A practical guide to setting fair, realistic and confident sponsorship prices

One of the biggest challenges grassroots sports clubs face when raising sponsorship is deciding how much to charge.

Many clubs either:

underprice their sponsorship because they lack confidence
overprice it because expectations are not realistic
avoid setting prices altogether because they are worried about getting it wrong

This guide is designed to help clubs set sponsorship prices that are fair, justifiable and easy to explain. It is based on the size of the club, the assets available, and what local businesses are likely to view as good value.

This is not about squeezing every last pound from a sponsor. It is about creating prices that make sense, help conversations move forward and support long term relationships with local businesses.

A note on experience and evidence

This guidance is informed by real world experience.

Over many years, Grassroot Media has reviewed hundreds of sponsorship packs from grassroots sports clubs across football, cricket, rugby, bowls, sailing and other community sports. Those packs range from very small volunteer run clubs to large, well established community organisations.

No 2 clubs are exactly the same, but clear pricing patterns and useful ranges do emerge. This guide reflects those patterns and offers sensible benchmarks rather than rigid rules.

1. Understand what sponsorship pricing really is

Sponsorship pricing is not the same as selling advertising space in a newspaper or on a billboard.

Local sponsorship is usually about:

visibility over time
familiarity and trust
association with a community organisation
supporting something people care about

Because of that, sponsorship prices are often lower than commercial advertising rates, but the value can be stronger locally.

A business sponsoring a grassroots club is not simply buying exposure. It is becoming connected to a place, a group of people and a community story.

Compare yourself to local alternatives, not national advertising

Clubs should not compare their sponsorship prices with national advertising rates.

A more useful question is:

What else could this business spend the same amount of money on locally?

For example:

a small advert in a local magazine or newspaper
a short run of Facebook or Google ads
leaflet printing and distribution
sponsoring a local community event

If your sponsorship package offers repeated visibility, local trust and a genuine community link for a similar level of spend, it may represent very good value.

2. Avoid the most common pricing mistakes

There are a few mistakes clubs make again and again when pricing sponsorship. These are not unique to grassroots sport. Even large organisations get pricing wrong. It is difficult, and clubs should not feel embarrassed about finding it challenging.

Mistake 1: Pricing too low just in case

This is probably the most common mistake.

Many clubs set prices very low because they:

worry about being rejected
do not want to feel awkward asking for money
assume local businesses cannot afford more

This can lead to:

sponsors undervaluing the opportunity
clubs struggling to increase prices later
volunteers feeling the effort is not worth the return

Low pricing does not guarantee success. Clear value and confidence matter more.

Mistake 2: Pricing without explanation

A price with no explanation can feel arbitrary to a business.

If a club cannot clearly explain:

what is included
who will see it
how often it will be seen
why it represents good local value

then even a fair price may feel difficult to justify.

Sponsors are far more comfortable when pricing is explained calmly and logically.

Mistake 3: Pricing too high because expectations are unrealistic

Some clubs set prices based on:

what they would ideally like to earn
what a larger or better resourced club charges
comparisons with professional or semi professional sport

This can lead to:

repeated rejection
stalled conversations
businesses disengaging early

Higher prices are not wrong in themselves, but they need to be supported by:

clear assets
consistent visibility
credible audience value
reliable delivery

If sponsors regularly hesitate or walk away, it may be a sign that the price is too high for the club’s current position.

Mistake 4: Refusing to negotiate when flexibility would help

Some clubs treat sponsorship prices as fixed and non negotiable.

In reality, negotiation does not always mean lowering the price. It can mean:

adjusting what is included
changing the length of the agreement
focusing on the assets that suit the sponsor best
spreading payments over time
creating a smaller starting package with room to grow

There are many ways to make sponsorship work better for both parties without weakening the club’s position.

Flexibility often leads to stronger, longer term partnerships.

A simple rule of thumb

If you are going to make one of these mistakes, it is usually better to price slightly too low than far too high.

Pricing a little low:

keeps you in the conversation
helps build relationships you may grow later
gives you real market feedback
allows you to learn and adjust over time

Pricing too high, with no flexibility, can end a conversation entirely and remove any chance of future support from that business.

At the same time, if a sponsor accepts immediately without any hesitation, treat that as useful feedback. It may suggest your price could be higher next time.

3. Use club size as a starting point

One of the simplest ways to think about pricing is by club size, especially the number of active members and regular attendees.

Club size is not the only factor, but it gives you a useful starting point.

