensland Government Policies and the Queensland Government Sponsorship Framework
- advises Principals, Central Office Directors or Regional Office Directors, and relevant delegates, of outcome of all proposals submitted for advice
- authorises any statewide media releases generated by sponsor recipients
- endorses and provides advice on statewide arrangements more than $5000 in value
- coordinates arrangements with state and national offices of firms, or conducted in conjunction with education portfolios in other jurisdictions
- coordinates sponsorship of significant events in accordance with Queensland Government Sponsorship Framework and Queensland Government Events Policy , which includes referral of all proposals for sponsorship of such events to Events Coordination Unit, Department of the Premier and Cabinet
- registers incoming sponsorships exceeding $5000 and all outgoing sponsorship agreements 38k centrally
- provides to Minister for Education and Training an annual report of all new and current sponsorships with a value more than $5000
- provides to Minister for Education and Training a report on any sponsorship involving a significant event, for Cabinet consideration.
Director-General of Education and Training:
- consults with Minister for Education and Training and, as appropriate, other key stakeholders, on proposals that have potential to be controversial or are first of their kind for department, or involve outgoing sponsorship of significant events and/or events requiring Cabinet Budget Review Committee approval
- may authorise incoming sponsorship and advertising proposals, following consideration of advice provided by Executive Director, Corporate Communication and Marketing, not exceeding $500 000
- may authorise outgoing sponsorship proposals that:
- are not new significant events
- do not require Cabinet Budget Review Committee approval
- do not exceed $500 000.
Contacts
For all school and non-TAFE inquiries about contracts, please contact with this manager who will liaise with Legal and Administrative Law if required:
For TAFE inquiries, please contact with this manager who will liaise with Legal and Administrative Law if required:
Please address inquiries about contracts in the first instance to the above contacts. The above contacts can then liaise with the Legal and Administrative Law Branch.
Document information
Approval record: 10/94330
Doc.Ref. 10/94330
Date of implementation: 2011-11-24
Date of publication: 2011-11-24
Date to be reviewed: 2012-12-13
This procedure replaces:
- EDM-PR-001: Advertising and Sponsorship - Version: 1.0, 2.0, 3.0
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