Dated: 14 July 2022
POLICY TITLE: Sponsorship
OWNING DIRECTORATE: Corporate and Strategic Services
AUTHOR: Finance Lead, Financial Performance
CONTACT DETAILS: 101
EQUALITY IMPACT ASSESSMENT: Complete
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AIM OF POLICY: To provide appropriately managed sponsorship within Northumbria Police.
BENEFIT OF POLICY: Sponsorship will be managed effectively within the organisation and in accordance with delegated responsibilities.
REASON FOR POLICY: To ensure sponsorship is managed in accordance with financial regulations and to provide guiding principles.
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Sponsorship Principles
Northumbria Police will consider all sponsorship requests in an open and even-handed way.
Northumbria Police will refuse applications from any individual/organisation which is in legal, financial or other conflict with the Force.
Northumbria Police will not accept sponsorship from organisations/individuals who are in contract negotiation with the Force as this may be viewed as an endorsement of the bid (refer to Procurement Department).
Northumbria Police will not enter into sponsorship agreement which connects the Force with any political party or with any organisation where it may be construed as showing or encouraging any type of prejudice (racial, sexual or religious).
Organisations that will not be considered or approved for sponsorship opportunities include, but are not limited to, those which represent a conflict of interest or are connected directly or indirectly with the following:
- Advocacy of, or opposition to, any politically, environmentally, socially or ethically controversial subjects or issues
- Disparagement or promotion of any person or class of persons
- Promotion or incitement of illegal, violent or socially undesirable acts
- Promotion or availability of tobacco products, weapons, gambling or illegal drugs
- Financial organisations and loan advancers with punitive interest rates
- Promotion or availability of adult or sexually orientated entertainment materials
- An infringement on any trademark, copyright or patent rights of another company
The use of branding and logos of any sponsoring company must not interfere with the Force’s corporate identity.
Any sponsorship proposals which are considered to be potentially sensitive will be referred to the relevant Chief Officer who will determine whether a report should be submitted to the Police and Crime Commissioner.
New sponsorship requests should be discussed in the first instance with the relevant Finance Adviser to ensure all financial implications to the Force have been considered. All proposals for sponsorship, should then be notified in writing to the Finance Lead, Financial Performance, immaterial of value, on a form FIN 2.
Head of Finance will consider all sponsorship requests and if satisfied that there are no financial implications for the Force, and the level of sponsorship does not exceed £2,000, the Area Commander/Head of Department may grant approval.
For all proposals with a value of over £2,000 or where there are financial implications for the Force, then approval may be granted in accordance with the following:
i) Up to £20,000 - Head of Finance, Northumbria Police (under delegation of the Chief Constable)
ii) Over £20,000 - Office of the Police and Crime Commissioner
Motor Vehicles:
Where a motor vehicle is offered to the Force and it is either more than four years old, or with a mileage in excess of 90,000 miles, it must be inspected by the Fleet Manager, prior to submission of form FIN 2 to the Finance Department.
Estates - Premises:
The Estates Manager must be consulted in the first instance on all premises/property sponsorship proposals prior to submission of form FIN 2 to the Finance Department.
A Central Register of sponsorship will be maintained by the Finance Department.
The total value of sponsorship accepted by the force will not exceed one percent of the annual budget.
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SOURCE DOCUMENT: Police and Magistrates Courts Act 1994
GROUPS AFFECTED: All staff
ACCESS AND DISCLOSURE RESTRICTIONS: None