Small clubs: up to 75 active members

These clubs often have:

a tight hyperlocal audience
strong personal relationships
limited but loyal visibility

Sponsorship prices may sit at the lower end, but the opportunity can still carry meaningful value.

Medium clubs: around 75 to 150 active members

These clubs usually have:

regular activity on multiple days each week
more consistent footfall
wider reach within the local community

They can often charge more than a smaller club for comparable assets, provided those assets are being delivered well.

Large clubs: more than 150 active members

These clubs often have:

multiple teams or sections
high weekly usage across much of the week
stronger local recognition
a broader mix of players, parents, volunteers and visitors

Club size does not guarantee revenue, but it can support stronger pricing. Whatever the size of the club, lean into the specific things that make it valuable and distinctive.

4. Useful sponsorship pricing benchmarks

These are broad starting points, not fixed rules. Every club will need to adapt them based on its own circumstances, location, profile and assets.

Sponsorship item	Small club	Medium club	Large club
Main club sponsor	£500 to £1,000 per season	£1,000 to £2,000 per season	£2,000 to £5,000 per season
Matchday sponsor	£150 to £300	£300 to £600	£600 to £1,200
Social media mentions package	£100 to £200	£200 to £400	£400 to £800
Team sponsor	£250 to £500	£500 to £1,000	£1,000 to £2,500

These ranges are deliberately broad. The purpose is to help clubs start from a realistic position rather than guessing in the dark.

5. Think in ranges, not fixed prices

Sponsorship pricing does not need to be exact.

Many strong sponsorship packs use price ranges rather than single, fixed figures.

For example:

“From £250 per season”
“Typically £500 to £750 per year”
“Packages usually start at £1,000, depending on what is included”

This approach gives you flexibility while still anchoring expectations.

It also makes it easier to adapt pricing for:

different types of business
different combinations of assets
different contract lengths
the level of involvement a sponsor wants

6. Compare sponsorship with other local marketing options

A useful sense check is to ask:

What else could this business buy locally for the same amount?

For example:

a small print advert
a handful of local social media ads
a short local radio run
leaflet production and delivery
support for a one off community event

Many local businesses spend hundreds of pounds a year on marketing that is brief or easy to forget.

By comparison, club sponsorship can offer:

repeated visibility over months
familiarity through regular exposure
a trusted local setting
association with something members genuinely value

If your pricing sits in a similar range to other local marketing activity while offering these added benefits, it is often reasonable.

7. Avoid technical marketing language

Even if you know what terms like CPM, impressions and engagement rate mean, you usually do not need them when discussing local sponsorship.

Simple explanations are often more persuasive.

For example:

“Our sponsors are seen by players, families and visitors every week throughout the season.”

“Your name becomes familiar to people who live and spend money locally.”

“You are supporting a club that local people care about and use regularly.”

Local sponsorship works because:

people see the same name repeatedly
they recognise it over time
they connect it with a club they care about

That is usually easier for a local business to understand than a spreadsheet of abstract marketing metrics.

8. Price for the relationship, not just the asset

Sponsorship works best when it is treated as a partnership, not a one off transaction.

This means the price should allow:

the business to feel good about supporting the club
the club to feel properly supported in return
the relationship to continue year after year

If a sponsor feels stretched or unsure, they are less likely to renew. If the pricing feels fair and manageable, renewal becomes much easier.

Once you have a deal, the focus shifts from selling to looking after the sponsor properly. Good service increases the chance of renewal.

9. Be confident and consistent

Confidence matters more than precision.

Clubs that:

set clear prices
explain them calmly
apply them consistently

are usually more successful than clubs that constantly apologise for asking.

Sponsors expect clubs to have thought about pricing. Clear, reasonable figures build trust, and trust helps close deals.

A simple pricing checklist

Before finalising your sponsorship prices, ask:

Can we explain what the sponsor gets?
Do we know who will see the sponsorship and how often?
Does the price feel fair in relation to our club size and activity level?
Have we compared it with other local marketing options?
Are we using ranges where that would help?
Can we deliver everything included consistently?
Are we leaving room for sensible negotiation?

If the answer is yes to most of these questions, you are probably in a strong starting position.

Final thoughts

There is no single correct sponsorship price.

What matters is that your prices are:

thought through
easy to explain
fair for both sides
sustainable over time

This guide is designed to help clubs move away from guesswork and towards confident, consistent pricing that supports long term income and stronger sponsor relationships.

Next guide to read

Approaching Local Businesses About Sponsorship
Once your packages and prices are clearer, the next step is knowing how to start conversations with potential sponsors.

Read the guide