We have reviewed our approach to sponsorship donations, following feedback from parties. This is our new guidance on sponsorship which will apply to sponsorship accepted from 1 January 2027 onwards.

For our current sponsorship guidance, please see the party donations and loans guidance:

New donations and loans guidance for political parties: Sponsorship

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Conference fringe events

The sponsorship controls only apply to events organised that are organised by, or on behalf of, the party. These include fringe events taking place at your party conferences.

Fringe events organised externally

Most fringe events will be organised by external organisations, rather than the party itself. Payments towards meeting the costs of events organised externally will not be sponsorship.

In some cases, you may offer support to these organisations or offer to make payments on their behalf. For example, you may offer staff support, marketing or catering at the event or pay the conference centre directly for the room hire. The organisation may also pay you to provide advertising at the event.

If you provide support or other services at these events, you must ensure these services are valued at a comparable market rate. Any payments you receive for these services at the market rate will be commercial income and will not be a donation to the party. However, if you charge or are paid more than the market rate of the service you provide, this extra amount will be a donation if this is more than £500.1

Fringe events organised by the party

Sometimes your party, or sections of your party may host fringe events. If this is the case, payments provided to help you meet the costs of these will be sponsorship.

Example A

A healthcare campaign group organises and hosts a fringe event at a party conference to discuss the future of the NHS. The campaign group pays the party the costs of hiring the room and providing refreshments at a comparable market rate.

As the event is organised by the healthcare campaign group, not the party, the payments for this event are not sponsorship. The payments to the party for the room hire and refreshments are commercial income and are not donations.

Example B

A party organises an event providing delegates with the opportunity to meet the party’s leader. A building society pays the party to have its logo at the event and on the fringe listing for the event at a total cost of £8,000.

As the event is organised by the party, the £8,000 in payment from the building society to help the party meet the costs of the event are sponsorship. This is a donation to the party, as the value of the sponsorship is more than £500.

Last updated: 27 August 2026