Sponsorship Program

We invite Sponsorship Program applications on a quarterly basis to support events that promote the achievement of better mental health outcomes for Queenslanders.

Under the Queensland Government Sponsorship Policy, sponsorship is the right to associate the sponsor’s (Commission) name, products or services with the sponsored organisation’s service, product or activity, in return for negotiated and specific benefits such as cash or in-kind support or promotional opportunities. It involves a negotiated exchange and results in tangible, material and mutual compensation for the principal parties to the arrangement.

The Commission’s Sponsorship Program takes the form of a one-off and non-recurrent funding payment of up to $10,000 with additional in-kind support and promotion of the event (if requested by the organisation).

The Commission is committed to supporting one-off events that:

• support one or more specific outcomes under Shifting minds: The Queensland Mental Health, Alcohol and Other Drugs, and Suicide Prevention Strategic Plan 2023–2028;
• encourage and contribute to knowledge sharing and exchange about what works to improve the mental health and wellbeing of Queenslanders;
• contribute to the Commission’s objectives; and 
• promote the Commission’s activities.

Examples of eligible events include conferences, symposiums, single or multi-day workshops (not extended programs), art exhibitions, and concerts, noting that they must clearly support the promotion of one or more outcomes under Shifting minds and meet all other required criteria.

Organisations may apply for sponsorships up to $10,000 (excluding GST). The Commission may very occasionally consider supporting sponsorships up to a maximum of $20,000 (excluding GST), but this type of request will not be supported in full if funding for the round or financial year is limited/exhausted or would exclude other applicants for this reason.

• Your proposed event must not rely on the Commission’s sponsorship funding.
• No applicant can be guaranteed sponsorship funding, nor can any applicant be guaranteed to receive the full amount requested.
• Sponsorship from the Commission is provided on a one-off basis, is drawn from a limited budget allocation, and should not be relied on for the continuity of your event.
• Any funding provided under the sponsorship may not be used for daily operating costs such as staff wages, grants given out by your organisation through another program, product or other endorsements, ex gratia payments, donations or gifts (excluding speaker gifts), the purchase of advertising space, editorial comments or other advertorials, or to enable the organisation’s staff to attend training courses or other professional development.

Note: As specified in the Queensland Government Sponsorship Policy, sponsorships differ from grants (where there is limited provision of benefits to the Queensland Government and the Commission). Information about any grants currently offered by the Commission is available here. 

Basic eligibility requirements

Sponsorship requests will only be accepted from incorporated bodies, such as companies, statutory authorities, schools and universities, and eligible not-for-profit organisations.

The following applicant types are not eligible for sponsorship funding:

• Individual persons; and 
• Organisations that receive any form of funding from gambling, tobacco or alcohol companies either directly or indirectly.

The following types of events are not eligible for sponsorship funding:

• events that include relationships with tobacco or alcohol, or promote their usage;
• events that include product endorsements;
• events that do not recognise diversity in communities, families or cultures;
• events that include requests for funding to purchase capital works or assets of any kind;
• any event that is considered high risk or contravenes any Queensland Government or Commission policies;
• fundraising events; and
• events not covered by public liability insurance.

Application key dates and information

The Commission’s Sponsorship Program is administered electronically via SmartyGrants.

A new round will be opened for applications each quarter and published on the Commission’s public SmartyGrants landing page here.

Note: Dates are subject to change based on the Commission’s operational requirements; please monitor this page for updates.

To assist the Commission in effectively administering the Sponsorship Program, your event should ideally take place within six months of the round you apply for (i.e. for a round closing on 31 May, the event should take place between 1 July and 30 December).

Please note that applications for events planned too far in the future may not be approved due to limited/exhausted funding or where other applicants in the round would be disadvantaged. In this case, your organisation would be welcome to apply closer to the planned event date.

Late applications or amendments to applications after the closing date will not be accepted by the Commission.

How to apply via SmartyGrants

Step 1: Log in or sign up to SmartyGrants

To lodge a submission through SmartyGrants you will first be required to register for an individual profile.

Click here to set up your SmartyGrants account (or login to your existing account).

Step 2: Log in or sign-up to SmartyFile

Once your SmartyGrants account has been created, you will need to access your organisation profile through SmartyFile and then link your individual profile to your organisation profile.

Click here to create your SmartyFile account (or log in to your existing account).

Detailed sign-up instructions for SmartyFile can be found here.

Note: Once set up for your organisation, you will be able to view all submitted grant applications and outcomes.

Step 3: Draft and lodge your submission

Once you are all set up in SmartyGrants and SmartyFile, please access the online application form through SmartyGrants here.

Application outcomes

We will endeavour to notify all applicants of their application outcome within 30 days of the round closing date (subject to the Commission’s operational availability).

All approved Sponsorship events are published online in our Sponsorship Program Register.

Commission attendance at events

Where your organisation has extended an invitation to the Commissioner or QMHC staff representatives to attend a sponsored event in-person, please kindly note that you must send a separate invitation to the Commission mailbox to make arrangements for speaking/attendance (including RSVPs).

We will monitor the progress of the event and check in as needed, but making these arrangements will be the responsibility of each organisation.

Further information will be provided in the email notification for approved applicants.

Reporting requirements

Sponsored organisations must submit a Final Report to the Commission that summarises the outcomes of the event, no later than six weeks after the event has ended.

A reminder prompt will be sent out by the Commission where possible, to assist organisations to comply with this reporting requirement.

Note: The Sponsorship Final Report template is currently under review and will be published at a later date.

Looking for other funding opportunities?

• Additional state government grants are available on the Queensland Government website. 
• A comprehensive list of sector grants available to community and social service organisations from all tiers of government, community foundations and corporations published by the Queensland Council of Social Service (QCOSS)